Are You Ready Yet?

Last night, Jason & I attended an engagement party - thrown for two of our bridal party members. While it'd be cool to imagine two strangers being thrown together in wedding preparation, falling in love & deciding to get hitched themselves, it wasn't quite like that!

My brother Ajay is one of the groomsmen, and Hayley is one of my girls - they've been dating for a couple of years now. They announced their engagement just a few weeks ago and there's been loads of wedding-related excitement in the air ever since. They're a gorgeous couple, both physically and personality-wise, and I'm thrilled to be (finally!) getting the sister I always wanted.

Their engagement party was 'red carpet' themed, and everyone looked awesome in their suits & ball gowns.

They're so cute, it should be illegal.

Needless to say, the night was filled with lots of mingling between the two families. And the question for Jason & I that was on everybody's lips? Are you ready yet?

It's funny, because you can take this in a few ways. In a literal sense, no. We're so not ready. We have oodles of things we haven't done yet, I'm doing my best to get things done in the right priority order, and we're both working full-time. I think props have to go to anyone planning a wedding and working at the same time, because finding the time to do everything is no easy feat, especially in the final weeks. The next few weeks are filled with little bits & pieces that need to get done - and it's amazing how quickly time is flying. Sometimes I really do wonder how on Earth I'm going to get everything done.

But then, I'm oh so ready. I've been ready for this for years. It's a little cliché to admit it, but I knew I would marry Jason very early on in our relationship. And whether you've been with someone six months, for two years, three, six, eight, nine... you just know when its the right person. All these countdowns, all the waiting during our long engagement, waiting for the 'right time', yep, I'm ready. I'm so ready. And best of all, he's ready too.

One of the hardest things to deal with in our waiting phase was not being on the same page. I was ready, he wasn't. I nagged, cried, drowned in a sea of other people's engagements, and he waited. It hurts when you're ready, but they aren't - it makes you doubt yourself, makes you think you're the one who cares more in the relationship, or that your partner doesn't feel the same way you do. Looking back, I know now that he still loved me and wanted to the same things that I did - it was just the timing wasn't right. Now that we're so close, hearing Jason tell me that he's looking forward to being married, well, it gives me the warm and fuzzies.

So are we ready yet? We're as ready as we'll ever be. And even if we scrap a few projects, or cut a few corners, or just plain turn up on the wedding day in a dress and a suit, we'll be ready.

Just call me Casper.