Thankfulness For Weddings

By Rebecca Padgett

I, like many, adore the holidays. I’m nostalgic, and I’m made all the more nostalgic by sentimental moments and being surrounded by loved ones.

This year especially, I am filled with all the more emotion as it’s my last holiday season before my fiancé and I officially merge families.

With Thanksgiving approaching and the exciting fact that we have begun working on the 2020 issue of Northwest Florida Weddings Magazine, I have been thinking of all the reasons there are to be thankful that weddings exist.

I’ve compiled some sentiments to share.

I’m thankful that marriage gives us forever partners and teammates. 

I’m thankful for the unity that weddings represent. 

I’m thankful that no matter your race, sex, class, religion or social status, you can marry whoever you love. 

I’m thankful for wedding planners who make our lives easier. 

I’m thankful for rings in all shapes, sizes and stones, whose circles signify something endless, something committed. 

I’m thankful for the abundance of caring, qualified and top-notch vendors and venues Northwest Florida has. 

I’m thankful that the wedding industry is ever-changing and always embracing of all forms of love. 

I’m thankful for photographers and videographers that keep our wedding memories alive for generations to come. 

I’m thankful for dapper, fitted suits.

I’m thankful for the absolute beauty and confidence that every bride should feel on her wedding day.

I’m thankful for the happy tears shed on wedding days. 

I’m thankful for the bands and DJs that keep us dancing, the bartenders that keep the good times flowing and the caterers who keep our stomachs full.  

I’m thankful for the support of family and friends. 

I’m thankful for all of the technology that makes wedding planning a breeze. 

I’m thankful for the uniqueness of every couple and the creativity they bring to their weddings. 

I’m thankful that people purchase and read wedding magazines. 

I’m thankful for the break from reality that honeymoons promote. 

I’m thankful for the smallest wedding details that you think no one will notice or care about — and then guests do. 

I’m thankful for that time-stopping moment when couples lock eyes for the first time on their wedding day. 

I’m thankful for the officiants that make our weddings official. 

I’m thankful for handwritten vows.

And …

I’m thankful for unwavering love.