Weddings are one of the most important events in a person’s life. It’s a celebration of love shared with the couple’s closest friends and family. It’s no wonder that hundreds, if not thousands, of movies and shows have been made about it. They may not always be the most realistic or plausible representations. But there are still lessons to learn from them.
Here are three things about wedding planning from pop culture:
Ignore Expectations
In the first Sex and the City film, the primary focus was the wedding between Carrie and Big. It involved a lot of money, from the wedding venue to the flowers and the dress. With a socialite and a business tycoon at the center, the wedding became a massive affair. Because of the overwhelming attention and public interest, Big backed out. Fortunately, the couple did get their happy ending with a wedding at city hall.
At its core, weddings are supposed to be joyous occasions celebrating the union of two people. But because of expectations and pressure from others, it can be more stressful than happy. The priority should always be what the couple wants. Interestingly, recent studies are showing that more couples share the same idea. According to figures from The Knot, the average cost of weddings is on a downward trend since 2016. Out of the couples asked, 69% said that their primary concern was the budget with guest experience only ranking as the second priority. It’s nice to have a wedding that other people remember fondly. But it won’t mean much if you and your partner do not enjoy the event.
Be Prepared to Compromise
You can plan everything down to the smallest detail. But it is inevitable that something unexpected will happen before or during the wedding. For example, the weather could make things complicated. It’s hard to predict whether if it’ll be gloomy or sunny when you’re booking the venue a year in advance. Even if you choose a day in the middle of the summer, you can still get unlucky and experience some rain. Whether the wedding is outdoors or indoors, it’s bound to be affected somehow.
This is what happened to Phoebe from Friends. After nine seasons as the weird but lovable character, she finally got her big day in the final season of the hit TV show. She enlisted her Type A friend Monica to be her wedding planner. Monica literally had every minute planned, from the rehearsals to the actual ceremony. The problem was they didn’t expect a blizzard to occur on the day of the wedding. There was a citywide power outage, the roads were closed, and there were problems with the catering. Obviously, they couldn’t have the wedding at their chosen venue. In the episode, they worked it out by getting married outside in the streets. It was cold and uncomfortable but the couple was happy.
Even if you’ve spent all your time and energy, sometimes you’re not going to get everything you want. The best way to deal with it is by making the most with what you have.
Leave Room in Your Budget
Weddings are expensive. The more, the costlier. You have to feed each guest several courses, drinks, and other expenses. Flowers can also break the bank. Plus, there are all the people you have to hire. The entertainment, the caterer, photographer, makeup artist and more. Even a big budget may not seem enough. But it’s important to adjust and stick to the set amount. A wedding is only one day of your life. You shouldn’t have to dip into your life or retirement savings to make do.
A great example for this situation is the second season finale of Happy Endings. In the episode, the groom has to find a way to downscale the event after blowing the budget on extravagant invitations and party favors. Jane resolves the issue by reducing the amount of food and drinks during reception.
While you may not make the same mistakes, you may still be forced to spend more due to surprise expenses. Maybe there was a mistake in the sizes of the clothes. Or perhaps the reception lasted longer than you planned so you have to pay the band more. Make sure to set some money aside for unexpected events or emergencies.
Weddings take a lot of time, money, and effort to plan. Even if you do everything right, there’s still bound to be surprises or mistakes. The important thing is to put your happiness first.
