Happy ever after...

A wedding day is, typically, just that - only one day.

But, is it really?! It resounds in your memory for far longer than that!

I was inspired to write this by seeing someone post on a social media site that they were using one of their wedding presents for the first time.

A wedding day doesn't just stop at midnight of that day (ok, not in that way! Keep it clean!!) and for months, maybe even years after, a song, a scent or a face may bring it all flooding back - that jaw-aching joy of your wedding day.

Whenever I see a picture of an orange gerbera, a Pronovias gown or a pair of dainty, ivory heels, a birdcage veil and a tiered cake... I'm taken right back to that day in August.

I met up with a friend of mine the other week and we have the kinda friendship where you can be quite honest with one another. She told me that in September, she had attended "the best wedding I've ever been to" then apologised. I didn't need a sorry - I didn't get married to dazzle people. My mum feels our wedding was much more 'over-the-top' than she'd ever dream of having, or would recommend doing. 

We did it on quite a tight budget - we've worked out the entire wedding was around £7,000. That is a lot of money. How ever much money you have - I think you'll still acknowledge seven thousand pounds is a large amount of money. Some people spend more on their wedding day. I don't personally believe in spending any more than that - I had wanted to spend much less but my husband really wanted the kind of wedding we had. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it.

Ultimately, I would never spend any more than that amount of my own money on 'just one day'... But that's not to say I'd judge others - they're not asking me to pay for their's so what's it my business what others spend?! 

I truly think people don't understand this. That I don't value a wedding day the same way I value, say, a holiday or a house. In the same conversation with my friend, she told me all about the details that had wow'ed her at the wedding in September. I asked if she would do the same if her and her partner ever choose to get married in the future. She said "well yea, it depends on the money we have" I replied that I didn't think money mattered that much to me - even if I'd had thousands of pounds, I wouldn't have spent it on that 'one day'. I just don't believe it's that important or necessary, for me. She said "well, anyone would if they had the money" I reiterated my point again, but, no, for her it really was a matter of if you have the money - you would splash it on a castle, netted dress and a cake. Nope, not over here! 

Clearly, that showed in our wedding. We didn't include loads of details. Our big day wasn't revolved around the big day, as such, but for our love - for each other, our family, lost loved ones and friends.

Having said that, when I see the glorious remnants of people's special days on social media and in person... It all seems that, whatever you chose to spend... It's worth it.