Prolong Your Engagement

After postponing the marriage for as long as possible, you’re engaged and, honestly, it’s really not that bad of a position. There are quite a few perks you never thought about, like a ton of engagement gifts, much more attention from friends and family, and a little more alone time because she is out preparing for the wedding. So, naturally, you want to drag this engagement out to keep reaping the benefits. But you've got one major problem: The new Judd Apatow movie, The Five-Year Engagement, is now on her radar. And you know she's gonna start asking questions. Things like: "I know it's just a movie but do you think Jason Segel was secretly trying to postpone the engagement?" Or "I think most couples would just figure out how to make it happen instead of keeping on postponing it..." You need to have a game plan. Because for your sake, this engagement needs to last for as long as possible.

While we don’t condone any underhanded behavior or playing tricks on her to back out of the engagement -- moves like that will probably just get you dumped -- here are some ideas on how to prolong your engagement and how to keep your bachelor status alive for as long as possible.

Don’t commit to a date

A specific date means an exact end. A grand finale to the ringless finger. The final curtain on the first act of your life, titled "The Single Life." Are we being dramatic enough?

The first course of action is to not commit on a date or even really discuss any specifics about months or seasons. To successfully implement this strategy, the groundwork should have been laid out the moment you got down on one knee and slipped the ring on her finger. Something to the effect of, “This is a promise that some day, in the future, we will be husband and wife.” Notice the key words were "promise" and "future" -- two huge words for a guy to spit out. Hearing this should ease her doubts about being together for the long haul. This move has dual purposes: It alleviates the pressure of everyone asking when you’re getting engaged and buys you even more time in putting off the big day. She won’t mind or even notice. She’ll be too busy showing off the rock to single friends and basking in the attention.

If she is wary of your long-view approach, explain that it’s not uncommon for couples to put off setting a date. People rush into wedding planning and are often at the mercy of reception halls and wedding venues, forced to settle on a time and date based on availability. Places are often booked a year or even two in advance so you’re forced to pick a day that doesn’t really have significance to you. Waiting is actually a smart move because it allows your fiance to wait for the preferred time of year and possibly choose the exact date to exchange vows.

Make a big life change

Every man should think about the next step in life. Now that your relationship is on a certain course, shouldn’t your career or life path start taking shape? It’s just as big a part of the future as a wife and kids. Maybe it’s time to go back to school for a higher degree. Perhaps the market is right to take that leap and start your own business. Making a big change in life is a simple way to postpone the big day with good reason.

While we don’t recommend anything too drastic like joining the military or selling all your possessions and walking across the country on foot, changes like going back to school or landing a new job will create enough of a life disruption to put off wedding planning for the time being. Perhaps a major life change would be to make an actual physical move. If she doesn’t live with you, persuade her to move in together -- into a new place you both can call “yours.” Finding a new place, getting the paperwork in order and making the actual move is a process that could take several months -- months that will delay those wedding bells.

Read on for more advice on how to prolong your engagement... Next Page >>

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