Planning a Wedding: Surviving and Thriving in Marriage and a Wedding
You can now listen to Fox News articles! If you’re a shopaholic, planning a wedding might just be the perfect cure. Even the most passionate consumer can get weary of the countless purchases and decisions required to make up the grand event that is celebrated in today’s culture. Weddings contributed over $70 billion to the U.S. market in 2022, and I played my part this year. Being a mother of the bride is like being a train conductor on a thrilling roller coaster ride, bringing it to a sudden halt in high heels, but hopefully with style.
One of the most delightful aspects of the wedding my daughter and I planned for a year was preparing a family table. We adorned it with pictures not only of the happy couple but also framed wedding photos of their parents and grandparents. The photos captured the unbridled happiness experienced on their own wedding days. For me, those memories span over 30 years, or was it just yesterday? Memories, both good and bad, hold significance, and a wedding is just one of the many memorable events. But marriage, on the other hand, is the foundation of a friendship that builds a world and benefits the people in it.
With the confetti barely swept away and the thank you notes yet to be sent, here are four valuable lessons I’ve learned about surviving and thriving in both marriage and weddings:
- Enjoy the gift of your guests: The essence of a special wedding lies in the people who gather to celebrate with you. Your community, formed by blood ties, friendship, and shared experiences, serves as a great support system through the ups and downs of life. While not everyone may be able to attend, acknowledging the presence of those who stand by your side is essential as the years go by. The people in your life contribute more to the magic of the day than the flowers.
- Trust your judgment: Making decisions involves accepting that you may not have all the information you desire, but you must make the best choices based on what you know. The media bombards us with visions of perfection, especially when it comes to weddings, and social media platforms like Instagram only exacerbate this. Whether it’s selecting flowers, chairs, invitations, dresses, hairstyles, place settings, or music, there comes a point where you need to find peace in knowing you’ve done your best. A wedding serves as a reminder that perfection is the enemy of goodness. There is no perfect house, school, or life, but finding joy in every decision is possible if you refrain from second-guessing yourself.
- Ignore the naysayers: Major life events like weddings tend to draw out the Eeyores of the world – those individuals who share stories of disasters, casting a shadow over your silver lining. Get accustomed to their presence and refrain from listening, as this behavior won’t end with your wedding. It often feels like a secret club of Botox marketers determined to cause worry lines on everyone’s faces. Unsolicited negativity is as unwelcome as a telemarketer’s pitch. Don’t buy into it.
- Invest time in your partner: What truly matters is not the photos, but the enduring friendship that underpins your relationship. This truth applies not only to the mother of the bride but to everyone involved. It’s easy to become consumed by the demands of these monumental changes and neglect the very reason you embarked on this journey. At the core, there lies a partnership and friendship that holds immense significance.
I recently collected my daughter’s wedding dress from the cleaners. While not all the stains came out, the party was truly remarkable. A life well-lived leaves its marks – smile lines, stretch marks, and scars – and that’s more than okay. As I continue sorting through post-wedding tasks, including rearranging my entire freezer to accommodate the exceptionally tall cake topper tradition dictates they must eat a year later, I realize it doesn’t fit into the container I purchased. This situation led to an urgent online purchase, after a year of continuous wedding shopping, making me a beloved customer across the internet.
As I carefully lowered the cake into the container using the provided plastic handles, one of them broke, causing the cake to hit the side. Yet, I managed to patch it up, encased it in plastic wrap, and stored it away with good wishes. When my daughter and son-in-law unwrap it a year from now, I believe it will be a moment worthy of laughter. After a year of marriage, they will know, just like the rest of us, that a perfect cake isn’t necessary. At least, that’s how I hope they perceive it. It’s too late to fix that cake now.
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