Becoming the Bride: Letting Go of the Perfect Wedding (6 Months Out)
Becoming the Bride is my honest wedding planning series – part reflection, part behind-the-scenes, and all the ups and downs. It’s about finding peace in the planning, joy in the small moments, and gratitude in this season of preparing for change.
If you haven’t read the other posts in this series, you can catch up here.
I feel like I just finished my 9 months out update. I don’t know if that’s because it took me a while to write or because those 3 months went by really quickly. A little of both I bet.
At this point being a bride is my personality and I’m also a little ready to be done planning at the same time.
In my previous Becoming the Bride post I talked about embracing the not so great moments and remembering that at the end of all this M and I will be married and that’s all that matters. The past few months have really put that to the test. I’ve seen a lot about planning a wedding bringing out the worst in people and sadly, I’ve seen it first hand. Personal life and family relationships have been challenging and I haven’t really felt like I could enjoy wedding planning with everything going on.
I’m feeling more stressed (sometimes on the verge of panic) than I probably should about little things and the things that don’t need to happen for a couple months yet. I remind myself that there is still plenty of time and between myself and the coordinator, everything will get done.
We’re really happy with all the choices we’ve made and I know we’ll have a fabulous wedding. But, I’m working on letting go of the idea of the “perfect wedding season”. With all of the stress it just hasn’t been as fun and honestly, I don’t feel like making decisions right now. I never expected to have everything be perfect but I do know I’ll be sad that I spent so much of the planning not enjoying it. So, I’m letting go of the idea that it was supposed to be joyful and that those closest to us would help make it a special time. When I look back I’ll know that we did the best we could, made the most of it, and found joy together.
As I write this, we’re officially a few weeks past the six-month mark. Here’s where things stand right now:
Timeline
Started Clear Skin Journey (December 2025) – I forgot to mention this in my last post. I started the Face Reality program with a local esthetician. I’m still doing it and plan to even after the wedding. Over the last year/year and a half I started getting a lot of acne (which always leaves scars) and have been trying to get it under control. It seems a lot of it was due to supplements I was taking – I stopped taking everything and my skin seemed to calm down a lot. I’ve incorporated a few new things since but avoid ingredients that are known to clog pores and cause acne. My esthetician has been really helpful with learning all of this information. I’m trying not to put pressure on myself to look “perfect” for my wedding. After all, it is only one event. But, I’ve been frustrated with my skin and if I can get it under control before I have tons of pictures taken that will be displayed for the rest of my life I’d love to.
Chose our wedding bands February 2026 – M is really excited about his band which is so fun.
Picked Up Bridal Accessories February 2026 – not really a significant event but 2 of the ladies in my Bride’s Crew came with me and we made it into a girls night with dinner after.
Food Tasting March 2026 – To be honest, we were having some doubts about the food but the tasting blew us away. Everything was really tasty. And we got to go through the timeline, make some decisions, and see the space set up for an event. We are obsessed with our reception venue so we love being there, especially when we can envision what our day will look like.
M got fitted for a suit March 2026 – I’m out of my element with men’s clothing and suits. So, this was a cool experience for me. M had a good time, too, and is really happy with what he picked out. It may not be the norm for the 2 of us to go together but it’s what worked for us. Plus, we got to have lunch at a fun new place afterward.
M officially joined the Catholic Church April 2026 – This process was so special. I was able to attend most of the OCIA classes with him and be his sponsor for confirmation. The priest that will marry us led the classes so it was great to see a different side of him and get to know him better. And the Easter Vigil was beautiful!
Currently (and still!) working on:
- Making our way through marriage prep classes for church
- Picking invite design
- Dates for Bridal shower and Bachelorette Party
Up Next:
- 2nd engagement shoot – M’s sister is a photographer and took engagement photos as a gift last fall. Next month we’re having another shoot with our wedding photographer so that we can get used to her and she can see what we like. Plus we’ll have more images to use for decor!
- Cake tasting
- Bridal Shower
- Bachelorette Party
Things I’m overthinking:
- Narrowing down hairstyle, shoes, and jewelry for me
- Wedding nails
Things we (still) aren’t sure about yet:
- Speeches (at the reception)
- Dances (at the reception – like father-daughter and mother-son)
- Our wedding/first dance song (why is this so hard?)
Things that are done:
- All vendors are booked
- Wedding bands have been picked up
- Decided on plated meals and had our tasting
I can’t believe we have less than 6 months until we’re married! And again the feeling of panic sets in – haha.
Becoming the Bride is teaching me to trust the process and choose peace over perfection. If you haven’t read my other posts in this series, be sure to do so here.
If you’re in a season where things feel uncertain, slow, or not fully figured out I hope this encourages you to take it one step at a time and enjoy what you can.
If you want to follow along as I plan, cry, and celebrate this new chapter, make sure you’re subscribed – I’ll be sharing more updates and maybe a few photos when the big day comes.
Was any of this relatable? Share your wedding planning experience in the comments!
