trina: it's not a secret! almost everyone knew it was coming anyway, and while i don't want this to be an impersonal way of people finding out, we're not going to pains to conceal it until we've told everyone like we did when we first got together. feel free to tell all your friends!
toblerone: thanks for stopping by and for your good wishes. i definitely agree with your phrase that the marriage is the most important aspect of all this engagement/wedding business and i don't want to lose sight of that. congratulations to your sister and i hope the kids she and her husband come along in the right time! yes, the family side of it is really fun -- matthew's family has been really lovely and welcoming and my sisters were already like sisters to him anyway. after last night i have very high hopes of good inter-family relations as far as we're concerned.