*Pinches self to make sure this isn’t a dream*

Well friends, it finally happened! After 9 long, amazing years, I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be engaged to my best friend Richie Thomas. November 2nd will forever hold a special place in my heart and I couldn’t thank Richie enough for planning an absolute perfect proposal and celebratory weekend with both our families in Newport.

Want all the details on how he popped the question?! Read this. PS. the article shares a sweet note from Richie on his perspective + includes a few high school photos - it’s definitely worth the read! You can also watch our proposal video here.

Now that I’m engaged, here’s what can YOU expect from me.

First off, I want you to know that The Future Miss You isn’t going anywhere. I created this space to help you, my readers, inspire your future self to be everything & more that you want her to be! That said, I will be keeping the ‘Miss’ even though I’m becoming a ‘Mrs’ because my relationship status doesn’t change what FMY stands for. Whether you’re single, dating, waiting for your perfect proposal or already living your fairytale, we are all ‘future miss yous’.

Now that that’s out of the way, I’m going to be really real for a moment.

Fact: I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing :) and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share that with y’all. My number one goal with FMY has always been to be 110% honest about my experiences and how I navigate this crazy ride of life. I can’t promise every detail will be rainbows and butterflies (because it probably won’t be), but I can promise to bring you on our journey from this step forward. I cannot wait to share all the planning details, bridal moments, and do my best to answer any & all questions you may have on the engagement stage of life!

A brief reality check from the bride to be.

As much as I’ve prayed & wished for an engagement, becoming a fiancé is a whirlwind of emotions and I want to be as raw about my experience as possible. Soon after the proposal, floods of texts & calls from friends and family poured in. Richie & I felt so loved that day and continue to feel loads of love from those around us. I still have an indescribable excitement that I have a diamond ring on my finger & can’t imagine a day that I’ll stop staring down at my hand. Buttttt even with all the happiness, the reality of being engaged is a tad overwhelming. I may sound bit naive, but I never realized how insanely expensive weddings are. It scares the heck out of me that I won’t be able to find the perfect dress or say I do in the grand venue that I’ve always envisioned. At the end of the day, I realize that it’s not about getting married in the best venue money can buy, it’s about me & Richie, two crazy kids who fell in love at 17 saying YES to a life of loving one another for better or worse. I can’t admit that I won’t be a little sad if I can’t have everything I want on my wish list, but I will say I’m committed to keeping the we in wedding, always.

Now to answer a few questions you may have.

Do we have a date? Nope! We do have a few dates in mind, but nothing set in stone.

What about a location? Double nope! Both Richie and I grew up on Fort Lauderdale, Florida and are considering tying the knot in our hometown. Newport’s also an option, and coming in last on the list is NYC.

How about the dress? Oh man, I cannot wait to try on bridal gowns y’all! I can tell you I have a few appointments set up - one being the iconic Kleinfeld’s scheduled for late December!

Other than that, everything else is pretty much on HOLD until Richie gets back from his business trip down under! Until then, thank you for all the LOVE & well wishes. Richie & I are absolutely over the moon and cannot wait to say I do!

Bring on the hours of research, venue tours, bridal dress appointments, cake tasting, & every sweet, sweet moment in-between!

Follow our journey every step of the way on Instagram: @futuremissyou | #xothewesterlinds #fmysaysido

Interested in my wedding inspiration boards? Follow along on Pinterest!

XO, The Future Mrs You