A really BIG project…

If you didn’t know already, George and I are quickly approaching our wedding anniversary. We will celebrate three years married on August 4, 2010. (You might remember our epic trip to Florida, where we celebrated last year.)

Before I go further, I want to say right here and now that I would never take back my wedding day. It was wonderful. The number of toasts that were given by everyone literally made my wedding day great! I am a storyteller and the number of stories shared at my wedding really honored what George and I are all about. And of course, George is undoubtedly, the man I was meant to marry and he is my best friend in the whole world.

I would never take back my wedding day.

But…

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. And the honest-to-goodness truth is that three years ago, I really didn’t know a lot about planning a wedding. In fact, I never did that thing that young girls do when they dream of their future wedding day… I just knew I’d get married when I was 23 years old (which I did, by the way) and that’s all I really knew about it. That I would be 23 at the time.

Now, being IN the wedding industry, I find myself daydreaming about what I would do, pick, make, or wear all the time! And I’ve realized that I would do things way, way, WAY different if I were to get married now.

George and I made several mistakes when we were planning our wedding. We didn’t really think about how to make the wedding reflect who we were as a couple and we made choices that were simply convenient. And that’s a huge mistake! One, I fear, that couples make all the time in their planning process.

So George and I have made a decision…

We’re going to do it over. Call it what you will— “vow renewal” or what-have-you—but we’re going to re-do our wedding. We’re already married, so what’s to stop us from creating a day about us, for us, and without all the outside influence that can effect our decisions in negative ways?

I mean… Isn’t that how it should be when planning your wedding?

It’s our hope that through this process, others can learn, take heart, and make their decisions based on what’s important to them and no one else. There have been so many times where I’ve encouraged my brides, telling them “it’s your day” and “stand up for what you want” and in the back of my mind, I think to myself, I wish I had… And please don’t misunderstand! There was no one dictating what I should or should not do for my wedding! There were simply people who made suggestions and without thinking, I would simply say, “Okay, sure,” because either A) I didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or B) I didn’t know there were other options.

To name just a few of those mistakes:

1. Being 45 pounds heavier when I got married, I was terrified to go dress shopping. So I didn’t. A friend suggested a woman who made her wedding dress and I paid her to make mine. Was I thrilled by what she made? No, not really… But it was super cheap and it fit. So I went with it.
2. We rented tuxes. Do I like the look of a tux? Not really, no… I actually prefer something simpler, less bulky… But for some reason, I was under the impression (or influence) that tuxes were essential. But they’re not. They’re really, really not.
3. Our location. While it was gorgeous, affordable, and unbelievably convenient—it was also our reception and it was down the street from my house—I now envision a ceremony set entirely outdoors. The venue was chosen so quickly (for convenience) that I didn’t even have a chance to play around with the idea.

Trust me. I realize this sounds excessive. Planning our wedding again when we’re already married and have been for almost three years. But we’ve learned a lot since we got married in 2007 and we’d like the chance to try again. Not to mention, there are certain experiences I never had the chance to do—like shopping for a dress—that I’m tired of regretting. So for the next several months, we’ll be going through the same process as our clients. Picking colors, dress shopping, checking out venues, the whole deal. And we’re inviting you to come along for the ride.

We’d love to get your feedback on this one—What do you guys think? Good idea? Are we nuts? If you said “yes” to either of those last two questions, I’ll say we’re heading in the right direction…

© the photographs of sara renee