Do you remember Jen and AJ? I introduced them to you in January and promised that you would hear more from Jen.Jen is going to be a frequent guest blogger to share the insights of an event planner orchestrating her own wedding. After reading through this, I cannot wait to hear more from her! Here is the first chapter of her wedding planning adventure:
Since high school I wanted to be a wedding and event planner. I have issues from Martha Stewart Weddings that date back to 2002. Before I got engaged I had a wedding planned for each season, not because I was desperate to be married, but because planning a fabulous event was a creative outlet. I could have a winter black and white wedding held at the Boston Public Library or it could be a tented wedding held in a barn during the fall... or it could be what I decided on for my summer wedding when AJ proposed in October (blues like the sea (we will live 2 blocks from the ocean), salt water taffy, a clambake...)
What didn't factor into my detailed plans was how emotional the planning would be. The planning wasn't just about me, or even just about AJ and me. The planning was, and continues to be, far more an exercise in love and communication than just working through the details. AJ cared a lot more about details than I anticipated he would. My mom wanted to be an active part, or at least know about, every detail. I had incorrectly assumed that because AJ was a guy and because my parents were moving houses that I would be taking a load off both of their shoulders by doing a lot of the work. Because a wedding is not identical to the events I coordinate for work, I couldn't plan it that same way. I had to learn that I wasn't just taking a load off my parents shoulders but I was excluding them from being the hosts of the event they were throwing. I had to learn that communicating about the wedding with AJ was, and is, an excellent exercise in how it will be for the rest of our lives.
Because planning this event has been far more emotional than any others I've planned it's also been a better growing experience. About two months into the planning I came to the realization that if I didn't have my "dream" wedding and yet I had grown in my relationships with AJ, my parents and my bridesmaids than it would be worth it. That realization has made this process so much easier than it initially was because I wasn't holding so tightly...
