One of my favorite quotes ever...I'm a firm believer in loving people just the way they are for every quirk and "flaw" that makes them unique.
I've been to a lot of weddings thus far in my life. Lately weddings in my opinion have lost the root of their meaning. *Disclaimer* I have my own idea of what I would love for my wedding to look like, we all have those thoughts. I have had cousins get married this year, best friends,and friends looking at engagement rings. Sadly these have been some of the most stressed out individuals I've known this year. No thanks. A few examples:
One of my good guy friends has been dating his girlfriend for 5 years now, all through college and the first girl he ever dated. He is still working through school and his girlfriend is searching for a job. They live together and are happy as a clam. He recently told me that he's not sure when he's going to propose but "it's gotta be the next step at this point" and that out of "fear" of messing the ring up has given her a budget to look at rings and they have been looking at rings a lot....romantic huh? As far as rings go, who doesn't love a diamond but for this particular instance something he picks out himself means so much more.
My best friend/soulmate got married a year out of high school. Normally I would be a skeptic in this situation, however she and her boyfriend/husband were made for each other. She didn't want bridesmaids, she didn't want fluff, she wanted a simple, small wedding in a church. His mother however, not so keen on that idea, she herself had a list of 200 she wanted invited. It got to the point where my friend ended up eloping and getting a Tinkerbell cake from Wal-Mart and having the simple, intimate wedding she had always hoped for and said it was the best decision she had ever made. For her particular situation, it truly was the best thing she could have ever done.
One of the most fun guys/great friend/roommate from college I ever had is marrying his on/off girlfriend from college in two weeks. She turns him into a great man and different man but not everything he is. You have to take the good with the bad and unfortunately this matter is being overlooked. I wish them the best of luck.
Another friend of mine is wedding planning and it almost got so bad that she had to ask the parents of the groom to have no involvement whatsoever.
With all that said, I've become skeptical of weddings and the meaning they have taken on. Don't misinterpret that statement, I said weddings, not marriage. Brides are stressing about engagement pictures ($$$$$), the latest and greatest way to send a Save the Date ($$$), what color nails the bridesmaids have, matching shoes, matching hair, dates/no dates?, flowers, and the list continues and in all that stress so hard about one of those items making or breaking the whole entire wedding that I wonder if it becomes about the "party" ?
So, I was in a wedding this past weekend with all the worries of what was to come. My friend is gorgeous and would look good in a brown sack but was absolutely STUNNING in her gown. The wedding site was gorgeous with low hanging tree branches, rose petals, laterns, moss hanging from the trees, absolutely perfect weather - gorgeous. Ceremony was gorgeous. But the moment from that weekend that brought back everything a wedding should be was the groom's speech. He met his wife talking trash about each other's college football teams (Tech and A&M). It was simple, innocent, but meant so much more than everything else. It wasn't about being attracted to his family's past, wealth, schooling, career, etc. it was about marrying your best friend. I greatly look forward to the day where I am dating/married to my best friend, we go throw the football, watch sports, watch chick flicks, pick up the other's favorite gum at the gas station, go to concerts, joke with each other, you know each other's quirks/flaws and still love that person for them....ladies...the color of your bridesmaids toes will not ruin your wedding day...
thank you. love you!
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