There’s no denying that a wedding is special, and it should feel so at the time. However, much of the discussion around weddings is concentrated on making them feel bigger and better than ever before. This creates a certain sense of pressure where your wedding can’t just be right for you, it has to be impressive. Fortunately, this is a notion that you can disregard entirely, and focusing on what’s right for your relationship can lead you to a much more concise and meaningful experience.
However, even when you strip away aspects that you might deem unnecessary, a wedding is an event with many arms and branches, giving you plenty to consider and multiple options in any given situation. Understanding these can help you to make the best decision for you.
The Setting
The location of the wedding itself can be split into two – the site of the wedding and the following reception. Different people will feel differently about which of these two is the most important, with some insisting that the romance of the former takes priority. In contrast, others will prefer the social gathering and celebration that comes with the second. There are arguments to be made on both sides, but there’s no need to compromise. Of course, your budget might only allow for so much, but this can once again tie into the idea that you don’t need to aim for the biggest, most large-scale event possible just because you feel as though the occasion calls for it. Instead, focus on what you and your partner would enjoy. It might be that you’d like to have a wedding abroad but understand that this would make it difficult for certain guests to attend, in which case, you have a decision to make based on which of those two sensibilities you prioritize.
It’s not just about the location in the wider sense, you also have to think about what kind of venue you would like for this occasion. Of course, some people might find themselves compelled towards a church, and while that can certainly make the decision easier, others will be looking for a solution that offers something unique and novel. While you try to think of the answer to this conundrum, it might feel as though you have limited options, but the truth is that becoming aware of what you can do here might open your mind to what is possible. For example, you could have your wedding on a yacht, or you could focus on making it a more themed affair that takes place in a woodland, or perhaps you want to take it back to a location from your past that means a great deal to you both. Looking outside of the confines of tradition and commercial expectation can serve you well here, allowing you to get more creative than you might do otherwise.
The Ensuing Celebration
As mentioned previously, the reception won’t be as important to some people as the ceremony itself, but if that is the case, this might be an opportunity to look at it differently. The reception celebration is a time that can be incredibly joyous if you allow it to be, and once again, getting creative with what you can do here instead of simply following suit of what you’re expected to do can have a dramatically positive impact. The reception is basically a party, and all of your friends and family are invited to celebrate your relationship with your partner. While your first port of call might be to think of a standard hall with tables and traditional decorations, you can do anything you want here. Throwing in activities or taking it outside if the weather is expected to be suitable can start to have this feeling unique to your day and your tastes. Weddings are something that have gradually begun to form an image of their own, leading many people to believe that there is a template that should be followed. Maybe this template is something that appeals to you, but if not, it’s important to understand that almost every aspect of your wedding day can be made unique to you and your partner.
The part that does need some consideration is that you need to create a day that ticks the boxes for the two people who are getting married. Of course, you and your partner could well have a lot of crossover in this regard, and you might have discussed and agreed upon certain elements, but there will still be different ideas between you. This doesn’t have to be a problem, though, and it might just mean that you both have to be flexible about what does and doesn’t make it into the finished product, especially if the budget, time, or space only allows for one of you to get your way in certain situations. Fortunately, this underscores an opportunity represented by the union itself – a chance to test your communication and your approach to such conflicts, where compromise might be something you both become quite familiar with.
Those Who Mean A Lot to You
While on the surface, the wedding is clearly about you, your partner, and your relationship, it might also be about others in your life who are important to you as well, even if how that is true is slightly different and out of focus. This is why the reception is so important to some people. Having the chance to gather your friends and family in one location, especially when this means that they’ll also be crossing over with the loved ones of your partner, is a great opportunity to spend a day with everyone that you love. Emotions can run high during events such as this, perhaps due to nerves and a certain sense of pressure that the day has to be perfect, but these emotions can have you losing sight of the sheer positivity of the event. Once the ceremony itself is over and you move towards the reception in the second half of the day, you might find that the two of you begin to feel naturally more relaxed and allow yourselves to accept the day as it unfolds.
The ways in which you can get people you love involved here don’t stop at the reception either. Certain events, such as the ring-bearing provides you and your partner with an opportunity to get a member of the family involved in a more direct way. Some people like to use this as an opportunity to get their pet, such as a dog, or a member of the extended family who is perhaps a bit younger involved. Of course, people who fill the roles such as bridesmaids or the best man can also get involved by sharing a speech with the guests, which can often go any number of ways but can still underscore the connections that you’ve made other than the one on which the day is focused.
Therefore, you might be interested in considering this aspect when planning your wedding. This could be something that holds you back from having your wedding abroad, as you want to ensure that you can spend this time with all of these people. However, if you were thinking before that it wouldn’t be a problem, it is something worth considering. After all, you still have the honeymoon to spend together, so the wedding might be a better time to focus on as a more social affair. That being said, everyone will approach this day in different ways, and there are no right or wrong answers other than what those in the relationship feel is best.
