Tips for a Bride

In one week I will be walking down the aisle to marry the most wonderful man in the world. We have been engaged almost a year and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. Planning a big wedding really stretched me. It took a lot of patience and time. It took a lot of looking at our relationship and deciding what color napkins best reflected our undying love for one another. Whatever.

There were so many decisions to make and it was difficult trying to stay true to ourselves when everyone has an opinion about how you should do things.

All this to say I have held my composure really well. I kept it together when Kays' lost my ring. I didn't lose my cool when my dress seams were coming apart. I remained calm when the florist couldn't find the boxes. And I didn't say any curse words when our musician backed out two weeks before the big day. I expected to have a few "bridezilla" moments. But alas I held it together! Here's how you can do it too -

- Make sure to have a balanced diet of Cadbury eggs, lots of Panera bread, and jelly beans.

- Have a weekly dose of margaritas. 5 oclock not necessary.

- Surround yourself with friends who will throw amazing parties for you.

- Surround yourself with family members who will bend over backwards to make sure everything is nothing short of perfect *cough*mom*cough*

- Surround yourself with friends who will drop off "secret" cards full of money and kind words to get you through.

- Go to Florida. Lay on the beach. Walk on the beach. Drink tea and eat ice cream everyday. Do nothing else.

- Do not get fitted for your dress until a week before the wedding. Then you have no figure you must maintain.

- Marry a man who insists every other night that you deserve a treat and he would like to take you out.

- Breathe regularly.

- Ignore anyone who tells you you HAVE to do anything you don't want to do at your wedding. Or at any other time in your life.

- Surround yourself with people that insist you are doing too much. No matter how empty your plate is.

- Do lots of crafts. Get your hands dirty. Make something for your wedding.

- Let yourself be spoiled.

I got teary when I threw my bridal magazines away yesterday. This has been so much fun. I will be sad when it's all over but thankful for the beautiful new chapter I get to start in my life. I'm thankful for the friends and family who have loved me so well through this. If it were not for them - I would have been a nightmare.