My wish for you—when you look back at those photos—is for you to think:

• Look at how relaxed I was. Fully present in the moment. Basking in it. Soaking it in. I was not saturated in stress.

• My shoes and dress were comfortable enough for dancing. My beauty radiated out of me; it was not applied to me.

• I got to spend quality time with my friends and family. I was myself, not a show. In fact, I was my fullest expression of self.

• I do not remember whether the invitations were letterpress or whether the flowers at the ceremony were the same ones at the reception.

• The wedding favors or the fanciness of the food did not make memories. The sincerity did. The connection did. The time together did.

• It did not matter whether every last detail conformed to the signature colors. Instead of saying, “What a beautiful bouquet,” the guests said, “What a beautiful love.”

This is my wish to you, dear brides, as you pore over wedding magazines and read daily blogs. Some of it matters. Most of it does not. Casting your net in the wrong direction will most surely mean you miss the things you most dearly want to catch.

Am I a cheesy dork for wanting to buy this…?

Mindy Weiss Bride Pajama Top in White

It looks so comfy and soft – perfect for wedding-day-getting-ready-time, right?

…right??