You’ve been planning your proposal for a while, and whether you intend to drop to one knee during the family holiday feast, pop the question in the privacy of your own home beforehand, or wrap the ring and place it under the tree for her to discover on Christmas day, you’re going to have to face the inevitable: celebrating a holiday engagement. While an imminent wedding will certainly require you to tell the family (hers and yours), you don’t necessarily want it to get swallowed up in the holiday festivities. You want it to be a special cause for celebration. On the other hand, you don’t expect your family to supersede the season in order to make you and your new fiancé feel special. And you may not be prepared to deal with the fallout from families who are less than approving. So what can you do to celebrate? Here are a few suggestions.
1. Host a reception. In a season that’s full of parties and gatherings, you should have no trouble arranging one more (especially if you’ve been planning for this moment for a while). Family and friends can wish you well and then everyone can get on with holiday affairs.
2. Break the news ASAP. Rather than waiting for your annual holiday feast to break the good news, call friends and family as soon as you put the ring on her finger. Likely they will want to have some sort of celebration anyway, but this way it won’t interfere with plans that are already in place.
3. Keep it simple. When everyone sits down to dinner, pour some champagne and make your announcement. The assemblage will likely be so intent on the food waiting to be eaten that they’ll offer a toast and then tuck in, relieving the burden on you and your fiancé to field a gauntlet of hugs and relate the story of your engagement ad nauseum.
4. Plan a whirlwind vacation. If you don’t want to deal with the pressures of a social gathering that not only includes your giant, crazy family, but your soon-to-be in-laws as well, jet off for a holiday getaway and enjoy the calm before the storm.
5. Stay home. Let’s face it: all you really want to do is snuggle in bed and bask in the glow of solidified love. Every other year can include family (and it probably will), but take this time to enjoy being a couple by making some memories that are exclusively about the two of you.
