People my age (and younger) are getting married. That’s a thing. It’s always been a thing. My mother got married at 23. As did my Lola, my father’s mother. At 23, my Nana, my mother’s mother had been married to my Tata for a year. My best friend Kimberly (Kim, Kimy, Kimy-Dee-Dah), also 23, has been married for a year, and today is her wedding anniversary.
First off, congratulations to the Joys! I can’t believe it’s been a year since your wedding, Kimy! It’s been a year since all of us ladies in your wedding party sat and ate pizza around your parents’ dining room table before church, a year since I realized your ceremony was *surprise!* entirely in Spanish, and a year since I assumed the role of your maid of honor and all the responsibilities that came with it.
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Being a maid of honor was such a special, well, honor. Especially to be Kim’s maid of honor, my best friend since high school. It’s funny, because my parents were among the first of their families and friends to get married and have a daughter. So by default, I was everyone’s flower girl as a youngin’. Fast forward and I was a junior bridesmaid once, and fast forward a little bit more, and boom! I was a maid of honor (because I mean, once you’re a maid of honor, being a bridesmaid is a breeze, right?)
For the most part, I have to say that I enjoyed being a maid of honor. I enjoy planning things. When it comes to projects, I’m an Executor. I know how to make things happen. Also, what girl doesn’t like working on Pinterest projects?? Being a maid of honor was a *little* stressful at times, sure, but it was all part of the experience, and I definitely learned a lot.
I mean, before Kimy’s wedding, the only things I really knew about being a maid a honor I knew from a favorite childhood movie of mine, My Best Friend’s Wedding and the 2011 classic film, Bridesmaids. Needless to say, I referenced a few other sources to make sure I fulfilled this role as best as I could, and I think I made a pretty darn good maid of honor, if I do say so myself.
As a maid of honor, the most important lesson I learned was to be prepared for anything, including:
- the groom crashing the bachelorette party
- splurging on a room in the most expensive hotel in the city for bachelorette party fun, because how many times does your best friend get married?
- the week leading up to the wedding being a lot like finals week: no sleep and lots and lots of coffee
- getting hit on by the bride’s teenage relative
- a torrential downpour the evening of the outdoor rehearsal dinner
- having to write thank you letters, pack the bride’s suitcase for the honeymoon, and create the playlist for the reception
- stepping in to be the DJ and MC for the wedding reception (“I need all the single ladies on the dance floor for the bride’s bouquet toss!!!”)
- trying not to cry every five seconds throughout the day so instead, absolutely losing it after your speech at the reception in front of 150+ guests
- feeling overwhelmingly happy, sad, sentimental, joyful, and so much love all at once for the bride, groom, the whole wedding party… weddings just give ya all the feels.
So all in all, I’d say my best friend’s wedding was one for the books. To play such a meaningful part in their wedding was really special.
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JACKIEXPLORES 