So I just realized it’s May. And as I scrolled through Instagram this weekend I realized what that means exactly: WEDDING SEASON HAS BEGUN.
I am no expert on weddings, but I do feel that I learned a thing or two from my own wedding a few summers ago that I would like to pass on:
#1. YOUR WEDDING IS NOT A PHOTO SHOOT: Honestly, my pal Grace told me this and it saved me. I became obsessed with checking out wedding blogs and drooling at all the beautiful weddings (like any on this site, or this site), which was of course fun, but also resulted in me putting lots of pressure on myself to make ours as equally crafty/gorgeous/perfect. Once Grace reminded me that our wedding was an experience, not a photo shoot, all that anxiety melted away.
#2. YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE A THEME: It’s not a bar mitzvah. Again going back to #1, themes work well for photo shoots, but your wedding isn’t a photo shoot.
#3. GET AS MUCH DONE AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE BEFORE GUESTS FLY IN: This is literally the one time in your life all your favourite people and family will be together, so do your absolute best to get all the details taken care of before everyone gets there so you can simply enjoy it.
#4. FOCUS ON THE DETAILS THAT AFFECT PEOPLES EXPERIENCE: This can be hard to distinguish which is which, but focus on details that impact peoples fun (for example music, drinks, perhaps a late night snack), and not the details that are purely for photos and no one will remember (again, see #1, and a good example of this is centrepieces).
#5. SEAL THE DEAL: You will be exhausted, and let’s be honest you have probably done it before, so is consummating your marriage really that big of a deal? I believe the answer is yes. Not because it’s tradition, but because a marriage is built on intimacy, so start it off right by making that a priority, no matter how tired you are.
Happy wedding to all those taking the plunge this summer! I hope your weather is gorgeous (seriously don’t stress out about that one – you really can’t control it!), your dance floor packed to the brim, and your hearts overflowing with joy as you are lifted up by the love of your community (figuratively – or literally during the Hora!)!
{Top image by Marcus Jolly, bottom image by Steve Pratt}
