Two weeks ago Nathan and I got married. That's right, we legitimized our relationship in front of family and friends. It was a beautiful autumn day (although it felt more like summer) and it could not have gone better. With all the planning and preparations the day went by in an absolute blur! Just quietly though I'm glad to have my life back!
Why did we do it??
No I'm not pregnant! Neither Nathan nor I are the marrying type. We had never dreamed of that 'big day' and quite frankly being the centre of attention gripped me with fear. As we progressed through the Palau volunteer process we realised that life would be soooo much easier for us if we were legally married. That's not to say that we don't love each other dearly and weren't previously committed to each other but now we have a piece of paper and jewellery to show for it! So in February this year we launched into action, planning a small wedding. I think we went into in a little naively but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
What I learned!
Weddings don't have to be expensive!
We were pretty fortunate that I had actually stopped working in February and was able spend a lot of time researching and running around doing stuff. I recently saw a report saying the average couple spends $50K on a wedding. SERIOUSLY!!!! I've no idea what they spend their pennies on! Overall, it cost more than we originally thought but I think we were idiots to think we could have a proper wedding and reception for THAT cheap!
We are so lucky and have some amazingly talented friends and had a number of friends do the photography and make the cake. I did the flowers myself, with the help of my sister. We also bought a lot of things online. If you have some lead time Pinterst, Etsy and Ebay are awesome resources. Pinterst gave me plenty of inspiration, ideas and how-tos. Etsy allowed me to create a personal touch. Ebay, well I just got cheap shit from there! Oh and my wedding dress; brand new, straight from the USA and reasonably priced! Please note: I did have to take my own measurements, made sure they matched the dress I was purchasing and had a local tailor made some minor alterations. Catering and alcohol were the biggest expense but it was worth it.
Managing others expectations and saying No!
One thing I wanted to avoid was the pomp or drama of a wedding. Since Nathan and I were committed to a proper wedding thing we wanted to make sure it was pretty stress free. We did everything in our power to keep the wedding small and stress free but never considered having to manage what other people thought or wanted for our wedding. At first I listen and tried to be accommodating but soon felt like the event had turned into something that wasn't us. After much encouragement from Nathan I soon learned to be firm and say NO! No without a justification. Just NO!This was probably the hardest but long overdue lesson for me to learn; hopefully I can continue to be a bit firmer in life.
Nathan loves surprises!!
This is the video he put together on his boy's weekend away and presented it as part of his wedding speech. Here I was thinking I was the crazy one!!!
Friends love it when other friends get married!
Seriously! My girlfriends and sisters were great! They rallied around me the weeks before the wedding and made me feel so loved and special it was great! Not that I needed a wedding to feel that way but it was nice to indulge just a little ;-)
So now it's back to packing and planning for Palau! Only 2 weeks and 5 days until we leave!
Why did we do it??
No I'm not pregnant! Neither Nathan nor I are the marrying type. We had never dreamed of that 'big day' and quite frankly being the centre of attention gripped me with fear. As we progressed through the Palau volunteer process we realised that life would be soooo much easier for us if we were legally married. That's not to say that we don't love each other dearly and weren't previously committed to each other but now we have a piece of paper and jewellery to show for it! So in February this year we launched into action, planning a small wedding. I think we went into in a little naively but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
What I learned!
Weddings don't have to be expensive!
We were pretty fortunate that I had actually stopped working in February and was able spend a lot of time researching and running around doing stuff. I recently saw a report saying the average couple spends $50K on a wedding. SERIOUSLY!!!! I've no idea what they spend their pennies on! Overall, it cost more than we originally thought but I think we were idiots to think we could have a proper wedding and reception for THAT cheap!
We are so lucky and have some amazingly talented friends and had a number of friends do the photography and make the cake. I did the flowers myself, with the help of my sister. We also bought a lot of things online. If you have some lead time Pinterst, Etsy and Ebay are awesome resources. Pinterst gave me plenty of inspiration, ideas and how-tos. Etsy allowed me to create a personal touch. Ebay, well I just got cheap shit from there! Oh and my wedding dress; brand new, straight from the USA and reasonably priced! Please note: I did have to take my own measurements, made sure they matched the dress I was purchasing and had a local tailor made some minor alterations. Catering and alcohol were the biggest expense but it was worth it.
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| Lotus Hair Piece made by Miaettia Creations |
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| Nathan & me in plushie form. Wedding Cake Toppers made by Saint Angel |
Managing others expectations and saying No!
One thing I wanted to avoid was the pomp or drama of a wedding. Since Nathan and I were committed to a proper wedding thing we wanted to make sure it was pretty stress free. We did everything in our power to keep the wedding small and stress free but never considered having to manage what other people thought or wanted for our wedding. At first I listen and tried to be accommodating but soon felt like the event had turned into something that wasn't us. After much encouragement from Nathan I soon learned to be firm and say NO! No without a justification. Just NO!This was probably the hardest but long overdue lesson for me to learn; hopefully I can continue to be a bit firmer in life.
Nathan loves surprises!!
This is the video he put together on his boy's weekend away and presented it as part of his wedding speech. Here I was thinking I was the crazy one!!!
Friends love it when other friends get married!
Seriously! My girlfriends and sisters were great! They rallied around me the weeks before the wedding and made me feel so loved and special it was great! Not that I needed a wedding to feel that way but it was nice to indulge just a little ;-)
So now it's back to packing and planning for Palau! Only 2 weeks and 5 days until we leave!
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