"I was not prepared."

No one told me that wedding planning was like this. Well, scratch that. People told me that wedding planning was A LOT. Still, I had no idea that it was going to feel like this. In all fairness, I have never been in this position before, so it makes perfect sense that I don't feel like I was prepared to take on the madness of planning a whole wedding.

As exciting as it is to be getting married, the stress that comes with this process is real. I'm going to take a shot at adequately describing what the last several months have felt like as a bride-to-be.

Chaotic.

Stressful.

Equal parts organized and disorganized.

Research heavy.

Referrals on referrals on referrals.

Miles long email chains.

Panic (Have I forgotten something? I'm sure I've forgotten something.)

Budgeting.

Disappointment. (Man, I really wanted to incorporate that into the wedding, but it's just above our budget).

Setting realistic goals.

Going back to the drawing board.

A lot of quality time and good conversations with my fiancé.

Rewarding.

Thrilling.

Back to panic.

Fun.

Exciting.

If I've learned anything about wedding planning, it is that the most important thing is to remember WHY I am doing all of this in the first place. COVID or not, I am marrying the man I love and I cannot wait to be his wife. I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to experience marriage with him. That's worthy of celebration and worth all of the planning that we have done so far and all the feelings that have come with it.

I'm thankful for this process and all that I am learning through this journey. I cannot wait to share more with you.

Take good care of yourselves, friends,

Courtney xoxo