The Hunger Games: AKA Wedding Planning

To say that I was completely out of my element would be the understatement of the century! I would've loved a courthouse wedding and then a small dinner with close family and friends. I have seen so many girls get so wrapped up on the wedding and so many meltdowns over the silliest things I wanted nothing to do with that. I told Bryan that I didn't want a wedding, I wanted a marriage and I could marry him anywhere as long as it was just him and I that's all I needed. Plus Bryan had been previously married so I was thinking he would be all for a courthouse wedding, he was not!

So let the wedding planning begin! I know it sounds harsh to compare wedding planning to The Hunger Games but seriously it's crazy all the things that go into it and all the things people tell you you NEED to have oy vey! Well a relationship is about compromise so I knew a wedding was important to Bryan so we started planning. Once I started trying dresses is when it finally hit me "Holy crap! I'm getting married!!"

The plan was simple: We would go back to where it all began, Monterey, CA where we met. It would be a small event with close family and friends. Being that most people would be travelling to the location it would be a three day even so we could enjoy our time together but also so our families could get to know each other. Well it was nice in theory. We went from something casual to something formal, from 60 guest to 150! Also to be clear that was all Bryan. 

So as luck would have it everything that could go wrong went wrong. The invites never got made so last minute I had to order invites, the caterer double booked and we were the second ones to book so they dropped us, and some of the bridal party went a little diva on me. It became a little overwhelming especially because it was just me planning the wedding. Soon after we got engaged Bryan got deployed and would be taking some liberty to get married and then head back. We would be doing our honeymoon after his deployment. Anyway so I didn't want to bother him because well he had more pressing matters at hand. 

My amazing mom came to the rescue I think because she was sensing my meltdown she gave me the best advice ever. She said "You can't please nor accommodate everyone. This day is yours and Bryan's so whatever makes you two happy do it." And we did. Bryan had the biggest sweet tooth on the planet so we planned for a candy bar, instead of cake we had cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes from DC a bakery we would go to all the time, and for food, In & Out! Finally the big day was planned and ready to go.

Future brides, do what makes you happy and don't get caught up in the silly details. Enjoy the moment.

Breaking News: I'm Engaged!!

As I was looking at the recent blog post I have made I realized that I hadn't written anything about breaking the news to my family and friends. I wanted to share that part because I think it's important. Not because I am super girly and I want to go into detail how my girlfriends and I broke down and started crying and planning my wedding ASAP. But because it was a hard thing to tell people because of what their reaction would be.

As most of you know I grew up LDS and served a Spanish speaking mission in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Best mission in the world by the way) So you can now understand why I was not really looking forward to telling people I was marrying a non-member and not getting married in the temple. I worked up the courage and finally called my Mom and let me just say my Mom is amazing. I just spilled it all out and she listened and she asked " Does he love you? Does he respect you?" I told her "Yes" and she said "That's all I need to know." Other people where not as kind, some reacted as if I had just told them I had cancer. 

I think for this reason I wanted to post this because I think it's important for us to follow the rule of "If you don't have nothing nice to say don't say nothing at all" I found myself having to explain and sometimes justify why I was marrying Brian. The same people didn't even bother to ask about Brian but all they focused on him not being a member. Let us be kind to each other and think before we speak.