Look through your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds, and you'll see engaged women posting mushy, sentimental messages about their fiances. I cringe a little bit when I see it, not because it's wrong, but because it feels too much for me. I hate the word fiance, which is ironic, because I have one.
I've been engaged almost six months and could count the number of times I've used the word "fiance" on one hand. Thankfully, the word makes Austin as uncomfortable as it does me. I understand that this is the best word to easily describe your relationship status and convey to others that you are in the midst of the wedding planning bonanza. However, whenever I say it, at least in my head, it sounds like a pretentious phrase meant to tell people: "Oh, in case you could ever forget, I'm getting married." You'll hear a lot about our wedding planning and future together, but this may be the first and last time you see the word 'fiance' on this blog.
People get on me all the time for calling Aus my boyfriend, but referring to him as the guy I'm going to marry one day, my main man or my BFF for life just doesn't roll off the tongue. Partner sounds too stuffy, so boyfriend is really my only option. Although, I will admit, boyfriend doesn't seem to carry enough seriousness or commitment. It's a real conundrum.
There's no right or wrong in this scenario. If I'm uncomfortable calling him my fiance, then let me be me. On the other hand, if you want to drop the f-word every chance you get, I'm not going to judge you. In fact, you're probably better at being a bride than I am. At the end of the day, a word can't define your relationship. That's good for me because I have a feeling I won't be hot on the words "husband" or "hubby" either.
Manners Moral: If you don't feel right calling your future husband your fiance, then don't call him that. This goes for all traditional wedding elements as well. It's your wedding and your story, so make it what you want it to be.
Let me know what you think below! I'd love to find out if anyone struggles with this like I do.