At a party friends held on Saturday night for our upcoming nuptials, someone asked me if I was ‘ready.’

I laughed.

My challenge, I told them, was that I was trying to think of the things I’d missed that I hadn’t thought of doing yet but, because I hadn’t thought of doing them, how could I think of them?

I can’t do what I don’t know needs doing.

We go through life desperately wanting to be prepared for everything. We make our lists, organize and sort and prepare for what we think we need to do or have or be in order to not be surprised by what happens next.

And then life happens in all its unexpected, glorious unpredictability. Life happens.

Yet, again and again, we keep looking to be prepared for everything, even the things we don’t know might happen or could happen simply because we are not in control of LIFE.

Everything I have read about wedding planning states, “Always have a Plan B”. In particular, if it is an outdoor wedding, have a Plan B in case it’s raining.

Our Plan B is to hold it under the tent and then quickly, after the ceremony, set the tent up for the reception.

Good Plan.

But…

Here’s the one I forgot to think about, and one none of the articles I’ve read on being prepared for everything and anything have mentioned either.

That’s great for the ceremony, but what about the photos?

I don’t have a Plan B for the photos if it’s raining.

And I wouldn’t have thought of needing one if I hadn’t been asked the question Saturday night, “Are you ready?”

Yesterday, I spent the day working on making sure I’d thought of everything — even the things I haven’t figured out I need to think about yet. I have my binder all set-up. I have samples of all the various pieces we’ll have at the wedding, from the signage to the thank-you gift tags to the wishing tree tags all within one folder in my binder.

I’ve got a list of all the things we need to take with us, from the decorations to the centrepieces to the string and fishing wire and duct tape we’ll need to hang and decorate the tent.  I’ve started to load things into big plastic tubs and pile together what I still need to use but will be taking with us.

Yesterday, C.C. and I met with our dear friend AJ who will be performing the ceremony. We went through the script and now I’ve got it all typed up and ready to go off to the Marriage Commissioner who is required by BC law to be in attendance. We wouldn’t want to get married and not have it official!

And then, as I was lying in bed this morning thinking about what I might not yet have thought about, I realized, I’d forgotten to ask AJ to ensure he mentions who the Marriage Commissioner is. While she won’t be saying anything, she does need to be acknowledged.

Back to the script to make another edit.

And so it goes.

There are a thousand and one moving parts to any event and while I may have thought of most things, there will inevitably be those I just haven’t considered if only because I don’t know to consider them!

Like life.

I don’t always know what’s going to happen next, but, what happens next doesn’t need to take me down if I am grounded in my one true self, standing true to my commitment to take every step, no matter the weather, in love.

Ultimately, that is what our wedding is all about. Love. It is a public testament of who we are as individuals, a couple and a family with our children standing beside us.

I may not think of everything before the big day. It doesn’t matter. Every step of this journey has been taken with the one ingredient that will ensure the day is sparkling and exciting and a beautiful reflection of what we share deep within our hearts. While we may need Plan Bs and maybe even Cs if the unexpected happens or the weather does what the weather might do, what we want most to share with our families and friends, to embrace them and envelop them as we come together is to say, no matter what life brings us, we can get through anything when we stand in LOVE.

When we stand together, love is all we need to weather any storm.

When we hold only love between us, nothing in the world can come between us or pull us apart.

When we give only love, only love is what we receive, no matter the weather or how many things are left undone.

When we create all our plans in Love, Love is all we need. Love is always the answer.

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And a huge, huge call out to Jane and Jackie and Tamara for organizing Saturday night’s wonderful party — in the excitement I forgot all about taking photos!  (hopefully someone will send me some and I can post them tomorrow to share all the festivities with you!) Also, thank you to my dear friend Wendy who pitched in to help set up and who was/is so incredibly generous in everything she does and gives. And to all who came to wish us well. You have added more joy to my already over-brimming with joy heart!  Thank you.