Dear George,

I wanted to be among the first to send my congratulations on your recent engagement. Since everything written on the internet is true, I have to assume that the reports are accurate and you are indeed engaged. My fiance was actually the person who alerted me to this development. Again, since everything written on the internet is true, I think you getting engaged constitutes breaking news for men since there has been much reported about your alleged aversion to marriage- there’s a bit of a “last man standing” fist bump men reserve for you. However, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that I think your happiest days are ahead of you. This engagement thing is good stuff.

Before I got engaged, I was in a very happy, committed relationship. People who were engaged or married asked frequently when we were getting married and regardless of my reply, I was told that “It’s totally different when you’re engaged/married.”

I wanted to punch those people in the face.

I’m happy! Marriage isn’t necessary for happiness! Leave me alone!

But you see, George (I can call you George, right? Please- call me Nina), there is something to be said about taking that love you have for someone and declaring that this is the person you are choosing to spend your life with. I know, I thought that it was just words or a piece of jewelry too but in the 10 months since my fiance dropped to his knee in our kitchen at 9am on a Friday morning, I have felt a sense of…peace. Calm. Love magnified times more than I thought possible. Is it my really nice ring? No. Maybe. Kidding. It’s knowing that my partner and I are on the exact same page about growing old together (for the record- you look great, haven’t aged a day and I doubt wrinkles are going to be an issue for you) and we get to shout from the rooftops that we are choosing to spend our lives with our best friend.

We have to find rooftops- so nice that you have US Weekly to shout your news for you.

The moral of the story, George, is that being engaged has been some of the most fun months of my life and I wish you as much fun, excitement and paparazzi free days as humanly possible. And really- congratulations. Finding someone who lights you up to the point where you absolutely must spend your life with them is magical and no trivial endeavor.

Also, just to throw it out there, we are honeymooning in Italy and have a spare 3 days in the middle of our trip- if the Lake Como house is empty, I am totally willing to go check on it for you.

Love, light and wedding planning,

Nina