My Husband Wanted A Big Wedding—So He Planned It

My husband and I are married not because I said, "I do," but because he said, "I'll do it."

Last year, when Jay got on one knee in Battery Park in Manhattan and proposed, I accepted and realized I was filled with joy—at the prospect of spending the rest of my life with him—then panic, associated with the idea of becoming a bride. 

We were eight years into our monogamous relationship, so I wasn't a commitment-phobe, but the thought of donning a big white dress and playing the lead role in a family-filled wedding drama inspired a tsunami of anxiety I couldn't quell. Read: Wedding Planning 101

So after saying yes, I said, "Let's elope!" trying to make it sound bright, shiny and enticing. To my frustration, his response was, "No way!"

I threw my hands in the air and issued my challenge: "Fine. You're planning this thing."

Part of my PR job revolved around arranging events, but a press conference is not a wedding. I'd seen friends plan elaborate affairs with hundreds of guests, and I knew it required diplomacy and stellar organizational skills—as well as passion for the project.  I possessed none of these prerequisites. Would I flunk the nuptials test?

Jay, a Jets-worshipping, Adidas-flip flop-wearing N.Y.C. firefighter, wasn't the most obvious candidate for the role of wedding planner either, but, mind-blowingly, he replied, "No problem" without hesitating. Watch: Why Do Men Get Married?