I’ve recently realized just how cheesy weddings are while planning my own. Many aspects of weddings are pretty cringeworthy and, being a self-proclaimed independent woman, I find myself feeling a little embarrassed from time to time about it. To be honest, though, I love everything about engagement and weddings — especially these parts:
- Proposals straight out of movies. I’ve seen enough movies to know that not only is getting on one knee expected but so is coming up with a special way to pop the big question. Romantic proposals are downright adorable, even when they’re the traditional “ring buried in food or champagne at a restaurant.” I’d told my fiancé years ago that I wasn’t looking for a proposal that was too public. On our wedding day, all eyes will be on us so I wanted something a bit more intimate. I have to say, taking a hike and having a picnic by a river before he asked me to be his wife was definitely cheesy in the best possible way.
- Announcing your engagement on social media. Once you reach your 20s, almost every other post is about someone getting married or becoming pregnant. These are always exciting milestones in a person’s life, but everyone is most likely rolling their eyes upon seeing, “He put a ring on it!” or, “I said yes!” for the millionth time. I avoided both of these lines, but it didn’t stop me from making a paragraphs-long post proclaiming my love for the man who just asked to spend our lives together.
- Taking engagement photos. Engagement photos are weird but also sensual. We all know the importance of eye contact, but when people make too much of it for too long, things get awkward. Engagement photos are nothing but staring at someone else intently for an hour-long session with the photographer gives posing directions to make the process run more smoothly. Prior to our photos, my fiancé and I got into a silly little spat that neither of us remember the contents of or even how it originated. Though it was initially odd having to stare for so long, our feud quickly dissipated and I was reminded why I fell for him in the first place. The entire process was definitely sappy, but the affection was clear in the photographs.
- Choosing a dress. There are few times in my life where I’ve actually worn a gown: playing dress up as Cinderella as a child, elementary school pageants, and high school prom. All of these instances didn’t come close to matching how I felt trying on pristine white dresses in a bridal shop. Every time I would glide from my dressing room to the mirror, my sisters and mother would gush about how beautiful I looked. Each dress made it more difficult to choose a favorite, but when I finally settled on one, I never wanted to take it off.
- Silly bridal shower games. My bridal shower is in just a few weeks and I’m already shaking my head in embarrassment at the thought of the games played at these types of events. Part of me wants to skip straight to the presents, but I know that this is a special time in my life and all the laughter I’ll share during those games will be a fond memory to look back on later.
- Dads walking their little girls down the aisle. This part can be a little raw for women who’ve lost their fathers, but it’s still a special time to walk with someone else close to you whether it be a brother, uncle, friend, or even your mother. I’m lucky to still have my father around and even though him walking me down the aisle will be a cheesy experience, it’s a time-honored tradition that I’m thrilled to share with him.
- All weddings songs, ever. It’s difficult finding wedding songs that aren’t dripping with cheese. Every single one feels overplayed and on my wedding day, I’ll silently be wondering if people are judging my choice of music. Still, I can’t help looking forward those mushy ballads being a part of our day.
- The first dance. Considering I’m not the most graceful person, our dance will most likely be the two of us swaying back and forth. My friends and family watching us will most likely turn my face bright pink, but I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t excited about this Disney princess-esque moment.
- Wedding vows. This has to be by far the cheesiest part of the whole wedding experience. Vows are typically riddled with clichés and are a romanticized view of the long journey ahead. More people are realizing the importance of making modern vows before marriage and being more honest about how this is a commitment you work on every single day. While both of these are necessary, professing your love and becoming one on your wedding day is truly beautiful.
