Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. It is also one of the scariest and most stressful. When you first get engaged, you think it is going to be just like in the movies and the whole process will be easy and glamorous. Then you go to theknot.com to find a to-do list 8 miles long and realize that this may not be as easy as originally thought. As Megan and I have often said, planning a wedding is a marathon. You cross one thing off your list to have thirty-six left. It is time consuming and frustrating, especially when vendors refuse to email you back or you can’t seem to find anything that meets your criteria (i.e. vision, budget, date, etc.) Then you start to listen to other people who tell you that your wedding has to be one way or another. Some people might belittle your ideas and make you feel silly. Or act like you are being ridiculous for spending too much time planning your wedding. The time before a wedding is emotional, and everyone will have an opinion. If you are planning a wedding, you are likely to have people tell you that the wedding is not about you, but about the guests. Or that your music should be a certain type. Or that you need to have favors, buffet stations, and an open bar. Everyone has a certain idea of what is good and bad. I was so lucky because I had a sister and fiance by my side that supported my every opinion and parents who let me live my crazy dream of dinner beneath the trees. I know that not everyone is so lucky.
There is also a lot of pressure to look your most beautiful. I remember looking at wedding magazines and blogs and feeling overwhelmed. What if my dress isn’t good enough? What if I don’t fit into it? What if I break out?
I think one of the things that I had the hardest time with was the fact that I was spending so much money, more money than I had ever spent on anything (other than my college education), on one day. I felt guilty so many times for spending what I considered to be too much money until I finally realized that I needed to do things the way I wanted or I would have regret. Seeing things from the other side, I do not regret spending one single cent. I don’t regret doubling my dress budget to buy the dress of my dreams. I don’t regret spending more on a photographer than I planned in order to have pictures that I will cherish forever. And I really don’t regret deciding to hire a videographer a month before the wedding because my gut was telling me I should even though everyone else thought it was unnecessary.
I have a lot of friends that are planning weddings right now. I know you are probably not only excited, but also nervous, scared, and worried. And that’s okay. A wedding is a huge deal and you likely have people coming from all over the country (or world) and you want to make sure they have a good time. However, if I could give you one piece of advice, I would say please don’t let yourself get lost in other peoples opinions. Do what you want, and what feels right for you and your future wife/husband. Because this time is about you and your love for each other. And you don’t want to regret a single thing.
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