Countdown to BLISS: The Final 100 days

Day 94:

As the days tick away I can hardly believe the wedding is just 3 months and 4 days away! Over the past few days I have been really thinking about the differences between the wedding I dreamed of as a 20 year old and the one I am planning at 27. It is truly amazing how much can change in seven years. One of the big differences is my dress. The dress I am wearing for my wedding is nothing like what I coveted back at age 20! I will save the details on that for a post wedding day blog; chances are, my fiancé is going to read this and I don’t want to give him any hints! So everyone gets to wait on that.

To be honest, everything is different. I have learned to appreciate a “less is more” concept in my life that was not really present in my early 20’s. Being a theatre student I essentially wanted my wedding to be a production and I was going to be the leading lady. Think Phantom of the Opera “masquerade” scene and you have a good picture of what was in my head. I even considered singing as I was walking down the aisle. I am in no way saying that it is wrong for anyone who does that, but my heart behind that idea was certainly wrong. I wanted to show off; I wanted to star in my own show. That may have something to do with why I was single until now.

ANYWAY, let’s be real; the marriage is not all about me, so why should the wedding be?

There is a good chance that my wedding may be slightly more “dramatic” than most church based weddings, but it is not nearly the production I had in my mind what seems like so long ago. I will not be singing as I walk down the aisle. I have been singing solo long enough.

I am now ready for a lifetime duet, with Zack!

And I don’t mean singing. I mean doing life together with the man God has always had for me.

One idea that did stick with me from that 20 year old girl is having an outdoor ceremony. My fiancé is a trooper and he would do anything he could to ensure I love our wedding day; including driving to a remote location in northwest Arkansas to check out a barn as a possible location. This would be perfect to fulfill my dream of an outdoor wedding! This barn is beautiful, the grounds are beautiful, and the owner is very nice. This could be the place!

Oh wait, we live in Arkansas, and our wedding date is March 21. Arkansas has tumultuous weather to say the least, and March is what I like to call a “swing month.” This means it could be snowing, there could be a tornado, or it just might be 75 and sunny. Outdoor wedding….not a good idea. Lesson learned; sometimes you just have to be practical.

So what have I learned between that 20 year old “dream” wedding and now?

First, it is not all about me. I want Zack to love our wedding day just as much as I do!

Second, and even more important, I want God to be reflected in every aspect of our wedding day. I want Jesus Christ to be the star of the day, not me. That will be my true dream wedding!