and then as I set my fork down on the table I looked across the table and saw momma cover her face with her hands….. and the floodgates opened.  We were both in tears. It was the type of crying that you can’t control. It was as if the reality of what was about to happen just hit me like a ton of bricks. Of course I was THRILLED to be getting married! We were all SO excited about the wedding and our new life together… but that is the hard part… I was starting a new life. My “Home” would be an hour away from the little country crossroads where I grew up and I would be starting a new family of my own! I wouldn’t be coming home from college for Christmas Break and momma would never do my laundry again.  My room would become the guest room and my last name wouldn’t be the same.  All of these little things what were about to change were overwhelming!

.

As we sat at the dinner table in tears, all I remember saying in between sobs is that “I can’t CRY, my eyes will be puffy for my PICTURES!!!”.  Momma pulled herself together, Daddy hugged us and laughed a little (he always laughs when we have super, over-the-top emotional moments… I’m glad he laughs because if he cried too….I would have REALLY fallen apart!) and I immediately got an ice pack to put on my eyes so that they wouldn’t be puffy for Jasmine!  We sat back down at the table and finished our last family dinner together. I felt good. Crying felt good. I needed to cry!  From that moment on, I was fine. I didn’t freak out, I didn’t break down…. I handled the stress and our wedding day was beautiful. Of course there were some mini-moments of chaos but I felt calm. That 20minutes of crying was healthy and I highly recommend that other brides have one GOOD breakdown before the big day!!  That probably sounds crazy but I’ve seen it happen so many times. Brides try to hold it together and then the wedding day comes and it’s just too much and they crack! This whole post was written to reassure brides that falling apart and letting it all out is actually REALLY beneficial and totally NORMAL!!

.

So if you’re planning a wedding and it’s getting closer and you’re feeling overwhelmed…. it’s ok. Weddings are stressful… especially if you have high expectations and a MILLION little details like I did.  When you get to that place where it’s just TOO MUCH….sit down with your mom, MOH, sister… I don’t care who! …. Just sit down and cry a little. From one bride to another… you’ll feel so much better afterwards! Promise! And the ONLY reason I’m posting this picture is because my blog is like my personal scrapbook….and I don’t want to forget this. Of course I would have a PICTURE of me balling my eyes out. Please notice my sweet, best friend Caroline sitting beside me…. she’s going to kill me when she sees this! ha! And my brother probably had half a biscuit in his mouth and that’s why he’s running out of the picture… and then there’s me…. trying to stop the tears! This is real life at it’s finest and I love it. What a beautiful weekend that was… tears and all!!!!! Have a wonderful Wednesday!!