Ten years ago when I first decided I would be marrying Steven (he took a bit more time to convince) marriage was an idea in my head that looked like the end of every Disney movie…Happily Ever After. Then reality bit in and I saw relationships turn nasty, marriages crumble, I had my heart broken a few times, suddenly Happily Ever After seemed confusing. I realised that a wedding didn’t give you a free pass to happiness and “till death do us part” seemed an impossible promise. So over the years I have reinvented my view on this relationship rite of passage. Don’t get me wrong I am in no way trying to reinvent everyones perception, but this is my take on THE WEDDING.
This Saturday I will marry the man I have loved for such a long time and it will be such a joyous day. It will be a celebration of all our triumphs and failures, a celebration of families coming together, of lessons learnt by each others side, a celebration of creating new life and of loving another person so much it makes you cry. It will be a chance for all the people we love in our life to come together and CELEBRATE LOVE!! And yes, we will be making promises to each other, along the lines of; we promise to always strive to be true and honest and respectful no matter which way our path winds.
The planning of a wedding is so huge that this beautiful meaning behind the event is sometimes forgotten. So at times when I feel like I am on the event planning treadmill I STOP…breath…and hold in my mind a picture of all the people who will be there. I see how we are all connected by the love between Steve and I…suddenly my soul is still and I can enjoy each step involved in creating the day, savouring the whole experience, because this I have realised can be the best part.
“What do you like doing best in the world, Pooh?” “Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best-” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called” – AA Milne
I still adore fairy tales despite my reality check and I know this weekend is going to be magical. But what Pooh was thinking about, that moment just before he eats the honey, that beautiful anticipation…that feeling is all the nights dreaming about and planning this weekend. It is the past eleven years spent at Steven’s side slowly gaining an understanding of our unique connection and realising it was going to last a long time. So yes this weekend will be magical but it is only the destination… and the journey to this wedding day has sure been something worth celebrating.
nella inspired 