I honestly can’t believe how much fun I had at my wedding.
Given the stress and anxiety I felt in the lead-up, I anticipated being a ball of nerves throughout the big day.
I should note my anxiety before the wedding had nothing to do with the fact I was getting married, but rather my fear that something would go wrong the day of the impending nuptials. With no rehearsal planned, I worried about things like the sound system not working or the live stream for the ceremony cutting out.
Considering how anxious I can get, I was also afraid I’d puke during the ceremony or pass out during my and my wife’s first dance. (I can be a bit of a pessimist at times).
In the end, all of these fears were for nothing, as everything went perfectly and everyone had a fabulous time. All morning, we were busy setting up the ceremony and reception space, which left little time to stress about what could go wrong. Shortly after everything was set up, my friends and extended family started to arrive, and I delighted in the opportunity to catch up and chat with them. Before I knew it, it was time to put on my wedding attire and prepare to walk my mom down the aisle.
Following what was a fairly laid-back ceremony, my wife, our wedding parties and our families had our photos taken by our photographer, while the remaining guests stayed back to chat and play the various lawn games we had rented. By the time my wife and I were back from pictures, the bar was open and appetizers had been laid out.
Dinner was also great, as we had a delicious catered meal provided by a local barbecue company. After the meal, four of our family members provided some amazing toasts that caused attendees to both laugh and cry.
After speeches, my wife and I enjoyed our first dance. For three weeks, we had practiced a choreographed dance to Ed Sheeran’s Thinking out Loud. We hadn’t told anyone about this, so it was amusing to hear everyone’s praise about our dance afterward – even though we did mess up a part in the middle.
After 16 months of COVID-19 restrictions, it was so great to spend time with my friends and family, many of whom I hadn’t seen in person since before the pandemic. I shared dozens of heartfelt conversations at my first "mass gathering" since March 2020, and will remember these kind words forever.
Throughout the planning process for our wedding – which was admittedly stressful – my wife and I often remarked that we should have just eloped, as it would have been so much less of a hassle. Now, I’m happy to say we didn’t, because our wedding was quite frankly a blast.
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
