Engagement suggestions

[carrie80]

Let me just say I am so glad I've stumbled onto this wedding forum. I have seen so many beautiful photos and great ideas here.

Before coming to this site, I wasn't even thinking I'd ever have a real wedding. Now, I would love to plan some kind of Disney wedding, but I am not officially engaged. I have read some great engagement stories here, and it makes me really want one.

My boyfriend and I have been together for 6 years. However, the majority of that time we have been long distance. We met and became friends right before I did my second College Program (World Showcase Custodial 2003. I had the 2:30 - 1 am shift. It was magical being at EPCOT after guests each day, even though I was cleaning kitchens. Hey, thanks to the EPCOT Catering/Events kitchen I may have sampled someone's leftover wedding food after hosing the floor down ) We talked to each other on the phone almost every night and he came to visit me a couple times. Then I came back home but he was in school about 2 hours away. Then in 2005 I did an Advanced Internship at Disney at the Disney Learning Center at Saratoga Springs/Old Key West Resort. So we were long distance again.

Finally, after all my Disney magic, I graduated with my Masters degree in library science in 2007 and became a library teacher. A year later my boyfriend became an art teacher at a school 2 1/2 hours away. However, he has not been able to get a job near our home for 2 years. We have spent basically our entire summer interviewing. I figured we could both try to interview for places that list our positions, to no avail. So we are looking at being long distance yet another year.

I don't want an engagement ring, but would like to feel engaged, if that makes sense. How should I let my boyfriend know that I want him to ask me, especially since he won't have a ring? He knows that I don't like surprises, but this is something that has to be a surprise, right?

After y'all tell me your ideas, hopefully I'll start my own planning journal

Thanks.

 

[PrincessBubblyBoo]

I'm new and not engaged yet either. (I joined because he wants the wedding in Disney and I needed to research.)

Have y'all talked about marriage? If so, just bring it up since if you have, he's pretty easy about ideas you may have. You never know.

 

[PartofDisney'sWorld]

I basically just kept telling DF that I wanted to get married, several times. The last time I said it was right after I had just watched a show on WE; it was a special on DFTW with David Tutera. Then DF sort of let it slip that he was planning on asking me, but didn't say when. We happened to be going to Disney in a couple weeks, so I had a feeling that was when he was planning on asking. Even though I expected it, I wasn't 100% sure, but he did ask me, right in front of the castle. So it wasn't a COMPLETE surprise, but a little bit of one, and I still cried the whole time. It was the greatest thing ever!

So, maybe you could try just telling him you want to get married!

 

[Shreggor]

If you don't want him to give you a ring, propose to him. Plenty of women do. There was a whole section on Offbeat Bride about this.

Otherwise, just ask him how he feels about marriage and about your future together. If you pressure him, he's not going to be happy.

I don't "get" girls who pester their boyfriends about marriage. If he wants to ask, he will as long as he knows marriage is something you want in your future.

 

[BravaCentauri]

I went through this, too. My boyfriend didn't want to propose without a ring and wanted to save for something I would love (which I do) but this meant we dated for awhile and I wanted to "feel engaged". Looking back, I knew he loved me and we talked about our future so I should have just enjoyed that and not stressed so much! Now we're really planning our wedding!

Talk to your boyfriend without using the words "engagement" or "ring" and if he knows he loves you and wants to be with you and get married someday just believe him.

 

[CityGirlLost]

I'm not technically engaged yet either but the ring has been ordered and he's let slip that he's planning something.

 

[kmg148]

Have you discussed promise rings? With a lot of though put into it, it might be what you're looking for...a step between engagement and dating

 

[LovesHerTaurus]

Why not mention to him that your dream is to marry him at Disney? Don't pressure with the marriage and engagement, plant the seed. Hard. And that you are both likely to be hired in the same area when married Often a spouse can be "helped" into a job when relocating!!

I didn't want an engagement ring - but I quickly flipped. There are a lot of open options for rings, you don't HAVE to go traditional. I opted for a beautiful white gold family ring I always wanted - with his birthstone in there, myself and my two daughters, as well as room for more

But 6 years?? It really shouldn't shock his system too badly, that is a good chunk of life time dedicated to each other, even if long distance. But take that with a grain of salt - we got engaged after 6 weeks

Before coming to this site, I wasn't even thinking I'd ever have a real wedding. Now, I would love to plan some kind of Disney wedding, but I am not officially engaged. I have read some great engagement stories here, and it makes me really want one.
...
I don't want an engagement ring, but would like to feel engaged, if that makes sense. How should I let my boyfriend know that I want him to ask me, especially since he won't have a ring? He knows that I don't like surprises, but this is something that has to be a surprise, right?

After y'all tell me your ideas, hopefully I'll start my own planning journal

Thanks.