A Year Later: Was a Big Wedding Worth it?

My husband and I just celebrated our first wedding anniversary on June 14th! This year has been full of challenges, new adventures, teamwork, and many laughs.  Our engagement season was dominated by wedding planning. We set a budget, and then we raised it. And then we raised it again. And then we went over budget because things got overwhelming and we wanted to pay for convenience. To be honest, my husband and I are still paying off some of those last minute purchases we put on our credit card. I loved planning because it was so exciting; but it was also so very stressful. As elopements and small weddings are getting more popular, I dared myself to think, “was it all worth it?”. (Quick side note- all of these images are from Kandace Photography, for whom we are so grateful!)

Greg’s family is from Alabama, and they moved to Reno when he was 7 years old. His immediate family is still in Reno, and his extended family is in the South. My family is almost all here in the Bay Area. Our families and friends would have never been in the same place if  we didn’t have a big wedding. The #1 reason the wedding was worth it to us, is because we got to celebrate with people who were from so many different places. We’ll probably never get to hang out with all of our loved ones at one time again- and because of that, it was worth it. 

Both of our big, amazing families.

Planning a wedding requires you to think about who you really are, because your wedding should reflect that. I realized that I am super conventional (at least when it comes to weddings). I’m into the decorating, the big receptions, and the formality. Although I’m sure a small wedding would have been lovely (and less expensive!), I might have felt like I had missed out on something. The #2 reason it was worth it is because I know myself. Small weddings and elopements are the perfect fit for some people, but not me. You need to know yourself and what you (and your fiancé!) want. (Just as a little disclaimer, the purpose of our wedding was to get married. Even if we had a super small wedding, I would have considered it a success because we got married. I may have felt like I missed out, but I wouldn’t be any less happy to be married).

The #3 reason a big wedding was worth it for me is because I can now empathize with brides when they have “big wedding” problems. Having a big wedding has prepared me for almost every wedding I have shot in the last year. ; I understand the stress that the bride sometimes (well, most of the time) feels in the weeks leading up to the wedding; and I understand the ins and outs of a big-wedding timeline. My own wedding has made a much better wedding photographer.

We’re still paying some of it off and it took almost a years time, but a big wedding was worth it. I wouldn’t have changed anything; it was perfect because we committed our lives to each other in front of everyone we loved. The design reflected our personalities and the details added sentimental value. It was truly an amazing day and I’m so happy we were blessed enough to experience it.