I have become one of those kind of girls...

So, I'm getting married. And in this whole wedding planning process, I have become this person that I didn't think I would ever be. I wanted it to be simple, I wanted it to be small, I wanted it to be easy. I realize now that there is nothing simple with a wedding. Nor is there easy. Small - its still possible and it will be quite small - with about 30 people at the ceremony and hopefully not over 100 at the reception week after.

I have realized lately that by 'simple', I really meant affordable. I don't have a lot of money and I don't want to depend on the folks for much. Its a second marriage for me and I am in my thirties; I feel that means its my wedding to plan and pay for, and I am okay with that. It gives me creative control that I have discovered I very much want.

It has also turned me into one of those women that carries around a folder with a bunch of stuff in it. I remember when my youngest brother got married and his future bride pulled out this HUGE binder with fabric swatches, announcement samples and the like in it. I thought she was a bit crazy at the time. Now, I totally get it.

You need to be organized for everything to go well. You need to plan EVERYTHING. We are planning things I never even thought about, like the exact wording my officiant is going to say, what my guest sign in book is going to look like (I even had a dream about it), and what wine we are going to drink at the reception (which has been fun to do because we have been sampling bottles).

With planning everything (and having much more of DIY wedding than I thought I would) there is a certain freedom about it. we have control over everything - and its empowering. This is our wedding, not our parents, not my kids', and I know that some people will think some of our choice are odd (such as dragging everyone down a dirt road to get married or having the reception at a brewery) but they are OUR choices. And that feels amazing!