Thoughts on our wedding, a year after

I actually wrote this post just after our wedding, but never posted it. I thought a year later...in reflection...was as good a time as any :D

There were a few things that surprised me in regard to my wedding.  

One was the utter lack of customer service in the wedding industry. I certainly had some good experiences, but the majority of them were not all that good. I can only think that it's because this industry has become such a circus...that companies just don't NEED to have good customer service. The demand is too great and they don't really suffer from bad reviews. From my make-up lady, to my photographer, to the shuttle van service, to the caterer, I was shocked at the lack of professionalism and even knowledge about their services.  It's sad to me that brides are paying SO much for lackluster service. That said...the dress shop where I bought my dress, my DJ, and the woman that made my cupcakes...were all fabulous and fantastic.

Another thing that surprised me was how BAD I felt the night before my wedding. Hehe!! While I was excited and happy to be marrying Preston, I really just wanted the whole thing to be over. I was so drained and exhausted...I felt I couldn't go on. Someone told me that the adrenaline would kick in on the wedding day and all that would be forgotten. This was the absolute truth :) You get through it and it's all very worth it in the end.

My friendships. I really learned a lot about people throughout this experience. I feel like weddings bring to light who in your life you can REALLY count on. My wedding certainly did that for me and I know it was the same for Preston. I found that some people were not the friends that I thought they were. It was disappointing, but you just have to accept people for who they are and know what you can or can't expect from them. It's hard not to be really hurt by those that you thought were better friends than they ended up being. It's hard not to be hurt by those that think the worst of you when they really aren't getting the whole truth. But, you should never have to defend yourself or justify yourself to people that are TRULY your friends. And my wedding also showed me who those people are. I have some INCREDIBLE friends and I have an even more incredible family. I knew this already, but I was still so surprised to see the unfailing support and help that they offered me. So many people rallied around Preston and me to give us a great send off into a bright future. 

Ultimately, I am amazed...at life, at love, and at what happiness can be.