Engagement Redo????

If it makes you happy, do it!

I think there is no down side to doing an engagement redo. Honestly it sounds fun!!

As to your wedding, decide what y'all want to do and what makes financial sense.

I don't really understand what you mean by an engagement redo. You've been engaged and you're still engaged, so what are you redoing? I'm just having a hard time understanding your post.

No problem!

We actually did something similar but the same day haha.

He proposed in the kitchen with the ring but I wanted to be able to announce it on social media with some pictures so we went to a beautiful waterfall overlook and took pictures with us and the ring. It was staged but fun and then I had some more formal way to announce to everyone at mass!

I like the idea of doing a fun engagement photo shoot with your new ring. I think it's hard to be surprised about something you know is coming, so I doubt there will be any way to "redo" your engagement that feels internally super different. But I think if you want to make a big announcement of your engagement this next time around you can with some really nice photos.

Even with a new engagement you can still have your wedding however you like. Some couples have an elaborate proposal then a really low-key wedding. Some couples decide to get married and never have a formal proposal and engagement period. Some elope, some have intimate weddings, some have multi-day parties. It's entirely up to you. Do what feels right to both of you and try not to worry too much about what other people think.

Note: if close friends/family have concerns about you getting married or your relationship with your partner that's entirely different than people having input on what your wedding looks like. I say listen to your loved ones when it comes to your well being but don't let them determine what a celebration of marriage looks and feels like. I think a simple courthouse/JOP ceremony followed by a super fun honeymoon sounds awesome!

Here is my idea: go find a pretty Christmas set up (like a big Christmas tree in a town square, a place with tons of Christmas lights, etc.) and take some engagement photos! Since you have been engaged for a while already it wouldn't be a "cliche" holiday engagement, it would be a cute seasonal engagement shoot! You could then use those nice pictures to "announce" your engagement by saying "While {Partner} popped the question on {real engagement date} we had to ring in the holiday season with some engagement pictures! Happy Holidays from the Future Mr. and Mrs. {Last Name, if you are taking your partner's last name}!" You could do some cute poses of him on one knee, so you get your dreamy Christmas "redo"!

As far as planning a wedding goes, I would talk with FH. If planning a wedding originally put stress on your relationship, planning another a year later won't be any different. I would still do the JOP, go on your upgraded honeymoon, and see if you could do a little "ceremony" at your honeymoon destination! It would make it extremely special, you could wear a pretty wedding dress, and you could have a beautiful little "ceremony" just the two of you on your honeymoon, and since you are legally married by the JOP, there would be no paperwork or any hoops to jump through. When you two get back, you could always plan a small party to celebrate with close family and friends, and keep it as low stress as possible!

So, I was kinda in the same situation. In October my FH ended up proposing to me while we were randomly dancing in the living room and we didn't have a ring yet. I was okay with that, but he was also confused to how I reacted because I wasn't expecting it and thought I didn't want to marry him. Obviously, that isn't the case. We haven't done a redo because it was perfect, but he wouldn't allow me to say anything to anyone until he got the ring. Issue was he kept pushing it off for weeks until mid Nov. I finally said I really would like to tell my family and he got upset with me and ended up having an argument to the extent his mom heard him on the phone with me and that's how his mom found out. It was not ideal what so ever, but since then, we announced it to everyone and things were fine.
So, I would do what you two want to do. If you feel it is needed that's what you two would want to do. All I know is it's a memory that will last a life time. Do you want to do it between just you and him or make it bigger?

Do what makes you happy. If you invite people, invite those who love and support you and your relationship. END. OF. STORY.

Like most wedding and marriage things, this is something that you and your partner have to decide together. As for outside opinions, are they offering any good-faith critiques (i.e. critiques that have genuine merit and that are meant to help), or are they just being insulting? If it's the latter, ignore them! Trust me, you do NOT want to start off your marriage trying to live another person's life.