Putting the Party in Wedding Party: Choosing the "Circus"

WWDD? This is a question I ask myself quite often, "What would David (Tutera) Do?!" David Tutera would probably NOT suggest 10 bridesmaids. David Tutera would quite possibly shake his head, roll his eyes and tell the cameras that having 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen is a "circus".

Now, just because I ask myself what he would do, that is not to say I let that dictate what I will.

Okay, with that said. I totally have 10 amazing, beautiful, charming, hilarious bridesmaids (inclusive of two lovely Maids of Honor). Coming to this decision was fun and by no means was it without thought! Prior to getting engaged, the only wedding-related detail I ever really considered was my bridesmaids and who they would be.

And I always envisioned a small bridal party, like this (minus the kinda graphic leg-grabbage):

Image via Sarah Green Photography

However, when it came down to it, I knew that what I envisioned was impossible. Why? Well, I have no "blood sisters" but I have a lot of very, very close lady-loves. These are girls, most of whom I've known since childhood, that have seen me at my worst, partied with me at my best and have put me in my place and loved me all the same—and who better to stand by me on the happiest day of my life than those women? 

Making the decision easier was the fact that Mr. Seal has lots of brothers and close cousins and also wanted to include my two brothers and two cousin-brothers (not "cousin-brothers" in a backwoods southern way—they are cousins raised like my brothers). He, therefore, matched my 10 girls with ease.

So instead, our wedding party will look something like this:

Image via Brocade Nashville/Photo by Phindy Studios

While some people gasp or scoff when they hear our number of attendants, I smile. I smile because we are lucky to have such a large and amazing group of people to take part in our big day. I believe there are exceptions to every "wedding rule" and that some of the time, those exceptions make for the most exceptional and memorable weddings.

Do you have a large wedding party? Do people give you a tough time or roll their eyes because of it?

<3,

Seal

Setting the Date and Quelling the Beast-Bride: A 2-Year Long Engagement

I wasn't that little girl who planned her wedding when she was eight. In fact, up until I met Mr. Seal, I was pretty convinced that I would end up an old spinster with 18 mange-ridden cats. So, that being said, even though I was (and still am) desperately excited to marry Mr. S and anxiously awaited the engagement, I was a tiny bit frightened that I didn't possess the "bride gene".

I did, however, manage to come across this picture of little me dressed as a bride—perhaps early evidence of bridal DNA?:

Once I hit 23, it seemed like more and more people I knew were getting engaged. One of my best friends (and bridesmaids) was proposed to by her long-time boyfriend, and I think that's when I warmed up to the idea that I probably would marry after all. Then I met the Sealman and it very quickly hit me that I could see myself marrying him.

I'm going to be honest in saying that the bridal porn came before the engagement. Full of shame, hiding my bare left ring finger, I snuck into bookstores and bought bridal magazine after bridal magazine. I secretly pored over them while Mr. Seal was at work and tucked them safely under the bed before he returned. And this was only the beginning.

After the engagement, we lived up on Cloud 9 for a bit. Boy was it fun up there—so in love and oblivious to all that lay ahead! As mentioned in a previous post, we were engaged in mid December, and with Christmas, New Year's Eve and a trip to Disneyland to soon follow, we weren't immediately concerned with "figuring things out". Per previous discussions, we knew that we wanted a longish engagement, and didn't feel a pressing urgency to "set the date"—plus that love cloud was pretty comfy.

Post-Engagement, Pre-Planning Love Cloud/Disneyland Break. Can you spot the Seals?:

Upon returning, I climbed back down from the love cloud and realized that, not only did I have the bride gene, I had "bride" full on pumping through my veins.

The first thing we decided was when we wanted to get married. We tossed around December of 2011 but eventually settled on a quirky date. Mr. S and I are a bit funny and competitive when it comes to time—by that I mean we call each other when it's 12:34, or 11:11 and whoever makes notice of it first is deemed the "winner" by the other and is subject to taunting. So, once we realized 11/11/11 fell on a Friday we decided to roll with it (for the record: I realized 11/11/11 was a plausible wedding date before he did...score one for me).

January of 2010 was an incredibly exciting time. I went with my Auntie Mary Ann to my first bridal fair and with Mama Seal and Maid of Honor Meghan to the second. I'll admit I got a bit obsessed with the notice a bride gets at these things—dozens of people vying for your attention and handing you champagne, telling you that your ring is THE most beautiful one they've seen today.

On my way to/at my very first wedding fair at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco:

After the second fair, I got anxious. I got tired of telling people "We're getting married November of NEXT year", and commonly getting the response, "Wow, well you've got PLENTY of time!" For some reason I suddenly didn't want plenty of time—I wanted 2010. It was as if I awakened a sleeping beast-bride version of myself—one who had been suppressed for far too long. I wanted to plan the wedding and marry Mr. Seal in 10 months and that was that. I was a fiend and a wedding was the only foreseeable fix!

Image via Wedding Planet Advice

Thankfully, my wonderful Mama and heroic Sealman pulled the bridal fair needle from my veins, slapped some water on my face and showed me the light. We were in no rush—and allotting ourselves that extra year of preparation would not only help lower stress levels, but it would extend my time as a bride. With the wedding addiction safely at bay we decided to stick with our original 11/11/11 date.

I feel safe in stating that settling on a 2-year engagement was the second best wedding-related decision we've made (second to getting married, of course). Year one has flown by in record time, and I am thoroughly enjoying every day. Sure stress occasionally rears its ugly head, but I couldn't imagine what a neurotic mess I would have been if we listened to that crazy beast-bride!

Did you opt for a long engagement and later question this decision? Did going to bridal fairs facilitate your wedding addiction?

Hugs and Kisses,

Miss Seal

(all personal photos unless stated otherwise)