Since we got married, I’ve received a lot of questions about our wedding. Everything from how we picked the location (it was in my beloved hometown of Mill Valley), whether we wrote our own vows (yes), to where we registered (Michael C. Fina, Crate & Barrel, and Bloomingdale’s). But one that’s asked with surprising frequency is about wedding parties. Geoffrey and I opted to not have a bridal or groom’s party, which isn’t the typical choice, but one about which we felt strongly. Since I figured other people were curious, I thought I’d share our reasoning.
I have a really great group of friends. Girls who I can call in the middle of the night if I’m upset, girls who offer such sound advice I question whether they know me better than I know myself, girls who make my life feel complete, girls who have become my family. However, having been a bridesmaid I also know the stress it can cause people and I wanted the day to be a celebration of our love and committment. I didn’t feel the need to have them stand alongside me in order to feel their support. Don’t get me wrong – they were with me every step of the way, from dress shopping to getting ready the morning of, but I disliked the idea of deeming only a few of them as “favorites.” I felt like our wedding was one big celebration in which every single guest was equally important.
There were others things that we did surrounding our wedding that weren’t exactly traditional, but that’s what made it exciting. There’s no right or wrong answer to anything, as long as it feels right to you.
I’d love to know – what’s your take on the tradition?Photo by Max Wanger
