end scene...

I look at this picture and cannot believe that its me and not lifted from a bridal magazine/website/etc...


(photo by dantewilliams.com & colormekatie.com)

and thats why you cant get caught up.  during the day prior to and the day of the wedding, about a ton of things went wrong...  from flowers that were half dead & the wrong color to details we spent all sorts of time & money on that were never even seen by our guests (for various reasons), to other things - there were issues.

there are issues at every wedding - but all the rest of us see are the magazine-worthy pictures...  and we obsess with having everything be just as perfect as we see in those pictures, but i can tell you - this picture?  this perfect picture?  it wasnt posed.  i'm not looking down thoughtfully...  my other hand is probably trying to grab my train since my bustle was broken within about 5 minutes and i'm probably trying to wipe some of the central park dirt off of my dress or avoid stepping in dog crap...

but what do you see?  you see this picture of perfection.  this picture of little old imperfect me that has been viewed thousands and thousands of times and landed on inspiration boards already.  this picture that, for the rest of my life, will make it look like i had a magazine-worthy wedding.  and you know what?  I did.  because sure, a million things went wrong, and if you want to pick it apart to satisfy your own competitive spirit, you can.

but you know what didnt go wrong?  we got married.  to a string trio playing the foo fighters & the beatles.  in central park.  with a party in the most dramatic reception space i've ever seen.  we planned a fun reception where the only way people didnt have fun and dance is if they didnt want to (we all know those people - dont let them dictate the rest of your wedding!)  every time i saw something going astray, i asked myself, does this change whether anyone is having fun?  as long as the answer was no (and it always was - custom cocktail napkins dont actually contribute to fun) i decided to not waste even another second thinking about it...

because, in the end, those issues didnt matter...  weddings shouldnt be about egos or impressing people - they are about two people getting married & then celebrating the best way they know how.  and anyone who is at your wedding for the right reasons feels that way too.

and as long as you remember that, every wedding is magazine-worthy.