Overwhelming But Fun

I am addicted to wedding websites. I didn’t even notice until the other day when I realized that it’s the first thing I check when I get to work in the morning and it’s the last thing I read before going to bed at night. I also realized that it’s the only thing I talk about these days… wedding invitations, color schemes, dresses, flowers, favours, centerpieces… whoa! It’s taking over my life!

It’s fun, overwhelming, frustrating, and exciting all at the same time. I want a simple, inexpensive wedding but I also want it to be a nice one. We have a budget that we’re trying our best to work with so that we don’t go beyond what we consider practical and reasonable. Getting engaged is pretty exciting but also a bit overwhelming because all of a sudden you’re thinking and planning a wedding. Let me tell you, there are so many things to consider! There’s the guest list, the wedding party, the venue (for both the ceremony and the reception), setting the date, the invitations, the color scheme, the dresses and the tux, wedding favours, flowers and décor and of course, the wedding budget. There are so many other things that go with it that I haven’t mentioned here (mainly because I haven’t quite gotten to that part yet myself). I love that there’s so many options out there… but it can be time-consuming. The research that goes with it – making phone calls, checking out places, inquiring about packages and the services they offer and so on and so forth sometimes feels like an ordeal.

I was just telling Steve the other day that it’s nice to be in a day and age where almost everything can be done online. So many resources and so much information are available over the internet that I don’t even have to physically visit a store anymore. I mostly check out the website first and make a call if I have any questions and if I think it is worth visiting, I make an appointment to come in. It’s also cool that I can order invitations and flowers and favours online from stores that aren’t even nearby. It can be quite tricky though because an item is usually available in so many different websites but the prices vary and you have to be mindful of customs charges and taxes and shipping fees. I also have to consider delivery time – how long to process the order and how long it will take to get here. For example, if I want to send the invitations 2-3 months before the wedding, then I have to have them in hand by let’s say December. If it takes them 6-8 weeks to process the order plus the time it takes to ship them, that means I have to place the order in September or October. AND that’s just one aspect – just the invitations. There are still favours and dresses and flowers and all that. Whew!

I don’t think I’ve planned an event quite as important or as personal as this and it is a little unnerving. I know it won’t be perfect and I know things will probably not go as smoothly as planned. But I still worry. I keep telling myself I can only do my best and see how it goes. I just have to learn to enjoy it as much as I can.