Keeping it Casual Weddings, Begins with Honoring Yourself

Ever since I was a little girl, I had imagined getting married on my Uncle's farm. I loved how I felt when I was there, and I loved the big expansiveness of the land and the sky.

Many years later, I was the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding. She had a very nice church wedding, and had a photographer. I was very surprised to find out that the wedding pictures were taken after the wedding. While others were heading to the reception, the wedding party waited and posed. I can see why they did it that way, but I knew I wanted my wedding to be different. I wanted my wedding photos to be natural and in the moment.

I attended another church wedding; that one lasted almost two hours. Whoa, it was longer than a Sunday morning sermon. Note to self; my wedding is going to be short and sweet.

I also saw that some bibles had the word obey in them as part of the wedding vows. What kind of language was that! Marriage is a partnership; it's not about obeying. At least not to me. My vows shall say, Love, Honor, and Cherish.

And that is how it played out. My husband and I had an outdoor wedding on my Uncle's farm. The ceremony was short and sweet. Our vows included the words Love, Honor, and Cherish. (I had the minister look up the text in his bible, when we were planning our wedding.) And family and friends brought their cameras and took impromptu photos. Between them, we had a good selection to choose from that felt very natural. My intended was also in agreement, other than he joked about wearing shorts.

So as you can see, I observed, and I learned, and I imagined. I formed my opinions, my desires, and wants. And that's where honoring yourself comes in.

What kind of wedding do you want? Are you and your fiance on the same page? If not, that's where communication comes in. Best to start with now. You both count.

Here's to a great wedding and a great marriage.

Cheryl Paton

Browse wedding wedding designs by CherylsArt at Zazzle.com.

Keeping it Casual Weddings, Involve the Groom

So much of the reading material about weddings is geared towards the bride. So I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the book, Groomology: What Every (Smart) Groom Needs to Know Before the Wedding. Both males and females have given positive reviews about this book. It not only talks about the groom's traditional duties, it also gives guidelines for becoming involved. When two people are starting out together, it's helpful to learn and practice making decisions together, especially the bigger ones.

This book is written from a buddy perspective. It explains why the modern day groom is more involved now, than his forefathers were. What I like best, is that it encourages communication from the start. Forgo the bridal magazines, ask your intended questions. That's the place to start, for whatever type of wedding you're going to have, the best place to start is communication with one another.

All the best.

Cheryl Paton

Browse wedding invitations by CherylsArt at Zazzle.com.

Keeping it Casual Weddings, Introduction Post

I had been making lots of designs for wedding invitations, save the dates, wedding stamps, and such, and wanted some extra inspiration. I purchased a couple of bridal magazines to see what the latest color trends were. They were very helpful in that respect, and I will more than likely be making some new designs and color combinations for your perusal.

I also noticed that a lot of the ads in the magazines were for very extravagant wedding gowns. I know there are people who really like the extravagant wedding, but I also know, there are people who, like me, also like a simpler wedding; consisting of family taken photos, comfortable and/or no shoes, and minimal head wear.

If this sounds like you, then I invite you to become a fan. I'll be posting tips that I learned about having a more casual wedding. My husband and I enjoyed a casual outdoor wedding ourselves.

I'll also be posting tips on that first apartment and adjusting to married life too. Many times, when it's the first time for something, one doesn't think of everything, so hopefully I'll share some knowledge, from my experience, that will help your wedding and early married life go more smoothly, and I'll keep it G-rated as well.

Like to learn more; just click on subscribing to posts below.

Cheryl Paton

View wedding ideas by CherylsArt at Zazzle.com.