2 More Things I’ve Learnt From Planning A Wedding (Almost Time!)

Far out, where has the time gone eh guys?

I was so pumped up this morning – get this done, tick that off, do this, forget that, tick, tick, tick.

ANNNNND typical as it is – the day got the better of me.

Amazing how each day flies by. Time is so precious.

That’s exactly how it feels like with the wedding.

Admittedly, MrsFrugalSamurai-to-be and I came in pretty late with the whole planning thing.

After all, I’ve been to weddings – they seem easy to do right?

Grab a bunch of people together in a picturesque location, say some words, hey presto, next couple please… oh what’s that? A party? Heck yeah – where’s the party, I’m up for a party, let’s party WOOOO!

Sadly, the reality has been somewhat different.

Luckily, the expectation has been spot on.

A shitload of stress, some nervy moments and all in all a hard slog to the finish line.

The good news is that the big day is fast approaching and before you know it we’ll be well and truly behind it, can’t wait!

The bad news is that there’s still a fair number of items to be ticked off.

But just you wait, those suckers will get their comeuppance.

As I continue the wedding series countdown, yes it’s a count-down, here’s 2 more learnings I’ve taken away from planning the wedding so far (you can read about the previous ones here).

Organizing is hard.

“Are you coming?”

“You’re coming right?”

“Just confirming you’re coming?”

Have you tried to organize a meeting with your friends which involved more than 3 participants?

I’ve witnessed MrsFrugalSamurai-to-be when she did:

MrsFS: “Hey, when are you guys free?”

Friend 1: “Say 1pm?”

Friend 2: “I finish work at 5pm, will join you guys then.”

6:30 pm

Friend 2: “I’ve just finished work, where are you guys?”

MrsFS: “We’re still deciding what time to meet.”

FACE PALM.

As for myself, I’m more of a “organize and I will come” kind of guy – as in, you organize and I may or may not come depending on the location, who’s going, the mood, alignment of the stars, Feng Shui and general state of the planet at said time.

You can imagine how much reluctance and trepidation we felt when we sat down properly to go through the guest list.

Lucky we had the wedding planner to keep us accountable – without them we’d be still deciding on the date.

Now we just have to follow-up the invites, organize the seating arrangements, cater to special requests and… what’s that Mum? You want an extra 40 invites??? ARGH!

Lesson: Make sure you have your guest list done early, doubly make sure your parents have their guest list done much earlier – believe me, parents are like children, give them an invite or two and before you know, every second auntie or uncle you’ve heard, seen, talked, smelt and touched (not that kind) is coming.

You’re out of your comfort zone.

As a guy, you generally tend to stay within your circle of comfort, and that circle of comfort mostly revolves around things guys have grown up with: friends, sports, alcohol and food – have fun with your work mates? Tick, I can do that. Off to Thailand and Malaysia with your close buddies? Yep, can do.

A wedding though, takes us men to places where we have yet to venture…

I’ve been bombarded with a line of questioning which is certainly different: “Should we learn the Rumba?” “What about picking the colour of Geraniums?” “Hey, should we have a string quartet or a jazz duo?” “Ooo Ooo what about Candelabras?”

Ummm….

You’re asked your opinion and thoughts on matters which you’ve never had an opinion nor thought about before.

But you have to roll with it right – nothing the good Doctor Google can’t fix.

Guys – a bit of advice, if your lady values Candelabras and asks for your opinion (as an example), you better have something to contribute.

Gals – a bit of advice, if your man attempts to contribute to the topic of Candelabras, then you’ve found yourself a good man.

In fact, similarly to shopping for the diamond ring, I came out of this experience as “a bit of an expert” on Candelabras.

Fact: Candelabras originated as a Latin word for candles which wore bras during the Renaissance period, but unfortunately they became extinct due to the “Great Wax Famine” of 1506. True story. Happened to a friend of a friend of mine.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s been an amazing experience learning, planning and sharing this journey together with MrsFrugalSamurai-to-be. I would like to say that the workload has been fairly even but unfortunately that would be incorrect. Love you babe.

Lesson: More for the men than the ladies, but planning a wedding is where you will have to step outside of your comfort zone and learn about a whole new world, a dazzling place you never knew. Please also be mindful that your lady is most likely going through a time of great stress so speak softly and be gentle, otherwise a saucepan to the face may be coming your way.

This will most likely be the second last post on the wedding series. The big day is next month so stay tuned for the next update! Been great fun and I’ll be sad when the planning’s all over (NOT).

P.S. I may or may not be on a hiatus from posting until the end of the month. My buddies have decided to arrange a bucks trip to Thailand and Malaysia and we leave this Friday.

I’m already expecting the worst from these bunch of clowns and will either provide live updates whilst there or report back on our adventures, so if I don’t get a chance to post – hope to see you all when I return!

P.P.S The world lost a great man today with the passing of Stephen Hawking. What he has achieved, what he has left behind and what legacy remains is testament to an individual with a unique ability to strive for continued learning and development of mankind. R.I.P.

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