My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. On Monday night, we were sitting around the dining room table listening to them reminisce about their wedding day. The question came up, ‘Where were we right now 30 years ago?’ The answer was at the rehearsal dinner. So I ask, ‘Where was your rehearsal dinner?’
No answer.
My mom and dad sat there with blank looks on their faces as they tried so hard to remember the rehearsal, the dinner, and other details about their wedding. Now, my parents are not old by any means. They both lead active lives and have full-time jobs working for the government. Memory loss was not the issue. It just didn’t matter enough to them to remember.
That got me thinking about what I do for a living. I help couples plan each little detail of their wedding. I see bride’s agonize over shades of lipstick or invitation seals. And yes, couples even fight about where to hold the rehearsal dinner.
This experience with my parents helped me realize that although it is my job to properly plan the wedding of my client’s dreams, it is also my job to remind them what the party is for in the first place. It’s about love and commitment. It’s about ‘Not Sweating the Small Stuff.’ After all, 30 years later, you probably won’t remember the tiny details, but you will have fond memories of the day you and your husband became one family.
PS: My mom called her mother, sister, and cousin. My dad called his sister and niece. All of them remember being at the rehearsal dinner. None of them remembered where it was.
Striving 4 Perfection 