She was the little girl that dreamed about her wedding day. The flowers, the cake, the beautiful venue, and my personal favorite, the dress. Whether an extravagant party or something small and intimate a wedding is something very special. Fast forward and that little girl is grown and starting her freshman year of college. She is there planning out her schedule for the next four years to make sure she graduates on time, hoping she doesn't change her major three times... then, she meets him. The one she's been looking for. She ends up changing her major, gets engaged, and is now planning her wedding and graduation for the same weekend.

With a stroke of good planning, I was able to figure out how to graduate a semester early. Degree works is an online wedding planner, but for your college career and I cannot express enough that students should use it. But while planning my future and my upcoming graduation, I have been planning my wedding. It is not like the movies, it is very stressful and when you are a pushover it gets even more stressful when you realize that you have less than a year to both graduate and have your wedding all planned out and try to make yourself and everyone else happy.

Unlike tradition, my parents will not be paying for my wedding. So the stress of getting married and having a wedding my significant other and I as well as everyone else in attendance will enjoy and paying my student debt weighs on my mind constantly. Paying for school and paying for a wedding. Buying my cap and gown as well as finding a gown and veil and hoping they don't need alterations... I've been looking for a photographer and some only specialize in weddings so I can't ask them if they'd be willing to take my graduation pictures. I have to send save-the-dates and wedding invitations. I have to send graduation invitations, but as one of my bridesmaids said, "your wedding can be your graduation party." Well, planning it is a party of panicking.

I am so happy to be engaged to the man I love. I didn't think I would find him until I was 26 following the whole plan I mapped out for myself but I am extremely happy. Both finishing up school and very ready to start our careers. I underestimated wedding planning. I thought getting through college was hard.