So he might not have popped the question yet, but you’re pretty certain he is; you just don’t know when. And hey, you’re not the type to sit around and wait, so you probably already started planning your wedding. And no, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. Lots of couples do it, but there’s a good way to do it and a wrong way.

The wrong way is to dive headfirst into planning and getting a little too carried away with all the details. If you’re planning a wedding early, the key is to simply troll the various wedding sites/blogs to get an idea of what you want. Think of it as a preliminary test of the real thing. So don’t get too bogged down on what colors you’ll use or what dress you’ll wear; just search for a list of things you’re interested in and then return to the list later when you start doing the serious nitty gritty planning. The biggest mistake you could make is worry over little details as if the wedding date is set next week. Be proud that you have lots of time and relish in how careful and slow you can take the process. Some couples don’t get that luxury..