Relevant

I started planning my wedding in the anticipation of getting engaged, and while that might sound weird, I knew the ring was on order and that if I didn’t start planning that I wouldn’t get the June wedding of my dreams, unless I waited another year. I started planning in January, and when I wasn’t cleaning the house or making a meal, I was planning. I got many of the details sorted out, and had revolving “to do” lists. Every day was a step closer to being married to the man I was (am) absolutely in love with, and it was a great chance to spend time with my close family and friends.

About a week before my wedding, my excitement didn’t change, but I was ready for the wedding to be here and over. I went over the details over and over again, my fiancé and I created folders that spelled out all of the details for the day, for every vendor as well as for those helping with setup and cleanup (a schedule, a copy of the venue cleanup list, pertinent phone numbers and addresses, diagrams of the reception hall, and any specific directions I had). I guess this is where I reached the burnout stage. I never had doubts about my marriage, but I was certainly ready for my life to calm down, and not be worried about bouquets and bridesmaids.

The wedding day finally came, and it was beautiful, everything went perfectly and mostly according to plan. It was a blur, there was so much that happened, that I will have to go through my wedding photography album to remember a lot of it. At the end of the day though, as much as I was happy and relieved to be married and that things went well, I felt kind of sad. I didn’t think too much of it during the honeymoon, but when we got back and it was time for things to be normal; I found that I missed the planning. I found myself going through wedding websites, and thinking of things I would have done differently (there weren’t too many things).

I just think that after such a huge build up that the one day you have been spending months preparing for comes and goes, and you are left wondering what to do now. I temporarily thought of getting training and becoming a wedding planner, but after serious thought realized it wasn’t for me. I decided instead to utilize my enjoyment of weddings, and my love of photography to become a professional wedding and portrait photographer in Olympia, Washington. The wedding did teach me that I can plan and pull off large events, and I am putting that skill to use in planning fundraisers, mostly for my local fire department that I volunteer with. I also hope that I can offer some advice to the couples that I photograph for about their wedding planning.

I learned fairly quickly that the sadness doesn't last too long, I found things to occupy my time; most people return to work. I got to focus on moving into a new home with my husband, the hunt for a new home, and the decorating and building our new life together was a thrill, and I am always amazed at the new adventures we can embark on, and I look back on our wedding and I don’t feel sad that the planning is over, I am happy that I am married. Hopefully this gives someone out there hope, and makes them realize that they are not alone in their feelings. Some advice? Remember, your wedding is one day and your marriage is a lifetime. The wedding is fun to plan and chances are, at least one thing won’t go as planned, but don’t sweat it…in the end what matters is that you are married.