Spoiler alert: this post is a rant, and it's probably poorly written. If you are looking for something lighthearted and funny, check out this video instead.
My fiance and I are planning our wedding, and I've been reading magazines and watching wedding-related reality TV shows in the name of research. Have you seen Four Weddings? It's a show where people get married and guests complain that the free signature cocktails aren't to their taste, and that the wedding dress doesn't fit around the hips, and how the five course dinner had steak and chicken. (I'm not sure why that was a problem, but trust me it was.)
Not too long from now, Mr. Right and I will stand in front of our friends and family and promise to be a team for the rest of our lives. We will work together to make our lives amazing, and take care of each other even when everything sucks. This is a significant decision and a huge promise, and although it has taken us eight years of consideration before agreeing to take the plunge, it is a decision we make with confidence.
Frankly, chair covers, specialty linens, and centerpieces seem insignificant. During this process, I have not once thought, "Gee, I'm about to marry my match. Therefore, all chairs must wear matching outfits. Yes, chair covers are essential; I wouldn't want my guests sitting on an uncovered chair like a savage. Only $500? Well worth every penny. And while I'm at it, why not spend the PhD/house fund on pipe-and-drape and twinkle lights, so our decor can be competitive with the weddings I've seen in magazines. I must have decor. It's so essential for a wedding. That's what guests should remember."
There are a few traditional elements I'm genuinely excited about. My dress is fantastic and I can't wait to wear it. I might even purchase a little flower to wear in my hair. My playlists have been perused to find that perfect "first dance" song. I'm especially excited to get some professional photos taken. Finally, photos in which neither of us is making a funny face! I never thought the day would come.
Most of all, I'm excited to celebrate with the family and friends who have supported us in our relationship over the past eight years. We'll host a good party for our loved ones. We're gonna feed 'em! There will certainly be dancing and drinking and laughing and carrying on. It will probably be loud, and at times inappropriate (hopefully not too inappropriate). What I want most of all (other than a loving commitment from Mr. Right, of course) are a great set of stories to begin our new family repertoire. In ten years, I hope we can sit around the dinner table and reminisce about the goings-on at our little wedding.
There are few times in our lives when we can count on our families to take a day or two off so that everyone is together to celebrate. Other times, we find excuses for absence in mundane tasks and empty commitments. We ask "When was the last time we were all together?" A wedding is such a grand opportunity to take enjoyment in our family and friends. We need this time together. We need to take these memories with us on our journeys. I hope our modest little wedding is rich with humor, love, joy, and family. If we can pull that off, we don't really need chair covers.
