This past Friday, June 21st of 2024, Meghan and I got married.

I know some people thought it would never happen. That I couldn’t do it. That you have to have a certain level of intelligence, looks, maturity, and general ability to pull something like this off. But I can confirm you need none of that.

The wedding itself was awesome, everything we hoped it would be. The ceremony and reception were at Philadelphia Distilling which is an awesome venue. We were a little worried about the space because we had a lot of people and given that it 95 degrees when everyone arrived, we figured not many would use the outside area. But ultimately, it ended up being perfect.

Here’s an inside scoop on what the wedding day is like for someone getting married.

• The Guest List. First and foremost, the guest list is undoubtedly the most stressful decision you have to make. There are people you used to be close with that you’re not anymore. There are people you’re close to now that you weren’t a year ago. Picking and choosing within a finite space is extremely difficult and I really fault no one for guest list snubs because it’s a fucking nightmare going through it.
• Pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. Thousands. I remember being jealous at weddings that the bride and groom got to run off for a little and have this cool private time for pics. And for a minute it is cool, but there is just so much to do. You forget how to smile after a certain point. The photographer honestly becomes your guide through the first like two hours of it. In the end though, it’s worth it, but in the moment, it’s a lot.
• PRIVATE Ceremony. Our ceremony had only our immediate families. For us, this was the way to go. Logistically way easier and just made the moment more… intimate? Special?
• Vows. Meghan and I wrote & read our own vows to each other. I wouldn’t say I was nervous to read them, but once I started, I basically blacked out for three minutes until they were done. I thought I’d feel some sort of… awareness that other people were watching me, but I really didn’t. They were great though, I recommend doing your own vows!
• ALL THE PLANNING. This could, and may well be, an entire post in itself, but the amount of planning / decisions that have to be made for one wedding is insane. And this is coming from the guy who did like 10% of the overall planning, I can’t imagine how Meghan feels about this. And then, the next day, it’s literally all done. All the emails back and forth, the phone calls, the food, the money, it’s all just done, never to be worried over again.

• One minute conversations. When there are 130 people, and you have to say hi to all of them in a span of 2-3 hours, that’s like a minute a person. Honestly I feel bad afterward knowing that some friends and family traveled to the wedding and I spoke no more than 10 words to them. That is just part of the job description though.
• Are people having fun. There is nothing more anxiety inducing than the dance floor not really taking off at your wedding. It was like a fire, it would catch a little then die out. We’d get a good song that people liked, then one that was so-so. You can’t just play Mr. Brightside for three hours (you actually probably could and it would be awesome). So the main thing going through your mind when it’s all said and done is “Did people have fun?!“. Seemingly they did, but who knows.
• It’s hard to drink. You’re making the rounds, on and off the dance floor, doing the cake cutting, there’s a line for the bar, etc. It is pretty hard to settle down for a drink. I would guess during the actual reception I had… four drinks? This was a blessing in disguise. From what I could hear and see elsewhere though, some folks got hammered which made me happy.
• The After Party. We had an after party at Frankford Hall and it was worth every penny. It’s a time to take a deep breath and catch up with everyone for more than a minute at a time. It helps not being able to drink much during the reception because you’re actually coherent for the After Party.

All in all, it was a 10/10 day, probably the best day of my life. I don’t think we would’ve done anything differently, it was exactly what Meghan and I were hoping for. To those who joined, thank you. To those who didn’t or weren’t invited, I’m sorry, because it was awesome.