I love the wedding industry and I’m so grateful that I’m a part of it, but these days it’s full of the latest trends and ways to have a “perfect wedding.” Wedding planning is already stressful without the added “Click here to have an amazing wedding” propaganda. A lot of times couples don’t feel like they’re going to have a great wedding because they aren’t following those trends, or they want something different than what everyone else wants and it can be really disheartening.
I get it. I’ve been there. Two years ago, I was that stressed out bride ready to throw in the towel. Jacob and I seriously contemplated going down to Tennessee and eloping in a beautiful bed and breakfast we found. It’s really hard to find what you truly want when you have a lot of outside opinions and are surrounded by “perfect” weddings on social media. They all mean well, but sometimes your dreams can get clouded.
I’m going to take a line from my girl, Rachel Hollis and say this- what other people think of you is not your business. Read that again. It’s not your business if Suzy down the street wants you to wear a veil or if Uncle Bob doesn’t like cupcakes and would much rather have donuts. It’s not your business. Which means you need to plan to have your wedding go exactly the way YOU want it to. If you want the dinner to be pizza, then have pizza (I bet a lot of your guests will enjoy it. I mean who doesn’t love pizza?). If you want to say “I do” in your backyard, then do it. Do whatever you want because the big day is all about you two and no one else.
I believe that every single wedding is a perfect wedding because it’s unique to you, the couple, and that’s what a wedding is all about. It’s not about the party, or the food, or even the dress. It’s about you and your partner vowing to love each other forever in front of your closest family and friends. Nothing else matters. It wasn’t until a friend told me that I really saw what my wedding should really be about.
Focus on what matters. Once the dress is pressed and hung, the food eaten, and the guests back home, the only thing remaining from your wedding day is the love you two have for each other and your memories of the day. When you’re 80 and showing your grandkids your wedding album, you probably won’t be pointing out all the pretty details. You’ll be pointing out your mom crying as you walked down the aisle or the look on your fiancée’s face as you said, “I do.” You’ll talk about how your grandpa busted out his dance moves and how loved you felt surrounded by your closest friends and family. Those moments are the ones that matter, so make them count!