Sometimes in life you have to call an audible. It’s tough to see what is coming your way until it stares you in the face. Football season is starting, so you get a football reference, but I promise it makes sense. Urban Dictionary time: For non-football folks, it means “to decide what to do at the last second after seeing all possible options and obstacles that come up. It comes from football, seen when the quarterback goes up to the line of scrimmage, sees a defensive alignment he wasn’t expecting, and adjusts by yelling out a new play.” There are occasions when planning a wedding and you realize things lined up differently than expected. Audible time.
The couple switched from planning a good-sized Oregon wedding, to a small destination event in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, where the bride has family. Fun fact, if you ever go, wear your fitbit… it’s fun to see how much more you walk when that’s your best option. 18 miles and 58 flights of stairs later, we spent a memorable day in the rain, visiting landmarks like the Castle, the Charles Bridge, the square with the Astronomical Clock, and some sort of magic, luck-dispensing-genitalia statue. I really don’t know what to tell you about that one, but the locals swear it’s a thing.
Everyone involved in the wedding treated me like family, and that’s not an exaggeration. I sat with them at dinner (hellooo duck and polenta at Villa Richter Piano Nobile), and I stayed with them in the flat (I think it had 58 flights of stairs all by itself). It’s always such a privilege to be invited into people’s world at their weddings. The stillness of the private moments, the boisterous joy of the celebration… being along for the ride is quite the honor.
Cheers.
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WORDS OF ADVICE FROM THE BRIDE: Weddings are hard, stressful, and often result in a large consumption of wine mixed with tears of frustration and happiness. I might sound pessimistic, but I’m not. I want to offer counter-advice to every article written telling you that planning your wedding is filled with nothing but stress-free happiness. I should add, despite all the stress that came with planning, I can honestly say our wedding was perfect for us and the best day of my life. I had more fun and felt more love than I ever could have imagined.
My best advice is to make sure the wedding you have is the one you want. Don’t let other people influence your decision, and recognize that it can be a stressful process, and that’s ok. If planning sucks, grab a bottle of wine and vent to your sister, best friend, mother, dog, or whoever will listen until you laugh about how ridiculous everything can be. Honor what you and your significant other want, in the end that’s what is going to matter for that day, not to mention the rest of your lives. Most importantly….have fun! You’re getting married, and that is definitely something to celebrate. I promise you, your wedding will end up exceeding all your expectations, and you will feel more happiness in that one day than you had imagined… if you let it.
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