Beware of the Guestzillas

From the very moment planning begins, people tell you to "make it your own" and choose things that "the two of you love." Yeah, right. You see, I'm a pleaser. I like to make sure everyone is considered and taken care of. Even on "our day." So, from the second I started planning, I've considered what people will think of:
- My dress
- My bridesmaids dresses
- Our flowers
- Our church
- Our reception venue
- Our reception food
- Our lack of wedding cake
- Our bar selection
- Our choice of music
- Our reception decorations
and the list goes on.

It's easy to say, "Don't worry about it! It'll be wonderful!" But, I know there will be Guestzillas.

You know those people I'm talking about. There are always people that go to a wedding and snicker, "Can you believe she choose as _____(fill in the blank with strapless, halter, material, etc.)_____ dress?" Or those people who judge the food, the drinks, the dessert, the decorations, etc. and try to blow it off as "Well, it's not what I would've done." Well, of course not, since it's not actually your wedding, so you didn't get consulted.

It's so easy to say you don't care what people think of your wedding, but the truth is, your wedding is one of the most personal experiences you can share with people. You invite people you care about and hope they are as excited to share your day as you are to have them there. But, I've noticed that weddings tend to bring out the worst in the people you think love you unconditionally.

Since I've started planning, I've had people complain/make snide comments about:
- Our date being on a Friday
- Our date being in the middle of Bonnaroo
- The time of our wedding (seriously, it's 7:00 PM, it's not midnight.)
- My bridesmaids not wearing the same dresses
- The location of our reception (because it's a whopping 4 miles from the church)
- The fact that we're not serving a traditional wedding cake
- Our dinner menu selection
- Having a DJ instead of a band
- Our wedding colors
- Where we choose to register
among many, many others.

I know I've not loved every single detail about every single wedding I've been to. But, you know what, it wasn't my wedding, so why did I need to love every single thing about it? I have worn dresses I hated because I loved the bride. I've not been able to eat at the reception because there was no vegetarian option (during my 3 year stint as a veggie). I've gotten lost driving to the reception site because they forgot to include directions. But you know what - I loved those people. Those people loved me, which is obvious by the fact that they invited me. I wouldn't have traded any of those experiences for anything in the world because seeing those people I loved in one of the happiest moments in their lives made me happy beyond words.

Planning this wedding is one of the most stressful, exhausting, scary, exhilerating, and anxiety inducing things I've ever done. On this day, I do not care if I have fancy table linens or huge flower centerpieces or a five-tier cake. As stated in my last blog, I just want to marry Patrick. And, those things are just not important to me.

And, for the record:
- I LOVE my dress. As my MatronOH stated, "There was never another dress."
- My bridesmaids look BEAUTIFUL in their unique dresses that fit their personalities.
- Icecream trumps cake. End of discussion.
- Yellow is my favorite color and P is colorblind. If he doesn't care, neither should you.
- Sunflowers have always been my favorite.
- Church Street is the most beautiful church in Knoxville.
- The Knoxville Zoo rocks.
- Our food is delicious and filling. You can make the choice on whether or not you enjoy it. I'll be sure to enjoy my plate enough for the both of us.
- If you'd rather be at Bonnaroo, then just go.

We can't wait for everyone to celebrate with us. I hope you enjoy the special time with us, the different choices we've made, and if you get a chance to hop on the carousel with RevDocJLa, I promise she'll be entertaining. Just bring her a class of wine when you come.