wedding dress

At least that is how I felt when my boyfriend asked me to marry him in July. I can quite see why you waited a month to announce your news because you can never claw back those first moments of delicious excitement when you’ve made this profound commitment to one another and no one else knows.

Once the news is out, there is no turning back. "Wedmin" takes over your life, keeping you awake at night as the multi-million pound wedding industry unfurls itself around you like a heavy duvet.

I’m so glad that William did the right thing and asked your father’s permission for your hand in marriage. Did he manage to keep their conversation secret from your mother? When my fiance asked my father's permission he granted it on the condition that he could at least alert my mother - although she still cried when I told her on the phone the following day.

But it’s great that your parents are well-acquainted with the in-laws - enough to go shooting together. According to the Debrett's Guide to Weddings, it is "inappropriate" to leave the first meeting until the engagement party, as some do.

Ah, the engagement party, I expect your friends are clamouring to know when it will be. I figured an engagement party was an unnecessary extravagance but was persuaded otherwise. Now, having thrown one, I take that back. While great fun, it was also an eye-opener as to the potential hazards of the wedding itself, in that we got shoved from one relation to the next, and didn’t manage a single proper conversation with anyone, let alone with each other.

In fact, I barely saw my fiance. When our friends and family had gone, we sat at on the floor, eating the cupcakes someone had brought us, vowing that there would be no such divide and conquer policy at our wedding - it would be a day that we’d enjoy together.

Debrett's suggests having two parties: one for family (maybe you could have this at the Palace to give the relatives a thrill) and another more relaxed occasion for your friends. A word of caution: all guests invited to the engagement party will expect to be invited to the wedding - and that might present a problem what with all the heads of state and European Royals who will have to be on the list.

I wonder how long your engagement will be? I inflicted a seven-month engagement and a February wedding on my family under the premise that it will be a beautiful crisp winter day, but mainly because I’d quite like to walk down the aisle before my 30th birthday in April.

Last week, when the hostess of a celebratory dinner party in our honour asked if I was remembering to spend time alone with my fiance, I nearly cried. But then I remembered something my brother-in-law to be told me: being engaged is great but being married is even better. I really hope that this is true - for both of us.