The Q: I know this is going to be a strange question but you have such great advice for everyone, I thought I'd give it a go. Two months ago my boyfriend asked me to marry him and I enthusiastically said YES. Shortly after this though, my mind started spinning as I thought of all the planning and preparation we would need to do for the wedding and reception. Over the last few years I have had an unhealthy amount of family responsibilities and for the first time in my adult life I have some time to myself. Thinking of all the wedding plans started to really stress me out. When I discussed this with my fiance, he immediately offered to take on most of the planning duties which I thought was funny and cute and awesome. I accepted and immediately felt better. I thought the problem was solved except that now several of my friends have started commenting that it doesn't make any sense for me to miss out on the "fun" of planning a wedding. One friend of mine even told me that it was mean of me to give those responsibilities to my fiance. On top of that, they are all pressing me about who I will have as my Maid of Honor, etc... I feel like a bad bride but I don't think I have the energy to be what my friends would consider a good bride. Help!
The A: Bad Bride, don't let people get you down. You aren't bad at all actually. Not everyone finds joy in planning all of the details of their "big day". In fact, that is sometimes why people hire us! If your fiance is into the details of how to make the day come together and doesn't seem burdened by the process, I don't see anything wrong with this reversal of typical gender roles in the wedding planning process. Honestly, no reason at all to feel badly. Tell your friends and nay sayers that millions of grooms out there have no idea whats going on with their wedding plans, and no one says anything to them. It's your party with your fiance, other people's opinions aren't really of issue here. The important part is that you were excited to MARRY this great guy. Often that gets lost in the process of planning a wedding. Good luck to you and enjoy the surprises you find on your big day.