artsy one

wedding is 2 wks from today and i seriously am swamped with a loooong list of to-dos, waiting for e-mails, waiting for calls, waiting to make calls, thinking about things that did not work out, how i wanted my wedding to be and how it actually is panning out, thinking of how much my boss is breathing down my neck to finish stuff because i'l be away for a couple of wks. being a perfectionist does not help as well. i wasn't really in the mood to update this blog but, i continue to sporadically go through wedding blog posts. it helps calm me a little. it helps because i get to read posts by meg - blogger of a practical wedding, and i think i need to share it with brides (for the full post, click on the link above) who are going thru wat i am going thru.

- Gut check.

By the week before the wedding, i was making all my decisions by instantaneous gut-check, "what seems right for us? ok, done," no second guessing. It's easy to loose track of this during the planning process, but if you're not sure about something, check your gut and then go with it ...

- Learn how to kindly but firmly say no.

if you know deep down that something is just not right for you, be kind but firm, it will save you endless heartache in the end. maybe you learn this in wedding planning because its the single best preparation for adult life that there is.

- it's ok to cry. (my personal fav 1)

... wedding planning to be difficult at times. it was also one of the great learning experiences ... but frankly, learning sort of blows sometimes. the thing about weddings is they are this complex mix of families, friendship, faith, values, aesthetics, cultural, assumptions, other peoples expectations and oh yeah, love. so while weddings often bring out the best in people, sometimes they bring out the worst (me, included). i can admit now that i spent more than 1 night in the planning process crying myself to sleep. and i wasnt crying because my flowers didnt match my linens. i was crying becasue of big life issues the wedding brought up. so if big life issues come up when your planning, let yourself cry and work through them. its not silly, it means that you'r grappling with important things in a major life transition.

- lead your guests by your example. (my personal fav 2 - something my mom told me as well)

when you'r planning, you spend alot of time worrying about which choices will matter, and which choices will not. well, it turns out that the thingthat will shape your wedding day the most is free: your attitude. if you are joyful, present, and relaxed, your guests will follow your lead.