Getting Married cont'd....

Previously

Did your wedding day end up being exactly how you had envisioned it to be?

• Turned out better than I ever thought it would! It was an absolute ball!
  
  
• No it didn't end up like I exactly thought it would be at all!! My wedding day went by SO fast that I didn't get to really enjoy all that I wanted to. Everything was so beautiful though and I cherished seeing all of these wonderful people that I loved sharing our day with us.
  
  
• There is always something that doesn't go to plan, mine was my grandmother being hospitalized. This was very disappointing, but I decided to visit her on the way to the church. This put an emotional strain on both my father and myself that was unexpected, but once I saw my husband smiling as I entered the church, waiting for me to walk down the aisle, the sun shone again.
  
  All the little organisational things that mattered beforehand became trivial on the day. It was time to enjoy.
  
  
• I don't think you can ever really imagine how things will turn out exactly and especially how you will feel at certain moments... I was surprised I was not nervous walking down the aisle and also how overwhelmed I felt at the reception. It was more crowded than I had imagined and the day passed a lot quicker than I ever imagined.

Did you come across any major hurdles, if so can you refer to one?

• On our wedding day the only hurdle we came across was it was REALLY hot! We got married on May 20,2001 and here in California it USUALLY wasn't very hot BUT on my wedding day it was 96 degrees! We didn't anticipate the heat at all!
  
  
• My biggest hurdle was dealing with a jealous mother. My mother-in-law has no daughters of her own, so I tried to include her as much as possible, this caused a great deal of jealously from my own mother, which was dissolved by allocating specific tasks to each so both felt they had important roles.
  
  
• There was a minor hurdle for the man on the actual day! After I advised hubby not to drive pass the Flemington racecourse on his way to the church (we got married on Derby day) ... he did! This meant he was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, ... fortunately, the police saw him, and escorted him to the church! .... it's a bit of a highlight for him!
  
  
• The biggest hurdle were the in-laws and their wish to have hundreds of people at the reception. I won of course.

Was it a stressful time or an enjoyable time?

• I really thought it was a hectic BUT very enjoyable time. We had fun and enjoyed looking at everyone else having a great time too! I remember the children that we invited coming up to us and telling us that our wedding was a fairytale! HOW CUTE!
  
  
• It was a very stressful time in many ways, dealing with family and suppliers can be very frustrating, but as the day draws near, it's surprising how quickly time runs out with so many things left to do. I'm one to do it all myself, but I learnt the hard way (luckily not too late) to allocate jobs to family and friends because a) they want to help and be a part of your day b) you simply don't have to do everything.
  
  
• Enjoyable, ...so enjoyable, I married him again the following year!
  
  
• Definitely a combination of both stress and enjoyment. I put the stress on myself though as everyone was very supportive and I was allowed to do it all my way with no conflict.

Did you do the entire planning etc. or did your then fiancé help you?

• My fiancé helped me the whole way through and I really think that all men should participate. Not because of the work BUT to appreciate and share all that goes into your wedding....After all the SPECIAL DAY is for the both of you!
  
  
• Planning predominately done by me, ... a man (well my man) doesn't care too much for the finer details.
  
  
• Little hint: Let your mum or close friend run round and pick up samples, for you to choose from, it's less stressful for you and she will feel important.
  
  
• My fiancé helped by saying yes to all my wonderful ideas! He did want to choose the hotel though and approve the cars and the hire suits. I couldn't have wished for a better partner.

So that's it from me. As the big days draws so very close and I hear the pounding in my heart grow stronger and louder as I ponder over whether I have remembered everything, the best advice I can offer is some that was given to me. Just relax, enjoy the day, focus on the love of your life and just worry about each other. Everyone else will get by - it is YOUR day!

- Michelle Palmer

Image credit

www.herecomesthetruck.com.au