From Courting to Engagement

    This week we talked about dating smaller and we talked about the cording engagement process. now this process of cording and then engagement has changed over the many decades of engagement  we talked about the differences between the 50's the 90's and now. just looking at my own family the engagement process from when my grandparents got engaged and married to when my parents got engaged and married to my roommate and friends who have gotten engaged and married are three completely different processes.

    My grandparents were thinking about getting married they dated for a while they went on lots of different dates, and I do not think they even talked about getting married they might have mentioned it once or twice, but they did not do it like today. usually, my grandpas would have gone ring shopping saved up lots and lots of money, and bought a very simple modest ring to give to their future fiancées. then the mother and friends and family word plan the wedding. they would find a church have simple colors and decorations and then invite everybody to come to the wedding. they did not have social media like we do today, but they did have newspapers and it was very common to see engagement announcements wedding invites in this local newspaper. both of my grandparents have been married for over 50 years.

 We were so lucky and grateful that we got to celebrate my mom's parents' 50th wedding anniversary and we are so lucky and grateful that we got to celebrate my dad's parents' 50th wedding anniversary. sadly, this past year both of my grandpas passed away, but they are still remembered and followed by amazing wives and grandmothers the I get to celebrate and be with for a long time.

    When my mom and dad got married they decided that maybe they would be the right one for each other. My mom was finishing college and told my dad " do not propose until I am done, I do not want to be planning a wedding during my last semester of school. she would be done in May and then they would get married in August." My dad had other plans… my dad proposed in January at temple square and then my mom finished College in May and they got married at the end of June. something different about today than any other generation is that renting wedding dresses was common. My mom rented her wedding dress because it was cheaper than buying a wedding dress and you know two broke college students did not have much money. My mom's colors were teal grey and white. the bridesmaids were in teal dresses and the tablecloths were simply white and they did it in a church house. My mom had a crazy idea, and she does not even know where this idea came from, but her centerpieces were large Margarita glasses with beta fish in them. I know kind of crazy. but we have never seen it anywhere else how spadefish as your wedding centerpieces. my mom is dad has been married for almost 29 years and their anniversary is the end of this month.

    now if you notice the theme in these last two stories the guy surprised the girl with a wedding ring. This does not happen nowadays. in modern times we see the wedding being planned before anybody gets a ring. I think this is a little bit wedding planning is the best part of planning a wedding. You can decide what you want to have on your special day. this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you want to spend time planning and enjoying this time you get to have with your significant other.

This is a picture of my mom's parents on their wedding day 

This is a picture of my dad's parents on their wedding day.