Tie the Knot Without Getting Tangled! A Stepmom’s Guide to Getting the Wedding You Want By Jenna Korf
If you’re in the midst of planning your wedding and find yourself feeling guilty and anxious more often than excited, you’re not alone. Why? Because, if you’re like most couples, you’re likely trying to please everyone around you.
You’re trying to take into consideration everyone else’s feelings and ideas—ideas which are often in conflict with what you truly want for yourselves. When it comes to weddings, people feel they have free rein to tell you what yours should look like and how it should be run. It can feel as if you’re being pressured to have everyone else’s dream wedding rather than your own.
This is a common occurrence with first-time marriages. It can be twice as stressful when you throw in the extra baggage and unique dynamic of a second marriage with kids involved. But, here’s the thing: You’re never going to please everyone. And, when it comes to your wedding, the only people you need to be concerned about pleasing are yourselves.
Some people will always rush to judge you, get upset or feel as if you rejected them. That’s because they’re making the wedding about them. Your wedding is not about your in-laws, parents, siblings, children, stepchildren or friends. They have either already had their chance or will have their chance when they get married.
This wedding is about you and your partner. Period. You are not responsible for the feelings of others. And, if you take on that responsibility, you will no doubt end up with the short end of the stick. Do you want to look back on your wedding day with regret and resentment, knowing that you let guilt and fear be the driving force behind your decisions about one of the most memorable days of your lives? …To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the June 2015 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.