This weekend I was talking to Lauren about how great eloping was. While I love going to weddings, I learned that planning one is so all encompassing that you will wake up in cold sweats thanks to nightmares about the chair ties not matching the exact color of the bridesmaid dresses. The only solution is to try to locate the Pantone number for the dresses to give to the reception place. And this must happen right then, at 3am, or else your wedding will be a failure and your marriage won't survive longer than 5 months.
Eloping was a piece of cake compared to that. Chapel? Booked days before going. Dinner reservation? Booked days before going. Dress? Ordered days before going. Flowers? Ordered days before going. The only thing we really did ahead of time was order those beautiful announcements.
I was telling her that I have no regrets about my wedding, but later that night I realized I did have one. Most couples take engagement pictures before the wedding and jparks and I did not. It's not the engagement picture experience I miss, it's the pictures themselves. Jparks and I really have no pictures of us. Us in a park. Us smiling cheesy in posed positions. Us being cute together.
I would love to have these done now, but isn't it corny to take family pictures when you don't have kids. Or, the real reason, can I justify the cost of a photographer to take pictures of just jparks and I? Probably not. You can justify that when you're planning a big wedding because really a photographer can be small change compared to other wedding expenses. But in daily life, a photographer is hella expensive.
So there you have it folks, my one and only wedding regret. Well, that and that I married a monkey.
No really, I love my husband
You know anyone can get married and have the dress, photos, etc. The real trick is sticking together. So why not get first anniversary photos done? You could do the same thing later on your 5th, 10th, 25th, etc as well.
ReplyDeleteSolution?
ReplyDeleteSears Portrait Studio. ;)
By cheesy posed pictures I meant cheesy posed pictures outside somewhere. Not in front of a paint background of covered bridges with foliage.
ReplyDeleteHave any photographer friends? Even if they're not "professional"? You have to, you're an artsy person. I'm sure they'd love to do some shots for (practically if not completely) free.
ReplyDeleteI agree about eloping. Adam and I essentially eloped, we were engaged two weeks, then got married. Then 6 months later we had our white wedding, which was a nightmare. I mean the wedding was all beautiful, but organizing it, a whole country away was a nightmare. We should have done the same as you... And we never had engagement pictures either. I regret that too, and having a totally un-creative photographer at the white wedding.
ReplyDeleteI also agree on eloping -- or at least doing it quick and simple with just family, which is what we did. We saved so much freaking money. Not to mention the stress.
ReplyDeleteAs for the photos, go for the first anniversary photos. Linda got someone really good to do her engagement photos; they are gorgeous! I can also refer you to someone who does a great job for a reasonable price.
Oh, and photographers can actually be the second biggest expense of a wedding -- right after the food.