Bridezilla returns

Ding dong the bells are going to chime

Aug 25, 2021

If you follow me on Twitter, then you’ll know that we’re getting married next week. We were very lucky that this random date we picked in August ‘21 turned out okay with regards to COVID, and we haven’t had to deal with the misfortune that many other couples have faced with restrictions causing them to have to reschedule - often more than once.

Getting married was never something that really bothered me. Growing up, I wasn’t 100% sold on the success of marriage as an institution (probably says something about my upbringing). And I always thought if I had the money to spend on a wedding, I’d probably invest it in something else.

Getting engaged

However, back in 2018, Craig popped the question on the beach in Whitley Bay: the big words written in the sand, it was very romantic - and the only video footage I have of my Mam, so it turned out to be an incredibly special moment in our lives together. You can watch it below, warning: it’s super cringy.

Two weeks after getting engaged, we hopped on a plane to Thailand and then spent the next seven months travelling South East Asia and eventually Australia. When we came home, it was because my Mam was sick and, when she eventually died, the idea of getting married without her there was inconceivable.

Planning a wedding wasn’t on my agenda at all. I was focusing on building a business, raising a difficult furry child (hi Potter) and navigating the very sudden loss of a parent.

Then the pandemic hit, and we moved into our tiny house. I realised it was okay to think about the future, and that doesn’t take anything away from the past. At the two year anniversary of my Mam’s passing (April), I decided it was time to start sorting things out - and that included the wedding.

I made some phone calls and picked the venue, we didn’t face availability issues because A. we were happy to tie the knot on a weekday and B. we are doing it “on the cheap” so we didn’t end up competing with other couples for a slot at one of the many popular venues in the North East.

I have nothing against couples who decide on the traditional route, be it a church ceremony or manor house wedding, they look absolutely amazing and I love seeing photos on my feed from these spectacular days. When we decided to get married, we talked about our must-haves, nice-to-haves and absolutely-nots and created a day that fit us to a tee. It might not be in keeping with what people ‘expect’ (especially older generations) but, at the end of the day, it’s wedding season right now and there’s space for every kind of union.

Bridezilla strikes again

And that brings me to the… reptilian(?) in the room… The Bridezilla. I posted about this on Twitter earlier in the week as I found myself veering from my natural state of “totally chilled” into “stressed-out control freak” at the prospect of my Mother-in-Law (whom I love dearly) purchasing some banners to decorate our venue without my consent.

There are some things I don’t care about and design isn’t one of them. I’ve hand-drawn a welcome sign, which features our dogs, painted small table settings and even built our wedding website… all in my own style. The banners don’t fit with my scheme and, even though they were provided with no malcontent or malice at all, they sent me into a downward spiral.

I’m sure I’ve been guilty of throwing around the word “Bridezilla” before but now, having been jokingly called one by Craig, I realise that the “Bridezilla” is a term better left in 2020 along with Zoom quizzes and Donald Trump.

That’s all from me this week, whether there will be a newsletter next week remains to be seen. I suspect I won’t be able to resist breaking the cycle, as I am a sucker for routine.

See you all on the other side!

🎥 Moonlight (Prime Rental) - I’m aware I am five years late to the party but, wow… what a film! An incredible depiction of a young black man growing up gay in Miami. Highly recommend it if you have also let this one pass you by.

📺 Invincible (Prime) - If you liked The Boys, you’ll love this.

🎧 Vistas - What Were You Hoping to Find? - Spotify recommended me this indie Scottish trio and, I’ve got to admit, this album is a bop.

Enjoyed this? You might like these past issues:

18 August: Find your zen

10 August: The fear factor

3 August: You shall not pass

28 July: Recharging your mental battery

21 July: How much is too much to share

14 July: We’ve got to talk about Twitter

7 July: Meet my poison parrot

30 June: Memes are the best medicine

23 June: Backup plan