Amanda will be marrying Adam on 25th March 2018 in a Jewish wedding at Braxted Park, UK.
THREE FACTS: (1) Amanda & Adam met outside in a bar in Tel Aviv (2) Adam has a ridiculous sense of humor (as described by Amanda!) and we love him all the more for it (3) Amanda & Adam’s wedding is 100% focused on all the people and things that mean the most to them. You can click here to read all Amanda’s planning posts to date.
Eight weddings in 15 months…
It most certainly is wedding season in the Yaffe-Parker household. In the 15 months between our engagement and our wedding, Adam and I will have attended no fewer than 8 weddings and, one manic week in September. We actually attended 3 weddings in 3 different cities, across 2 different countries.
So it really is fortunate that we love attending weddings. There’s something about celebrating the marriage of close friends through song, dance and food that never gets old. In fact, I’d bet that if you watched the highlights of any weddings we’ve been to, you’ll see Adam and I throwing shapes like madmen.
Image: Adam Van Bunnens
Getting caught up in the details
However, I have found that there can be a downside to attending weddings whilst planning your own. Everything suddenly takes on a new dimension. The intricacies of the table plan suddenly become fascinating, the previously unnoticed centrepieces are committed to memory and that ‘explaining the ceremony’ booklet popped into the handbag to be studied in great detail the following day.
Each of the weddings we’ve been to this year have varied so much, spanning a wide spectrum of style, religion, venue type, season, time of day, day of week and each has been lovely in its own way. Despite, or maybe because of this, I have found myself unwittingly comparing details of these beautiful weddings to our own and questioning the choices we have made.
It’s surprisingly easy to become a ‘notebook bride’ without even realising it. And the worst part? Being caught up in the details means you miss out on the atmosphere and the emotion of the day!
Evacuated from my friend’s wedding…
It wasn’t until I attended a wedding with a difference in September that I came to realise what I had been doing, and why it was a mistake.
A friend of mine (who won’t mind me sharing) found herself in a surreal situation where her wedding was evacuated from the hotel mid-ceremony due to a bomb scare. We spent 5 hours waiting for the all clear and in that time, the wedding continued, albeit not in the way it had been planned. The beautifully orchestrated chuppah became a makeshift version made up of 4 bridal party members holding a tablecloth over the couple. The 8 piece band found themselves without instruments, outfits or a stage, but managed to bring the atmosphere and kept everybody on the dancefloor. The painstakingly prepared 4 course meal was left behind in the evacuation, but we ate sandwiches and carried on!
Finding my new perspective
The truth is, even without all the tiny details, the wedding was beautiful and emotional and one that the bride and groom, and all the guests, will remember for many years to come. There were no details to pore over, so we just enjoyed it! What I think I’m trying to say, is that we can agonise over chair covers or the exact colour of the flowers, but at the end of the day, they’re not as important as what the day represents. Once the plates have been cleared, the music has stopped and the guests have all left, the memories of the night are all you have (along with a lifelong commitment to each other… obviously).
We already have 3 weddings in the diary for next year and I’ll bet that over the next 6 months, we’ll receive a few more ‘save the dates’. My new-found perspective means I’m excited to celebrate each and every one and without any ‘note taking’ to do, I’ll be back to concentrating on the bride and groom…. and my dance moves.
Click here to read all Amanda’s planning posts to date.
Amanda & Adam’s Wedding Vendors booked so far:
Venue – Braxted Park
Photographer – Steve Carter Hewson
Band – LDN Party Band
Bridesmaid dress – David’s Bridal
