Your ring is so pretty! You must have been so excited. Was the proposal a surprise?
As for planning, it doesn't have to be completely stressful. Concentrate on how much you love your husband-to-be, and all the little details that make some brides crazy will just seem trivial.
Like I said, I only had four months to plan, and I honestly can't imagine what I would do with six months or more. We got engaged in April. We reserved the reception sight (a beautiful small restaurant) in June, and I found my dress in June, too. I tried on a few dresses in May, and the woman at the Bridal Shop scared me to death! She was like, "You're getting married in August!! You needed to get your dress months ago!" From her reaction, I feared that I would be going down the aisle in the buff
When I found my dream dress (after only two other shops), the seamstress wouldn't make appointments for my fittings until July anyway. She said that doing fittings any earlier than six weeks before the wedding often means more work in the long run since many brides lose weight before the big day, whether they mean to or not.
Our wedding was small, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Because we only had 90 guests, I got to have fun with cute little detials. For example, my husband (then fiance) and I baked little loaves of wheat bread for each guest to take home. They were wrapped in linen and tied with ribbon and little notes of thanks. My bridesmaids and I made paper daisies from crepe paper (Martha Stewart Weddings, Summer 2001), and each flower had a little card with a guest's name tied to the stem. Then, the flowers were tucked into the wrapped cloth napkins at each place setting. It was details like these that made wedding planning so much fun for me!! It also helped that everything was done by a friend or family member, so I didn't have to deal with a lot of professionals who aren't personally invested. The pastor was a dear friend of mine. The photographer was my mother-in-law's best friend. Cory's aunt made the cake. My cousin did the flowers. My aunt altered the bridesmaids' dresses. I made my own invitations. Just enjoy yourself. You only get to do it once!!
Good luck! Have fun!
Erica