Weddings can prove to be one of the best times of your life… and also one of the most hectic! Especially if you are having a short engagement, you will find that the time between ‘YES!’ and ‘I do’ will fly by. This goes double if a sibling, or close relative gets engaged at the same time as you. 

Unsurprisingly, this actually happens a lot. Since a lot of siblings are close in age, milestones tend to happen within a few years of each other – your first steps, losing your first tooth and of course, saying ‘YES!’ to your perfect person. Even more so than developmental milestones, engagements tend to be contagious, so it is not uncommon for siblings in their twenties to get engaged within a few months of each other. 

Your Sibling got Engaged

This may seem like a logistical nightmare, not only because of the cost of weddings, but also the parties and commitments that come along with it. Not to mention, if you and your sister are both each other’s Maids of Honour… navigating the coming months can prove to be tricky. 

While there are no hard and fast rules to follow anymore – the oldest sibling does not need to get married first! If you and your sibling got engaged around the same time as each other, here are some guidelines to make the process a little less stressful. As always – the key to avoiding hurt feelings and drama is open and honest communication.

Ask first

If you’re the sibling to get engaged second, it is a good idea to loop your sibling in on any plans. If they are hoping for a short engagement, it is a good idea to let them get married first, however, if they are planning to have a longer engagement – they will likely give their blessing for you to get married first. 

Seek the Opinion of Family

It’s no surprise that family members have strong opinions, especially when it comes to weddings. They will definitely have strong opinions on two weddings happening so close together – which shouldn’t be ignored entirely. Usually, we will say ‘It’s your wedding!’– but, you have to remember that they will be the ones taking time out of their lives, potentially travelling across country and maybe even paying for the wedding. So, if you find yourself with these scenarios, it might be a good idea to space the weddings out. 

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Mind the Spotlight

Remember when you were little and you were constantly vying for the attention of friends and family? Well, emotions like jealousy can rear their ugly heads when in a situation like this. Your best bet is to remember that you are both deserving of the spotlight, and that your respective events should reflect that. 

As you can see, being engaged at the same time as your sibling doesn’t have to be messy, and it certainly doesn’t mean you need to have a double wedding! Keeping the lines of communication open will help reduce hurt feelings and make sure everyone is on the same page.