My Husband Wanted A Big Wedding—So He Planned It

My bridesmaids' dress freak out marked a turning point in our engagement. I can't say that the path was problem-free from that point on, but that morning, once I stopped hyperventilating, I decided to lay down my arms and stop sabotaging my fiancé.

Once I started to relax, Jay morphed from adversary into protector.  He shielded me from everything, just as he'd promised he would. Since he no longer had to battle me, he was able to focus his attention on fending off relatives, managing vendors and making his vision come to life.

When my mother referred to the lake we were getting married on as "a puddle," he accompanied her on a visit to the site and reassured her. When the florist called claiming she'd been verbally abused by a member of our family, he spent two hours consoling her. When our parents overrode our music selection, insisting on golden oldies, he accommodated them.

Finally, I saw the authentic beauty of Jay's gesture. He wasn't giving me what I'd been asking for, but he was giving us what he thought we needed—something symbolic and grand to honor our union.

In October, on a stunningly sunny day, I met Jay in a spot between two trees. In front of our 14-person bridal party and more than 200 friends and family members, we read the vows we'd written to each other. As I made my pledge, I felt the weight of everyone's expectations—including my own—fall away. It was the most romantic, most hopeful day of my life. Read: Choosing Wedding Weather And Other Bridal News