I am struggling to find the right words to describe what I want to create here.
What is the technical term for a safe, inclusive and frankly delightful online space to chat/find inspiration/throw around ideas about not just wedding planning but how we might shape the future of weddings in a wholehearted, genuinely thoughtful way? Its probably 'blog' or 'journal', or something equally ordinary and characterless.
But surely the whole point, when it comes to planning your own once-in-a-lifetime party, is that it is not about being ordinary or characterless or following someone else's long-established rules. Surely it should only be about finding the path that will lead you to creating an utterly fabulous, truly memorable celebration of legally binding yourself to the person that you love in a way that genuinely reflects you (and perhaps, your partner). So there are some very established patterns and rituals that pervade society's expectations when it comes to weddings. But so what. This is your party. And - just quietly - there is no competition.
I got married almost 12 years ago. Still married now. To be fair, I've had more babies than I have had marriages. It was a small wedding by most standards. There were only four in the wedding party. We shared a meal with 33 of our nearest and dearest in a charming venue that we had all to ourselves. We were able to bring our own wine, carefully chosen and far more cost effective. We were gifted an amazing wedding cake. I did my own flowers, using buckets of locally grown blooms and we created all our own invitations. I wore an off-the-rack non-traditional gown that was gorgeous and cost me a fraction of the price of a traditional wedding dress. I still get comments today about it. My musician brother and talented friend provided amazing live music that we will forever treasure in our memories; and my sister in law did my make up. The point was not to scrimp necessarily, but to mindfully choose where and how we spent our wedding budget. There was always going to have to be compromise. So we made a deliberate choice to financially prioritise certain aspects and find alternatives for others. I still wouldn't change a thing.
You don't have to want to make the same choices as I did. Nobody will. That is the beauty of it that can and, it seems, does easily get lost in the craziness that has enveloped this really important and fabulous occasion. But there is simply not enough chat, in my view, about the opportunity to plan and execute your wedding in a way that is wholeheartedly about you; still undeniably fabulous; but not excessively harmful to our finances and our planet. That is what I am here for. I'm Alicia, by the way, founder of Sunday Soiree and lover of a good chat. Join me here for some occasional musings.
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