There are 21 days until the wedding day and I am reading the Huffington Post’s Complete Guide to Blogging. In my case, these two things are intimately connected.
The book encourages bloggers to be more personal and spontaneous in their posts. As a poet, I do anything but write quickly. I am personal in my poetry – from an emotional truth perspective – but I don’t tend to divulge too many details. (I promise, you can read many of my poems as fictional accounts of something true. I didn’t sleep with the married man in one poem and I didn’t give birth in the other. It is imagination, workshoppers, I promise.) I think that practicing being more spontaneous will offer even more personal insight into wedding planning. A win-win situation, right?
So, for my readers and my writing, I’ve decided to test myself and blog – at least a few lines – every day until the wedding day. I won’t over-edit or over-think. If, however, my fiancé asks me to refrain from something, I will. Immediately. My future marriage is more important than a good line.
I’d love to share my experience so other brides can avoid some of the feelings I’ve experienced. I look at wedding magazines and feel isolated – I don’t live a pill-induced-skinny-life with a wedding planner. I’m not surrounded by girlfriends who live nearby and don’t work, so they can help with the details as we sit around and drink Cosmos.
Instead, I am (not necessarily in this order): an online teacher for two schools, online editor, poet who writes and submits work, blogger, personalized wedding poet, wedding planner, bride, Italian tutor, Italian teacher, conference presenter, fiancé, daughter, grand-niece, home chef and I have errands to run, too. Frankly, this is the case for most working artists. We have a lot of projects.
I have chosen my path – professionally and personally – purposely. I am happy to have the freedom to travel and do my online work from anywhere. I enjoy all of my projects and would be bored if I only had one. I want to plan my wedding with my fiancé instead of spending our life savings on hiring people to do things we can do and maybe even do better.
Sometimes, though, it is overwhelming. I have found some successful ways to break through the overwhelming feelings and be more productive. I know that the wedding that we are planning is exactly the one we want. And if anything goes wrong, no one else will know (unless you are reading my blog, perhaps? Shhh. Don’t tell.)
I hope that my experience will help to share my experiences, taper some isolation for other brides in my situation and entertain a little. Your comments, oh wise married and marrying ones, will offer feedback to those same brides so they can have the best experience ever. After all, as my bridesmaid Amy said the other day, “Enjoy everything! As far as I can tell, nothing like this will ever happen again.”
I loved this post, Chloe. We did our wedding exactly the way we wanted, too. After all, who SAID we have to go “by the book”? Whose book? Why does anyone think they have to follow anyone else’s guidelines for their wedding? Our friends are fine musicians & photographers & caterers & officiants. Why hire someone else? We did things a bit differently, too: we greeted our guests as they came into the church and then walked each other down the aisle and sat down to listen to the musicians we’d hired. [Ours was the only wedding where the musicians were applauded, they were that good.] We wrote our own vows, hosted a reception with food and wine that we loved, and had a wonderful time. Nothing like our wedding will ever happen again, either! Enjoy & savor every moment; the day will go by so quickly – you will be astonished.
Thanks, Jan! Sounds like you had a wonderful day! Who were the musicians, in case someone is interested?