You’ve been engaged for a total of 24 hours and before you have even had a chance to utter the phrase “my fiancé” or adjust to the new weight on your left hand, the questions begin. Are you thinking summer or fall? Big party or intimate affair? Full-skirted or fitted sheath? You can’t blame them. People love wedding talk and it’s an exciting time. But more couples are taking action to ensure they truly enjoy their engagement before taking on the daunting task of planning a wedding. How? By not waiting for the honeymoon to relax.

“Engagement-moons,” trips taken soon after the groom-to-be pops the question, as a way to enjoy the newly-engaged status, are the latest bridal trend. Similar to “babymoons,” these trips are about couples feeling connected and taking advantage of time together before schedules and life-styles change dramatically. In this case, finances and schedules become dominated by full-on wedding planning.

“It is absolutely a great idea to take a break from the planning in the very beginning,” says Sharon Naylor, wedding expert and author of more than 30 wedding planning books including Your Day, Your Way. “You need to have the celebration of the engagement. It’s shocking how everyone immediately turns into expectation mode.”

With the average engagement across the country being 14 months, it’s no wonder couples want to take a deep breath before they plunge into endless meetings, decisions, and financial obligations. Like Morgan Futch of New York who escaped with her fiancé to St. Marteen shortly after getting engaged.

“We both figured that since we’re buying a house and having a wedding all within the next two years that we would need to drastically cut down on our travel and entertainment budget, so why not take one last trip before it all begins,” she says. “It gave us some time to just relax and celebrate our engagement together on the beach.”

Vanessa Mayfield and her finance’ desperately needed some relaxation and alone time after Hurricane Katrina forced them to cancel their 2005 New Orleans wedding, which they had spent more than a year planning. Before they began re-planning their big day, they took a much-needed get-away to Puerto Rico.

“Just the thought of having to do it all over again, particularly at a time when there were so many more important things to deal with, was overwhelming,” Mayfield recalls.

These trips are a great way to make a statement that you’re committed to enjoying simply being engaged. “Enjoy the phone calls, cards coming in and spreading the news,” Naylor says “It’s important to enjoy the non-task-oriented stuff while you can.”

And “engagement-moons” don’t have to be expensive or long. “An overnight trip works just as well because you’re changing scenery and stepping out of the daily grind,” Naylor says.

While engagements and weddings are exciting, Cleveland relationship/marriage coach Susanne Alexander of Marriage Transformation says it is important to take time to think about what’s really important and discuss the future. “Sometimes, couples can get so wrapped up in the engagement celebration and wedding planning details that they forget they have a whole marriage to create afterwards,” she says.

Naylor agrees. “Some brides get the ring and forget about the person who gave it to them,” she says. “The groom feels secondary to the wedding.” Experts also recommend taking a brief trip right in the thick of the planning (known as mini-moons) where no wedding talk is allowed. “You don’t need to elope and sacrifice your wedding dream,” Naylor says. “You just need an escape sometimes.”