Your Engaged! Congratulations! Now comes a time of great excitement and planning. Tradition says, the groom asks the bride's father for her hand in marriage, however these days it is less formal. Most couple's prefer to tell the parents beforemaking it public knowledge. You can make your announcement in the newpaper if you so desire or some couples make their announcement through their engagement party and some don't even do that!. Do I want one? Should I have one? Big decisions to make and you haven't even got to the wedding yet! Well it's up to you. Do you want a party to celebrate your engagement? What sort of rings do you want? How many people do you want at the party, where do you want to have it? Can I afford it? At the engagement party, it is also tradition that the bride's parents host and pay for the engagement party. Today, anything goes. You can decide what's appropriate depending on your family circumstances and budget. One tradition still included at any engagement celebration is the father ofthe bride's toast to the couple and then the groom responds with a toast of his own. You (the Bride) may also like to say a few words. A hand-written thank you note should be sent to anyone who hosts a party in your honour or gives you an engagement gift. Then simply relax and enjoy your new status as a happily engaged couple as you begin the wonderful journey towards your wedding. Planning Your Wedding Some of us love the large weddings with all the trimmings and, then there are those who prefer the smaller and more intimate celebration. Once you have decided on the size then you need to think about the venue for the ceremony and the reception. Do you want a church, outdoor,registry, or choose a very different place for your ceremony. Do you want your reception at the same place? or a different place all together.These days you need to book in as far in advance that you can if you want a popular place. There are also legal issues that need to be dealt with when getting married. A Notice of Intended Marriage, this should be lodged no earlier than 18 months and no less than one month and one day before your ceremony. Prior to the wedding, you will be asked to sign a Statutory Declaration to confirm that there is no valid reason to prevent the wedding from taking place. After the marriage ceremony, you will sign your Certificate of Marriage, a Wedding Certificate and the Marriage Register. You will also get a certificate from Births Deaths and Marriage which is your legal document to use if you decide to take your groom's name. This is of course, up to you. If you do decide to take his name, you will need to produce this Marriage Certificate at places where your previous family name is registered. This will include Medicare, your bank, insurance companies, etc.  | 
