Saying ‘Yes’, came as a surprise.
I am NOT a great planner, so imagine how I felt when I was proposed to. I know, that sounds weird because that’s every girl’s dream, right? They’ve imagined their wedding since they were a little girl;
- Princess dress
- Famous attendees,
- Kardashian-esk party décor.
Yea, not me.
A baby shower was a challenge for me. A baby shower! One party! While I am not done with this crazy process yet, I’d like to share some relevant tips for those “non wedding dreamers” like myself. As with most circumstances in life, people tend to give you the same advice. You’re about to jump out of a window from nerves because of an upcoming interview;
- “Just be yourself.”
- You’re pregnant;
- “Eat this, not that.”
You’re stressed from the thought of having to plan a wedding; “Do what YOU want.” Can some advice be annoying, heck yes! Some, you will follow, and some you will pretend were spoken in another language. But my first tip is from the third example above…
Do What YOU Want.
Who in the world is this day for? YOU! (OK, fine your hubby or hubbess too). My point is, not your mom, not your dad, not even Aunt Glenda who’s on her last leg and her dying wish is to see her first niece get married. If in your heart of hearts, you don’t want to do the whole big wedding shebang, just don’t! If, with everything you have, you don’t want to find a wedding party, find entertainment, whatever typical component it may be, don’t!
You won’t be happy, you know it. You don’t want to be miserable for a whole year preparing, planning and doing things that, not only do you not want in you heart, but you’re not even good at. You can keep that bridal shower doh! Now on that note, I will say
Excitement Will Come.
If you’re in the place of, “Meh, I don’t really want the whole big thing, but I’m OPEN to giving it a whirl,” I’ll tell ya, you’ll find that you’ll start to feel excitement.
Knocking things off of a list when you don’t EVER do that kind of stuff or even thought that you could, feels amazing. It feels amazing in any situation, so when it’s this huge event in your life that YOU’RE taking care of, it’s extra awesome. Ooo look what I can do, self-esteem points! Next..
Think Before You Do. Keep It Simple.
Oh my goodness you just booked a venue for a year from now! There’s soooo much to do, like immediately. And you don’t even want to do it! Nooooo, it’s ok. Just don’t overthink it. Your invite list for example, who is REALLY in your life? Don’t be afraid to condense. Did they invite you to their stuff? Probably not. You don’t have to jump to invite every living person.
You also don’t have to jump to get the best of the best…anything. Know a friend who takes amazing pictures? Throw her a couple bucks and book her. Have a super crafty bridesmaid? Girls night! Does your little brother have a band? Done! Ok maybe not that last one. Unless of course, they’re Adam Levine-y.
My point with all of this is don’t just do because you think you’re on a time crunch.
Think first:
- Is that really what you want?
- When was the last time you even talked to that person?
- Is there an easier, cheaper way or alternative?
Finally….
Let’s Face It, Everything Always Works Out.
Know that. Keep that in your pretty head. Think about specific times when it did! There have been so many events in my life that I’ve been anxious and worried about. Like, losing sleep worried. (Losing sleep? Ridiculous, that should never be a thing). For me, those events have ALWAYS worked out.
I was once given notice to move out of my apartment that I was in love with, while pregnant with no where else to go. Don’t even ask me how the timing worked out, but a day after I moved, I was moving into a new house that my fiancé bought. (That wasn’t quite the plan yet). Who even closes on a house that fast? It just all worked out. And the baby shower I mentioned in the beginning, I was at a loss. Again, just not good at planning that stuff. Welp, it worked out, swimmingly in fact.
It works out because you, somehow, make it work out. Eloping? It’ll be perfect and will work out.
Having a micro wedding? (Side note; check it out if not, so cute and upcoming). It’ll be amazing. And people will understand the short guest list. After all, it’s AFTER the wedding that requires your time, sometimes frustration and love.
So take this moment and ask yourself, what do you REALLY want? Whatever you choose, it’s going to be a beautiful day!