Stress

20090415_erikbrooke_0016-edit

Wedding planning has been easier than I thought it would be.  Our families have been supportive and extremely helpful, and friends have pitched in and done more for us than we ever could have expected.  It's enough to make a grown man get a little emotional when he stops to really think about it. But even when wedding planning goes well, it's still stressful. In many ways, the planning process has been like a mini marriage boot camp. For the first time we're spending a large amount of money as a team with different ideas of how to go about it.  We're working closely with each other's families to make decisions that also affect them.  And we're working closely with each other to make sure our different personalities are part of one cohesive event.  After eight months of planning, I think we're better listeners, better at making ourselves heard, and better partners.  The process has also exposed some areas we need to work on : )When I proposed, I could have been talked into eloping.  But at this point I think that would have missed an important opportunity.  The experience has been worth every penny (a whole bunch of pennies), and we haven't even danced at the reception yet.Below, Brooke takes a moment after making a call to confirm our flower order.  One of many little things on our big to-do list).