Skinny Weddings
Every bride (and groom) wants a June wedding, right? Wrong! Some choose the road less traveled as we did. The hubs and I married on a cold, brisk day in February 2013.
For some, the ideal wedding is a big, fat church wedding with 15 bridesmaids and groomsmen, a 4-tiered cake, and a Vera Wang gown. Don’t forget the sit-down, ballroom dinner in a fancy hotel and of course, endless dancing as the hot band or DJ plays your favorite songs. These elaborate weddings are awesome, and I have attended many and really enjoyed myself. They also happen to cost a bundle!
Consider all the reasons you want a big wedding. Now match those reasons to a small wedding. Let’s think about the benefits of a small “skinny” wedding.
The hubs and I know that we would be together and had not set a wedding date or even become engaged. Instead, we decided to start our life together by buying a house, then getting married. Actually, just one week before our closing date we got married! It was a whirlwind affair of proposals, shopping for shoes, suits, rings, and a wedding dress, flowers, headpieces, venues, licenses, and sending out email invitations. Seven family members and friends witnessed our City Hall ceremony, and our reception was intimate at only 30 guests.
I planned my wedding at a breakneck speed. The engagement was on February 14th, and the wedding followed a week after (February 22)! Our wedding was fun, intimate and debt-free. I even saved money on my gown! It cost $8 bucks and was gifted to me by my maid of honor and best friend. My gown was not only everything I wanted in a wedding dress; I could also wear it again.
Why do I share this with you? Because I want you (the spouses-to-be) to have the wedding you want. Society, family, and/or friends often dictate our views about what a wedding should be. What do you (not them) truly want? Do your own thing, whichever way you want it. Traditions are great but consider making your own traditions too. For example, my bouquet was made up of 24 red roses that were individually wrapped and bound together. Instead of tossing the bouquet in the air and letting them duke it out for the so-called honor of catching it, I could take the bouquet apart and give a rose to every woman at my wedding (thus personally connect with each of them). So whether you have a big wedding or a tiny one, remember that a wedding is only a day on the path to a long-lasting marriage. The marriage is the most important part, deserving focus and requiring lots of love, patience, and commitment. Express your love daily; this will help keep you present with your spouse and mindful of the reasons that brought you two together in the first place. Now that’s priceless!