❤️ We Do! Love Stories Part 2: Savannah & Jim, The Truth About Their 2-Year Engagement
- We Do!
- Aug 24
- 4 min read
Is Two Years Too Long? Absolutely Not!
In Part 1 of Jim & Savannah’s love story, we shared how their paths crossed, how they fell in love, which led to a heartfelt engagement. Now, with more than two years of planning under their belt, the couple reflects on what it’s really like to have a long engagement. From extra time to dream and save, to the challenges of keeping momentum (and patience!) along the way, Jim & Savannah open up about the pros and cons of waiting over two years to say “We Do!”
Our Story
In our initial wedding planning conversations, it quickly became clear that we would be engaged for a while. Jim proposed on June 30, 2023, and we already knew that we had multiple plans through the summer and fall of 2024. We did not want the planning whirlwind of a short engagement period, so we agreed it would have to be a date in 2025. We did not expect how
deep into 2025 it would be: November 1.
While it wasn’t our original intent, in choosing this date, we signed up for an almost 2.5-year
engagement. Fast forward to today and we have now been engaged for longer than we had
been dating at the time Jim proposed!
So, dear reader, the question becomes: has it been worth it? In our opinion, it certainly has
been, and we want to share our reasons why.
Enjoy the Ride
We know it is a bit of a cliché. When you get engaged, everyone and their brother tells you to
enjoy your time as an engaged couple and the process of planning your wedding. But, for us at
least, we really have enjoyed the length of our engagement and how many of the small details
we’ve been able to put into place relatively stress-free.
Take time to celebrate the milestones in between: 1 year engaged, 2 years until “I do,” 2 years
engaged, 1 year until “I do”—and don’t forget to start the countdown when it’s time! Doing so
keeps things fun and makes it so that you have genuine moments to focus on the two of you
and your relationship (which is the most important part!) rather than the minute event details
you’re likely talking about every day.
Having time to do other things is also important while planning your wedding! Whether you
plan on traveling, spending time with friends and family, going to other people’s weddings (we
will have been to 6 other weddings while engaged by the time we get married), and just the
general experience that is life, you shouldn’t have to become a full-time wedding planner to get
everything done in time and the way you want.
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In our opinion, time to enjoy the engagement also means having the time to work through your
stressors. Not all parts of wedding planning are sunshine, rainbows, and puppy love. You need
time to have hard conversations about budget and future finances, consider premarital
counseling, and generally align on what you want your wedding to look, feel, and taste like
(we’re big foodies) together as a couple.
The Cons of a Longer Engagement
Of course, a long engagement isn’t perfect. Here are a few things we’ve noticed:
The wedding sometimes feels abstract. Will you ever actually be married, or just continue to talk about it and plan indefinitely?
If your vision changes or you go too hard getting “good deals” on décor you don’t end up needing, it can add up fast.
Outside expectations. The longer you’re engaged, the more opportunities for others to share their opinions.
A lot can change! Relationships may shift, guests’ situations can evolve, and even vendors might change so the linens you picked out the first year are no longer available for your wedding (this actually happened to us). These surprises happen more often with a longer engagement, so staying flexible is key. Focus on your vision, your budget, and most importantly remember that the heart of it all is marrying the love of your life!
Balancing the timeline. You may feel like you have “so much time,” but it still flies by. You’ll need to communicate with your guests, send Save the Dates, and keep everyone engaged along the way.
Final Thoughts (For Now)
Ultimately, this is your journey to your wedding day and what worked for us might not work for
you! We are so grateful to have had the last 2.5 years to plan our special day and couldn’t
imagine it going as smoothly on a shorter timeline. When November 1st finally arrives (less than 70 days to go!), life will be even sweeter—and we’ll be even more grateful for the journey. Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll share how a long engagement has helped us save thousands while still creating the wedding of our dreams.
Cheers,
Savannah & Jim
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