Weddings on the mind... and nerves

Hello all!
It's been quite some time since I blogged, so it's time again. As many of you know, I am engaged (as of one month ago!) and set to marry in March. Time will go by quick! And I am learning a lot! As exciting as it is to prepare for being married to the love of my life, I'm feeling the need to rant about the annoying parts of engagement...

Things I Dislike:

• Since 5.5 months is a short engagement by American culture standards, I am continually being told that there's barely enough time to get everything done. Hurry, hurry! Worry, worry!
• How much everything costs. I knew this would be the case, but boy, just when you think you've thought of everything, you haven't. Granted, I'm going to be as resourceful and creative as possible, but I'm still in the learning process, but it's pretty ridiculous sometimes!
• How wedding planning starts overshadowing the Bigger Picture: being married For The Rest Of Your Life. I'm not in love with wedding planning in the first place, but even for me, it is a fight to keep it all in perspective. Pre-marriage counseling, however, helps a lot to counteract this effect.
• How it's all about the Bride (and barely about the Groom). I know that girls tend to get more excited about being the princess for a day (and bows, candles, deco, etc, etc). but it's a momentous day for the groom too. He may even care more (gasp!) about the food than I will, and he often has opinions of his own about design. Thankfully, I'm blessed to be engaged to someone who wants to be involved and feel free to share his ideas.
• Being told we're too young. Although people are free to have their own opinions about the ideal age to get married, I have heard plenty of success stories of couples who married in their early 20s. I've been out of high school for over 4 years, and I have grown a lot in that time. Honestly, I believe that more important than age is relative maturity, a similar belief system, and a commitment to work through tough times.

So there's my rant. Of course, this doesn't compare to the longer list of great and fun things about engagement and marriage. I am thankful for so many aspects of this crazy process, and for all of the people in my life, both supportive and willing to voice their opinion. Please understand that I welcome people's views that differ from mine; I just needed a chance to let mine be heard. If I get too obsessed with this whole wedding preparation thing, by all means let me know!

So here's to taking the risk of the Adventure of a Lifetime with my best friend, and to supporting Kingdom values that differ so much from the culture who wants to play "Pretty Pretty Princess."
Thoughtfully yours,
Ellen P.