JP REYNOLDS WEDDING BLOG!

How To Stay Sane While Planning for Your Wedding!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Being A Groom

I recently met with a couple and the groom really impressed me. . .he knew how long they’ve been together (!) and he had clear thoughts about what he wanted the ceremony to be about and he even knew the color of the groomsmen’s bowties!

I always remind a couple that a wedding is their celebration of their life together and that it is not the bride’s coronation. I feel disappointed when a groom shrugs his shoulders, smiles, and says, “whatever she wants is fine with me.” No! That’s not what this is about. Granted, a groom doesn’t have to go to the florist, but. . .

Michael, the groom in this photo, worked with his bride, Melody, in creating their wedding day. And as corny as it sounds, the satisfaction and joy and so much more of all that “work” is what this photo captures.

You can hear me talk more about grooms and their weddings by going to Get Married at:

http://getmarried.com

Sunday, January 23, 2011

What Love Is All About




Another thought from THE HAPPINESS PROJECT. . .


“I’ve never forgotten something I read in college, by Pierre Reverdy: ‘There is no love; there are only proofs of love.’ Whatever love I might feel in my heart, others will see only in my actions.”


Hmm. . . Good words to keep in mind as you think you’re going to lose your mind from all the stress of planning!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Welcoming Love




MY LOVE
~ Linda Lee Elrod ~
When I met you, I had no idea
how much my life
was about to be changed...
but then, how could I have known?

A love like ours happens
once in a lifetime.
You were a miracle to me,
the one who was everything
I had ever dreamed of,
the one I thought existed
only in my imagination.

And when you came into my life,
I realized that what I
had always thought
was happiness
couldn't compare to the joy
loving you brought me.

You are a part of everything
I think and do and feel,
and with you by my side,
I believe that anything is possible.
(this day) gives me a chance
to thank you for the miracle of you...
you are, and always will be,
the love of my life.


This poem was read at a wedding I officiated.  The bride was fifty years old.  Long ago she had resigned herself to the "fact" that she would never marry.  And then, along came the man who is now her husband.  They reminded me that all things are possible for those who keep their hearts open to love. . .

Monday, January 10, 2011

Desperately Romantic


“I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

When Harry Met Sally

Thursday, January 6, 2011

How To Be Happy While Planning Your Wedding


Over the holidays, while blizzard-bound in NYC, I read “The Happiness Project.” It is Gretchen Rubin’s accounting of what she did during the course of a year to expand her ability to take pleasure and happiness in her life. She has some wonderful musings on marriage, commitment, and love.
While this passage speaks to her marriage, it also speaks to what you need to keep in mind as you plan your wedding.

"When thinking about happiness in marriage, you may have an almost irresistible impulse to focus on your spouse, to emphasize how he or she should change in order to boost your happiness. But the fact is, you can’t change anyone but yourself. A friend told me that her “marriage mantra” was, “I love Leo, just as he is.” I love Jamie just as he is. I can’t make him do a better job of doing household chores, I can only stop myself from nagging—and that makes me happier. When you give up expecting a spouse to change (within reason), you lessen anger and resentment, and that creates a more loving atmosphere in a marriage."

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!





“What marriages work the best? The ones where partners acknowledge, validate and appreciate each other continuously.”


While the above quote applies to couples married, it also applies to couples engaged—especially those who are actively planning their wedding.

On this first day of the new year, I encourage you to be kind with each other as you make your way through the wacky world of wedding planning.

How you treat each other during this time is how you will treat each other the time after your wedding. Your life together has already begun.

I wish you a happy new year—a year of new blessings, new happiness, new dreams.

Cheers!