In which I explain my desire to skip the pomp and circumstance.

Seth and I have decided to get married! We've also decided to opt out of a traditional/church wedding in favor of a judge and a courthouse. A lot of people we know seem confused and even a little upset about our choice to skip the big, fancy ceremony. Story of my life: something that seems practical and makes perfect sense to me bewilders those around me. The actual ceremony and wedding are a very big deal in our current culture and society. People stress out and fight and spend their life savings for one day. Been there. Done that. Yada yada.

For many couples, they can lose sight of the fact that they're entering into a marriage and not just a big foofy party and happily ever after. I don't want to discredit the tradition of wedding ceremonies! For some couples it's a great way to publicly declare their love and commitment in front of "god", their friends and family. I've been witness to some very sincere and genuine nuptials over the years where the groom wasn't hung over from the bachelor party and the bride wasn't preoccupied with place settings. But guys... I've been married before.

I wore the poofy white dress. I carried the bouquet. I said the vows. And in hindsight, with the ridiculous marriage of two stunted children as a glaring reminder, I've come to realize something - the wedding itself just isn't important to me. Seth and I have already been sharing our lives together as a family for nearly four years. I'm ready to focus on the marriage and the future.