There is something deeply therapeutic about writing this column.
Like a journal, it allows me to write through any bumps in the road with planning, and it helps me remind myself of deadlines and keep track of the progress I have made and the road ahead.
Unlike a journal, however, it connects me with people. Through this, I’ve met brides and vendors who have all helped me on my way through planning. I consider myself lucky to have that opportunity, which is, in part, why I started this column. Not only am I helping myself (and my sanity), but also, hopefully somewhere down the line is another bride who can benefit from the ramblings of a frantic fiancee.
It also gives me a way to talk with people who are going through a similar journey. And that has been one of the most helpful aspects of all this. The ability to swap stories with brides and share ideas, thoughts and themes eases a lot of the nerves I am associating with my wedding.
A few weeks ago, I sat down with Kristen Pfeiffenberger, a bride who is at the earlier stages of planning her wedding. Kristen’s fiance, Ben Hinds, proposed on October 15, 2016.
And, I should point out that Kristen has told me fall, which is her favorite season, is the backdrop of her entire engagement/wedding.
“Everything has to happen in the fall,” she said.
Her engagement was during the fall festival in Jim Thorpe, and Ben surprised her by gathering her best friends in Jim Thorpe for the proposal.
“He blew away my expectations,” she said.
The two have planned a longer engagement, with the tentative date in early October of 2018.
“I want to be able to predict and plan for the future,” she said.
I admire that. It’s a very smart method for planning, I’ve found. While Kristen is still in the earlier stages of planning, she has been thinking ahead as well. She wants to incorporate a lot of DIY elements in her wedding, a feat that I greatly admire, and she has been trying to recycle as much as she can as well.
“I’m using as many natural elements as possible,” she said.
Kristen thought a lot about an outdoor wedding, but since they are using an indoor venue, she said she is “bringing the outdoors inside.”
I love that idea. And I love how sure Kristen is in her theme and vision for her wedding. I find myself getting lost in ideas and changing my mind a hundred times before I make a decision. But Kristen has a lot of ideas, and is so smart and practical in her execution. She has been shopping around for decorations too, which is a task I’ve yet to even think about. She said when she sees something she likes and thinks she’ll be able to use it (and it’s on sale), she grabs it.
Above all, she said, she wants to make sure everyone involved has fun. And that’s the biggest thing for a lot of brides I’ve met, myself included.
At the end of the day, isn’t it just one big party?
