Dear Molly, September 24, 2007

I’m writing this on Monday afternoon, even though – by penalty of death – I am not allowed to post it until Monday evening, at the earliest.

I just got off the phone with Molly. Yes that Molly. It was our very first phone call (her voice is adorable) but the significance of that was greatly overshadowed by the fact that it was the phone call. The omigod-find-a-quiet-corner-in-the-office-and-SQUEE phone call.

Because – as I’m assuming you already know – girlfriend has officially joined the bride-to-be club. And, judging from the excitement bubbling up inside of me to the point that I’m shaking a little bit as I write this, I couldn’t be happier.

So, a letter to the bride-to-be, courtesy of a slightly more seasoned bride-to-be:

Dear Molly,

First of all, I told you it would happen soon. In fact, very recently you emailed me about trying on my ring when we finally meet up and I said “well, hopefully by the time we meet, we’ll be able to swap rings.” And lo, it will be so.

In fact, BossMike and I were emailing about you getting engaged just an hour or so before you called us to tell us the awesome news. We’re clearly psychic. Or something.

I’m so glad that you weren’t expecting it, that you thought it was just going to be “date day” and not “getting engaged day” because a proposal is possibly the best surprise in the universe, short of finding out that chocolate chip cookies are calorie-free.

Enjoy these next few weeks. Bask in that recently engaged glow. As much as it will kill you – you, with the overstuffed wedding binder because you are just so adorable and also, clearly, ahead of the game – show some restraint when it comes to the planning. That’s what a friend of mine told me and she was absolutely right. The rest of your engagement period will be about the planning. This first part is only about pure, unadulterated adoration for each other and the pure, unadulterated adoration that your friends and family (including me, and the rest of the blog world) have for you.

Take extra long walks with your future husband (GAH! SQUEE!) and Kodiak and discuss the wedding. Flip through some wedding magazines (Hi Martha Stewart? It’s Clink. I worship you. Please welcome Molly to the club). Send me thousand word emails about how it feels to be engaged. (There’s no better audience for a recently engaged girl than a recently engaged girl.)

Also, be prepared for your blog fodder to go from “voluminous” to “extremely, extremely abundant.” And that’s okay. I thought that blogging about my wedding plans would bore most readers to tears but it seems to be something everyone can relate to, engaged or not. Plus it’s so good to put stuff out there and get feedback from this awesome community of awesome people who clearly adore you and are going to read every wedding-related word (myself included).

Plus, hi, free advice. In fact, I was just going to blog about whether or not chocolate brown bridesmaids’ dresses would clash with black tuxes (readers?).

I can’t really put into words how thrilled I am for you. I’ve heard that you’re not supposed to say ‘congratulations’ to the bride because it’s akin to saying “well done, you’ve snagged yourself a man.” But you know what? You have snagged yourself a man. And he’s gorgeous and he treats you like gold and you are so in love with each other and you have that something that makes a couple a great couple and CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.

I’ve told you many times that I wanted us to be able to plan our weddings together. You’re one of the people that I regularly bounce ideas off of and now I’m ecstatic that I can bounce ‘em right back at you (quite like the game of tennis, minus the sweat).

I look forward to reading and hearing about your wedding planning journey. I know that you will handle it with the humor, poise and enthusiasm that has come to define you as a person.

I heart you very much,

Clink