Drama, Drama, Drama

I've decided that no matter the wedding, there is always drama. If you have never planned or been in a wedding, then you may not realize this, but there is ALWAYS drama. Even in a wedding with a fairly relaxed Bride and a very laid back groom there is drama. I think I've had more drama happen in these past 9 months than in all high school and college combined. I've learned a lot because of the crises and feel that someone else may benefit from these moments of panic.

1. Something will always go wrong
No matter how well you plan or how far in advance you start your meetings, something will go wrong. The printer won't do the right thing with your invitations, or all the bridesmaids dresses will be super tight on your girls (just a few mishaps that we had). Once you have accepted that something will go wrong, it is easier to be relaxed and simply fix the problem instead of freaking out about what you are going to do. My good friend, Meredith, did the invitations for us and they are perfect! I loved them! Unfortunately the printer went crazy that week and we had several mishaps. Meredith was infinitely thankful that I did not go bridezilla on her and instead decided to be calm and simply accept things as they came. After that incident I figured that many vendors would also appreciate this Christly calmness and decided that no one's feelings or pocketbook should be affected by a minor wrong. It all has worked out, there's always a solution, and there's no point in worrying over things that you have no control. Better to let it go and know that on the day you will be married than worry and get a zit because your invitations are a day later than you expected.

2. Communication is Key
Feelings are a sore subject when it comes to weddings. I feel I have hurt a few people unneccesarily and some without knowing during the nuptial planning. If I could just remember who I've told my plans and who I have not shared them with, it would have made things much less painful. Communication with many many people is not a strong point with me apparently, so some feelings have been hurt a long the way. Nothing major, but enough that I wish I would have done things differently. I wish I would have been more clear about why I was making certain decisions and not simply assume others can read my mind, or my intentions. Thankfully I haven't made any lifelong enemies or astranged myself from any family, but I could see how a wedding could create disputes that could never be resolved. So my advice is this, be open about what you're doing. Stick to your guns, still do what you want, but make sure that others know your intentions and do your best to be loving, even when others aren't so lovable.

3. Marriage is the more important thing, and that comes after the Wedding
At the end of your wedding you will be married, and that is so much more important than the celebration of the day. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more excited to have a good sized wedding with the church and the dress, all the decorations and food, and my loving family and friends surrounding me. But even if everything else fails, Bryan and I will still get married and God will still bless our marriage. Keeping this in mind had helped to let things "roll of my back like water runs off a duck" as a friend's parent would say. I love the idea of my wedding and the wedding day, but I am infinitely more excited for the marriage.

These are the things I have learned from the wedding process thus far, I hope it helps someone else deal with wedding woes that we will all face.

Also I wanted to make the comment that I am a terrible speller and must keep dictionary.com open at all times when typing to make sure I'm spelling certain words correctly. I guess my BA in English didn't teach me everything.