Co-authored by Jody Porowski, CEO of Avelist
A true story.
I have three sisters (read: four girls total) and we're all about one year apart in age. I guess, given the circumstances, it shouldn't come as a total surprise when I tell you that my three sisters all got married within one calendar year. That said, if you've been through even ONE family wedding, I bet your jaw is still on the floor because you know what goes into a wedding and you cannot imagine three of them in the same year. Here's how my family survived the year of the weddings:
1. We love each other unselfishly. My sisters and I find joy in each other's happiness. We're on the same team. I think it's always been that way, actually. We cheered each other on in sports. We edited each other's papers. We helped each other prep for job interviews. And in that same spirit, each time a sister got engaged, we were happy that she had found someone who loved her as much as we loved her. I know that none of my sisters felt like their spotlight was taken or their wedding was overshadowed. And I, the sister who didn't get married that year, was never envious of them or wished that I was the one getting married. I think this all boils down to the way we love each other.
2. We treated each sister (and each wedding) as an individual. My sisters and I are close, and we have a lot in common, but we are also very different people. When we were growing up, my parents did an awesome job of treating us as individuals, understanding that we all had different thoughts and feelings and preferences. This awesome parenting continued as we planned the weddings to be a reflection of each sister's unique personality and vision. One wedding took place at an old, rustic-elegant factory complete with sleek white curtains, candles, and dancing. Another was on a beautiful winter day, with warm music, a festive croquembouche, blocks of gourmet marshmallows and hot chocolate. And the last wedding included a big white tent, set between the mountains and a southern farmhouse. Different weddings for different sisters.
3. We all pitched in. Whether it was exploring venues together, trying on dresses, or going to food tastings, it was a group effort. And we had fun doing it together. Don't get me wrong, it took up a lot of time (especially for our dear mom), and at some points I felt like there was a shower or party every weekend, but having lots of sisters getting married also means having lots of sisters to help with the planning.
4. We rolled with the punches. It's kind of a joke, right? One sister gets engaged and starts planning her wedding, and then another one, and then another. But luckily, as a family with many kids, we were all used to rolling with the punches. Growing up, we were used to days where one sister had a soccer game on the same day that another sister had a volleyball game. We were used to sharing space during sleepovers, sharing friends and sharing clothes, so when it came time to share a wedding year, we were already pros.
5. We embraced the season. Life is full of seasons. There are seasons of laughter and seasons of sickness. There are seasons of money spending and money saving; of harmony and of discord; of school, of jobs, of parenting... and there are seasons of weddings. During the year of the weddings, we welcomed three new brothers to the family. We danced, we ate, and we celebrated each wedding with all of our hearts. Did it matter that they took place during the same year? No. Were we tired at the end? I mean, obviously. Tired and satisfied.
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