Oh my goodness, we’re getting married!! If you’re not, all good. Congratulations on having money in your bank account.

I’d be lying to you if I said that I was the kind of girl that had always envisioned her wedding.  I know girls that booked out their venues before they even got engaged, they sent photos to their men of the exact rings they wanted… I even knew one that said “it’s this ring or don’t bother asking.” I can’t relate, but now that I’m planning my wedding, I realise that…dare I say…I’m enjoying bringing to life this majestic vision that is now brewing in my mind. Our minds.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a tonne of things that I’m experiencing that I never even thought about as a guest of a wedding.

Here are the top 5 at this stage:

1. You want to invite all the people you know.

We used to be close 3 years ago- I should invite them. We were close in high school– I should invite them. We went out to dinner that time, 2 years ago and sometimes chat on facebook- I should invite them.

So, you make your list, take it to the venue and say,
“I’m inviting 200 people.”
They say with a big smile on their face,
“OK, great! Let’s look at catering! It’s around $150 a head.” (For example.)
Guys, that’s $30 000 JUST FOR FOOD! JUST. FOR. FOOD.

You better believe I googled, “how do you cut your wedding guest list down.”

(I’ll be writing a blog sharing the advice that I found, soon!)

2.  Now, after hitting you with the catering bomb, they proceed tell you that you will need 10-15 tables and each table should be decorated.

So, you hit up the shops and you realise that if you buy these things yourself, what are you going to do with 300 candles, 20 vases, a few candelabras and 3 unicorns after the wedding is done?
So, you hit up a stylist. Goodbye, more thousands of dollars. I love you.

3. You start losing friends and become disappointed at some family. I thought it would be the opposite! I had a vision of rainbows and butterflies. I don’t know what it is and I know I’m not the only one that’s had this experience! Unfortunately, not everyone is as happy for you as you you’d like to think.

4. It’s so exciting and very expensive planning your wedding day- we know that. But. You start getting reminded that you also need a kitchen tea. Oh yeah, you also need to have a Henna night. The honey moon! The rehearsal dinner! So many other things start creeping up that you didn’t even think about! I’m not this important to be having so many events for myself! But…it’s “tradition” and it’s “expected”. And it’s also a bloody good time.

5. Your weekends become booked up with meetings and research and your poor fiancé just goes along with it.
“Babe we’re meeting up with a DJ today.”
“Babe, we have to get invites sorted today.”
“Babe, have you organised the suits?”
“Babe, why haven’t you done this yet?”
Poor babe.

I figure, a wedding is something that you just spend all the money on and put all the effort into. It’s one day that you’ll look back on for the rest of your life. What a first world problem to be overwhelmed by planning a beautiful day. We’re trying to keep our wedding  humble, but still a representation of us. God willing, our kids will see the video and photos, too. What’s better than having everyone you love in one room looking beautiful and spoiling them with a 5 star experience, in honour of your love?

Anyway, enough of the sappy stuff, I have a date with Pinterest. 😉