Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in partand we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:4-13
In a little over five months, we'll be married. I'm so excited! I get a notification at midnight every day and it gives me the days until "I do." This is exciting, but sometimes overwhelming. For example, today it says "166 days until the Nichols/Presnell Wedding!" Is it just me or does 166 days seem like a really long time? I prefer to count by months because 5 and a half months sounds a heck of a lot better than saying 166 days. As it turns out, you have to upgrade the app and pay for it before it will calculate months for you. *Insert eyeroll* Needless to say, I'm keeping up with the months myself, as there aren't many left to count!
I'm thankful to say that my family, sisters and friends have been a lot more helpful than the app store. I'm surrounded by the most generous people. We are so blessed.
If I can share what little wedding wisdom I've gathered so far, it would be these things:
Listen. You are surrounded by people who love you. When they offer advice, listen. If people care enough about you to share their personal stories, triumphs and struggles, you should be receptive. Everyone has different advice to give. You may talk to 15 people and find that none of it is applicable to your current circumstances, but I promise that you're likely to find valuable wisdom at least once. And that one time will make everything worth it. I'm lucky enough to have taken away wonderful advice from so many people.
Let people help you. Graciously accept any help you're offered. Whether your grandpa is willing to cut down a tree so that you have cool rustic centerpieces that you saw on Pinterest, or a family friend wants to help you address envelopes, let people help you. If your friends and loved ones are willing to spend their time and energy making you happy and helping out, get them involved. There are so many things to do. You won't have any trouble finding a way to involve the people who want to be apart of your day. On this note, I challenge you to think of the significance of people offering their time and help.
"There's a simple doctrine: outside of a person's love, the most sacred thing that they can give is their labor. And somehow or another along the way, we tend to forget that. Labor is a very precious thing that you have. Anytime that you can combine labor with love, you've made a good merger" (The War Room)
Powerful, right?? Consider that when you are approached by all the people that want to find a way to help out with your big day. You are loved. You are surrounded by supportive, caring people. You will want to look back on your day and know that they were a major part of it, I promise.
Don't linger. The not-so-cool fact of weddings is that there will be a bump (or two) in the road. It's easy to dwell on the few things that aren't going the way you expected and overlook the many wonderful opportunities ahead. When you overlook your blessings, you are doing yourself and the people who are helping you a huge injustice. You don't want to look back on your wedding planning and think, "that was so stressful" or "I'm so glad that's over with." Your engagement is a wonderful period of time, one that should be celebrated. Don't let the few little bumps in the road ruin your time.
Don't make comparisons. You can't compare your wedding day to everyone else's. Your day is special because you're marrying the person you love! Your love can't be compared to any other couple. Don't spend time being envious or competitive when planning your special day. The venue, dress, music and food are all very special, but nothing is more important than the promise to be made that day. Therefore, you shouldn't be wasting your valuable energy worrying over whether or not your wedding was as good or better than someone else's. If you focus on your own happiness, your day will come together wonderfully.
Lastly, be intentional. Go out of your way to thank people. Be intentional and make sure your actions reflect the thankfulness in your heart. Let people know you love them and appreciate all that they do for you. Intentionality is a skill. Be mindful and thoughtful when planning your special day. It truly is a family affair.
Happy planning!
xoxo
