Four Wedding Truths in Late Nights

I was up a lot later than I really should have been last night, however, I have a list of venues near us that we can go scope out. I  sent out some emails to get information on certain places. (Which was done on our wedding email account that I created! Eeeee!!!) So, my late hours were/are pretty productive! :) 

I made phone calls this afternoon to touch base with other venues I didn't hear from on email. Anyone who knows me knows that I am terrible about making phone calls. I always feel like I'm stumbling over myself and my words and feel like I'm extremely unintelligent. I bit the bullet today and made 4 or 5 phone calls. Go me! 

I have been reading my planning book on and off the last couple weeks, thumbing to different spots in the book and spot reading. I will say, this book is fantastic & has a lot of good insight & ideas. It was a good buy! Thanks Momma! :) 

Well, last night I started at the introduction. (Imagine that!) In this section the authors go into four truths about weddings that no one tells you. So, it's on those four truths that I'd like to give my thoughts & feelings on in my planning process. 

Truth #1 - The wedding is for you and your fiance. FALSE! 
I'm paraphrasing now, but it says that weddings tend to become less of a celebration of marriage & more of a large social torture test. Brides/Grooms/Parents are often guilty of making their weddings into spectacles to impress friends. 

I am somewhat guilty already in the ideas I have swirling about or pinned on Pintrest. However, I am doing my best to keep my feet on the floor & really add elements of Freddy & I to our day. We're both unique individuals who have our quirks. Though these quirks may be opposites, they complete the other person making them whole. That's what I want our wedding to be. Think... a glittery nerd! 

Truth #2 - Weddings end up twice as large as planned!
We made a preliminary guest list & did it much like the way we shop at Target. Put everyone in & before we checkout, we thin out our purchases saving our wallets some major damage. 

The thinning out has been difficult due to that feeling called guilt. I don't want anyone to feel left out, but the honest truth is -- we are paying for this on our own & limits need to be set. Pintrest has helped with how to thin out the guest list, along with removing my feelings & just keepin' it REAL!

Truth #3 - Perfect weddings don't exist in the free world. 
This is hard to swallow because I am a perfectionist. But my new mantra has to be... "Aim for fantastically wonderful!" (I love those words anyways!) I am putting that mantra on every mirror in the house starting NOW! :) 

Truth #4 - The 'wedding industry' isn't as innocent as it looks. 
Big Business + Novice Buyers = Disaster Waiting to Happen

The wedding business needs to make money, no doubt! The vendors have families to take care of & bills to pay. This is their livelihood. However, taking advantage is not cool! Fun Fact -- The wedding industry makes more than big breakfast cereal companies. I'm serving Lucky Charms at my wedding then! haha... I am nervous about scouting out venues & rental equipment. I have very specific ideas & I am not too willing to let them go. I am hoping to find a place that is going to be flexible & help make this day better than I could have dreamed. 

Oh please wedding gods, be with me!!! :)