Bridal Brain

This is your brain:
This is your brain on weddings:Seriously, I think there might be studies on this. There are studies on a lot more stupid things, so there must be. I think there should be a disease called Bridal Brain (or something much more clever). Something happens to us the moment we get engaged. (I'm going to generalize here and say that all brides are like this, but really I think it's a certain type of bride. One that wants to plan her own wedding I think would really sum it up. If you don't care about the small details and don't want to plan your own, you'll obviously be in a very different mindset.) The world seems to stop. You can't work, can't sleep, can't do anything... without thinking about your wedding. And just because in my case it's mostly about the decor because I'm crazy like that, doesn't mean the same doesn't happen to other people who are more worried about the guest list, the food, etc. The disease is brutal, and causes you to bring up your wedding like it's some guy you've just started dating.

You'll be in the middle of a conversation about hotdogs*

which makes you think of pigs in a blanket
which then makes you think of hors d'oeuvreswhich then makes you think of weddingswhich then makes you bring up something unrelated about your wedding

Does this drive the non-engaged person in the conversation insane? Probably. No matter what the conversation topic, somehow the engaged person's brain always finds some way to relate it to their wedding. We just can't get it off our minds. We can't help it. It's a disease I tell you. BUT, if you are anything like me, it will happen to you someday and you'll see just what I'm talking about. Remember now, when you're getting annoyed by yet another wedding reference by your friend, that this will (more than likely) be you someday. I'm being completely truthful when I say it is NOT (for most people at least) about always talking about yourself and being the center of attention (or being a one upper). It may look like that, but really it's not. Wedding stuff is just always on the brain and so if there's any sort of connection to a present conversation, our brain will make it.

I'm a planner. I plan things down to the tiny details. Some people don't, so they don't get why you're so worried about those tiny details, especially so far from the big day. I like to focus on the tiny details first, as a matter of fact, specifically to get them out of the way. I'm sorry if I'm driving some of you crazy. I didn't realize I was driving anyone crazy but myself. I actually was under the illusion that I was making things pretty easy for everyone (again, except for myself). As a matter of fact, it comes as a shock to me that I'm not. I guess even me talking about my own stress bothers others. I'll try to keep it to myself from now on. I think the only person to whom I can truly relate right now is my bridesmaid Amanda, because she's planning her own wedding and is very much like me in that every detail must be covered. I actually aspire to be more like her as a bride-to-be because she's basically DONE since she started everything so early, and she's still got 4 months to go.

Oh yeah, and another side effect of this disease? You start to forget lots of things because, lo and behold, your wedding is taking up too much room in your brain. So while on the outside, you may look the same as you always have, on the inside you're not paying attention to that meeting you're in because (somehow) the carpet inspired you of a way to do your centerpieces (making this up, I didn't really get inspired by carpet... not yet at least).

Anyway... I hope this will at least provide a heads up to those who are yet to be engaged. This is what you're in for. Planning your own wedding is extremely stressful - and may strain relationships and cause memory loss.

-C
xxx

*You would NOT believe how many dirty pictures come up in a google search for "hot dog". Seriously people??