in the face of bridal madness

Even the most level-headed, down-to-earth & laid back of brides (well, I like to think so) can find themselves teetering on that forbidding precipice, peering down into a canyon of crazy from time to time. First thing I read this morning was a really inspiring post on A Practical Wedding, about a wedding that sounds so sweet & relaxed, real honest to jaysus as a certain husband to be might say. I love that they apparently didn't set a budget & their explanation is really similar to how HtB & I are approaching ours. We set one, but it's flexible & we're not driving ourselves mad with calculators & tallies. I admit, I did at first. But I'm not now!

Unfortunately, there are so many outside influences that can crack even the most determined non-bridezillas & turn them into spreadsheet-wielding, floral fact spewing, mason-jar collecting, DIY obsessed, self-bullying nutbags. (That's me I'm describing.) Pressure from those close to us to conform to the "norms" of weddings, influence both direct & indirect from retailers, media & even our trusty blogs. Those online hang-outs where we usually find so much lovely inspiration & encouragement? It's certainly possible to OD on them & even they can make us feel just plain bad. In a time when the low-budget DIY aesthetic is more in vogue than ever, sometimes I feel like my wedding isn't DIY enough, isn't hip enough, isn't CHEAP enough! Can you imagine? Feeling guilty that I'm spending a (still very) modest amount on my Mexican-themed rock n' roll Vegas wedding to an Irish cowboy & that it just doesn't seem *unique* enough? Hello crazy canyon (Hello! Hello! Hello!...)

But to be brutally honest, all that pressure really comes from within. Why even the most well-adjusted, happy-in-love-who-cares-about-a-fancy-wedding gal can find herself repreatedly comparing her wedding choices to those of complete strangers, I just don't know. Maybe it's just a case of close-to-the-wedding-momentary-lapse-in-reason.

Regardless, I'm not suffering from that right now. I feel so safe & warm in the knowledge that my wedding is going to be AWESOME. It may not be to everyone's taste - its moments of quirkiness, it's mixed up tropical/south of the border decor. But I don't care. It's going to be very us. Without heading into the planning process 15 months ago with a clear cut theme or vision, we have somehow, sereptitiously, arrived at the perfect theme - the theme of us. And I can't wait. Only 59 days to go.

*Photo from the groovy Arkiva Tropika*