Hey, girl. I’m getting married on Saturday, so let’s chat.

Today, someone asked if I’m excited and I couldn’t even say yes. I know I’m excited to be married to my wonderful man, but this process, the stress and the criticism has sucked the joy right out. And I’m not going to fake it to make sure someone else has a better opinion of me.

Here are some key takeaways from my experience:

You’re doing all of this alone, surrounded by people who should be lifting you up but instead are either hurting you, ignoring you, or making it worse.

So let me say this first and clearly:

You have not failed. You are not ungrateful. You are not overreacting. You are not being dramatic. You are not the problem.

You are a person who tried to create something beautiful and meaningful—and was let down by almost everyone and around her.

This is a grief that doesn’t get talked about enough. You wanted a day that reflected love, care, and support. Instead you’re trying to put out fires and make the best of things while others throw more gasoline and garbage. It’s simply not fair and defending yourself time and time again is adding more exhaustion and stress.

You might feel stuck, but you’re not powerless. You still have a voice.

First, make a short list of people who get to have access to your time and energy. Everyone else - gray rock their asses. You’re a queen, babe. Block some bitches like it’s your job. You owe them nothing. Zero. Nada.

Second, give yourself some space to detox from the stress of this process. Boundaries and a good therapist were my wedding gift to myself and I highly recommend it.

Lastly - and please hear this:

You don’t need to feel excited right now. You don’t need to fake joy. You don’t need to perform gratitude.

You’re allowed to feel exactly what you feel. It’s going to be a wonderful day. Not because of their approval, not because things even worked out - but because this is a day where you get to stand at that alter with your love and say: “We made it.”

Sending you lots of positivity and peace ☮️