Taking online quizzes to see which wedding theme is right for me, browsing gorgeous gowns online and updating color swatches on my wedding Pinterest—I was born ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one teensy, tiny snag getting in the way of me getting hitched: I don’t yet have a groom. Still, if you think that’s stopping me planning the finer details of the wedding of the century, think again.
- I’ve always wanted a white wedding. It may not be on every modern woman’s agenda, but getting married matters hugely to me. I’ve dreamed of that special day of bringing friends and family together to celebrate since I attended my first wedding and started wondering when it would happen to me. I love making a fuss of birthdays and Christmas, but a wedding is something else. I can’t wait to start planning the best day of my life.
- I’m a traditionalist at heart. Okay, okay, I won’t exactly be a virgin bride, but I love the tradition that a wedding stands for. The idea of declaring your love for someone to a bunch of your closest friends and family seems so important while we fret about what’s happening on a global scale. My wedding will be the ultimate in tradition: in church, massive white cake, I might even wear a garter.
- Is it creepy to have read all the magazines, but still not know your groom? Nothing brings me greater pleasure than flicking through magazines filled with wedding favors and table centerpieces. Most people that I let into my wedding fever secret find it slightly crazy, but as if my groom will really care whether my bridesmaids’ dresses are burgundy or powder pink. There’s no harm in some sneaky undercover wedding planning, and I want to get excited about my future right now!
- Weddings are a girl thing. Men just don’t get the excitement of weddings. Sure, they have to propose and do the speech, but they don’t buy into all the finishing touches that make a day truly special. My wedding will be the beginning of my life with someone else, as a person with a whole new identity, so the least I can do is celebrate it properly! Most of my girlfriends are as single as me, but that won’t stop us laying the foundations for a fabulous party five years down the line.
- I know which friends I’d ask to be bridesmaids. I’ve had the key players at my wedding earmarked for several years now. I know the people I want to be there when I’m trying on dresses, and whose face I want to see smiling encouragement when I’m walking down the aisle. Weddings are a family affair, and I’d never dream of eloping off somewhere where my loved ones couldn’t join in the occasion. The only person left to invite is the groom!
- To me, getting married is the ultimate commitment. People see marriage as old-fashioned, but I say those people just aren’t prepared to put in the hard work that marriage requires. In an age of throwing away yesterday’s stuff in the blink of an eye, marriage can seem like a scarily huge commitment. Personally, I want the certainty to know that, whatever happens in the future, I’ll have someone standing by my side to share it with.
- I’m ready to share my life with someone. I’m tired of wasting my time dating only for it to continuously lead nowhere. I’m ready to be with someone long term, and I’m not afraid to tell people. Getting married, for me, is a lot about the big day, but it’s even more about what comes next. I can’t wait to start the next chapter of my life with someone special.
- Guys mature so much later, so best to plan without them. A woman can know she’s ready to get married in her early twenties, but it can take guys a whole decade to catch up. Having an idea of my dream wedding will make it so much easier to plan when I do meet the one. When a guy finally decides he’s ready to settle down, I don’t want to be wasting another year going through sample buffet menus!
- I can’t wait to walk down the aisle to my future husband. Getting married is so important to me, and I can’t wait to start living what I’ve dreamed of since I was little. I’ve been planning so long I have a really clear vision and can feel exactly what the day will be like—the only time things get blurry is when I try to imagine the groom!
- I’ll hold off on the invites for now. Okay, so I love a wedding, but I’m not quite obsessed enough to book a venue just yet. I’m still waiting for the right groom to come along, but when he does, I know he’ll fit into my plan just perfectly.
