Want to Know What Didn't Matter After All?

A LOT of the things I stressed about in the last few months did not end up mattering at all! Wedding planning is stressful even in the best of times, and we tied the knot (squeee!) without a hitch. It was the best day followed by the best week ever!

Things I worried about and/or posted about and/or searched articles for advice on, that did not end up mattering nearly as much as I had anticipated:

FMIL wanted to wear a black dress - fine, but I told her wedding party was in black and she wanted to avoid that. Day of, dress was red. boom done.

Bridesmaid was late to the day-of because she refused to switch her hair appointment. Oh well, she was not in the getting ready photos, not my problem. boom done.

People writing in their kids on their invite - of the children we HAD to invite (family and wedding party) only about 12 of them came. Out of a possible 40. People who were adamant that their little ones would NOT miss this party kept them at home once word spread that they would be some of the very few. boom thank God.

Day of Timeline - guess what it's going to be a little off. boom done.

D(!)H's aunt "asking" if the grown men in the family could wear jeans to the formal affair. Now I'll admit my head exploded, but D(!)H was a saint and said sure, just wear a nice shirt too. I saw them once, hugged them and thanked them for coming, and that was that. Literally no one cared. No one. boom done.

No-shows - if there were no shows, I have no idea. I was not going to spend time at my reception scanning the room for missed heads. boom done.

Guests who Refused to RSVP and showed up anyway - well it was more annoying that they did show up and sat there sour-faced the whole time. It's an invite, not a summons - you had an easy out to not go, and you came anyway. Hope your wedding is a smashing fun time later this year (which D(!)H says we do still have to RSVP to theirs :P)

It rained - guess what, we knew we were planning for April, and the ceremony was prettier inside anyway. boom done.

We did not have a seating chart. And I could not be happier for it. For all the guests who did not show up or those who decided to at the last minute (8 more than we thought we would have) not a single one threw a fit about not "having a seat". DOC rolled out an extra table or two after counting heads as people arrived, and no. one. cared. If anyone "refused to stay" because we didn't want to spend energy and hours upon hours of stress to make sure they had someone with the same interests as them at their table, then I have no idea. Anyone who was invited was welcome to bring a guest, so find a friend and sit down. boom done.

And the thing that put it all in such perspective - shortly after we got engaged, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. She has completed her planned treatment, and was able to stand and dance a bit at the wedding in her beautiful gown withOUT an itchy wig. THAT is what mattered. Not the flowers, not the centerpieces, not that weird cousin who is weird, none of it. What matters is family and friends and love and celebration, because that is what you remember.

Fuck cancer. Yay marriage to D(!)H! boom done.