So stressful to manage--but I'm glad you've got the idea. You've got dates, locations...it's going to be beautiful.
Sorry, I just started following the PJ (I'm making an effort to follow more people's now--especially those like you who have been so supportive on the boards!).
How was your planning session? By now, I'm sure you've completed it. DETAILS!
I wanted to kind of follow up on the divorce stuff. Someone else had already mentioned that their parents are divorced, and that you shouldn't give it too much thought. I'm in agreement--don't let it mar your own thoughts of marriage and all of that. My parents have been divorced since I was two (and separated before that). I honestly don't remember what it's like to have my biological parents TOGETHER.
That said...my mom has since re-married, and my step-dad is super awesome. I look at the example that they provide...and I know hope is not lost.
Plus, I look at it this way. I think a lot of us on the boards (in our 20's, 30's, and even 40's) are seeing a lot of our baby boomer parents getting divorced because of the generation THEY came from. That generation got married really young, cohabitation often wasn't an option before marriage, and dating for longer than a year often wasn't a thing either.
Nowadays...practices like extended dating and cohabitation are much more acceptable. Marrying later in life is much more commonplace (heck, I'm 30! I never thought when I was 8 that I'd be getting married as late as 30!). These sorts of factors, I think, contribute to a greater (though not inevitable) chance of success in marriage.
I don't know much about you guys other than what you've said...but you're both 26 and it sounds like pretty well established in your professional lives. That's a huge plus.
Your "boring" proposal (which I think is cute, no matter what!) makes it sound like you guys are cohabiting...which I think is ALSO huge plus. One of the things my mom always told me about my biological father was that he "totally changed" once they got married--and a big part of that is that people often act differently in public, and even on the limited basis you spend with them on private dates and stuff, than they do when you actually have to SHARE a living space. You get to know each other's habits, how they live, and how they react to sharing space 24/7. Living together first before marriage gives you a chance to bail if it turns out that you REALLY can't stand some irritating habit. It's much cheaper than waiting until you get married, and then divorcing.
I mean, it's always possible that anyone could "grow apart" as time moves forward (a bit thing that I've heard people say about their marriages when they get divorced)...but if you put a lot of work into it BEFORE hand, I think it significantly increases your chances of "making it."
I also think having a Disney wedding when you're not already super rich increases your chances of making it too. Why? Because it allows you to get a feel of what the "for poorer" part of your vows would be like! LOL! We've definitely decreased our lifestyle a bit as we save for this massive overpriced wedding. And...we're still doing okay. So, I think we'll be good. I mean, we're not living in a cardboard box poor...but saving TOGETHER to pay for a wedding yourselves (versus just relying on parents) really gives you an idea of how you work together to achieve mutually-desired goals. I think it's great--and I think you guys will be just fine.
Here's to hoping that I can keep up!
Tiffiny