Wedding Lessons

In the beginning of my first Spanish class this evening, I felt frustrated. I couldn’t understand the teacher, I had trouble following her, and I didn’t know what she wanted me to say when she pointed at me. Over time, I felt more comfortable asking questions and stumbling over words and sentences in front of the class. My entire body went from stiff and anxious with worry to loose and calm. By the end of the class, I was giggling at myself with the group as I stumbled over verb conjugation.

Taking Spanish for the first time could be compared to many of my wedding planning experiences so far. Whether photography, decoration, clothing, music, chairs, transportation, or gift bags, almost every part of the wedding planning process requires learning a new skill—or learning a lot about a skill, which is tough in the beginning. I spend time researching, talking to experts, reading, gathering thoughts and ideas from friends and family, listening to more and more thoughts from friends and family, until I eventually feel more comfortable making a decision. I mean, how was I supposed to know about cotton versus linen napkins, or the timing of the speeches and dances, or the equipment that every wedding photographer should have on hand, or how long the first song should last? I never paid attention to things like that before.

I’m currently learning Spanish so that I can better communicate with Mr. Cathedral Heights’s family. Originally from Peru, his immediate family speaks English fluently, but they often mix in Spanish. And, since I know that they speak English when I’m around to make me feel more comfortable, I would love for them to feel comfortable speaking Spanish around me as well, and I want to be able to respond in Spanish. So, I figured it would help for me to understand and speak it myself (or try anyway)! My goal is to learn a little Spanish before the wedding in September, so that I am able to speak some Spanish with his relatives traveling from Peru.


We also decided to incorporate a bit of Mr. CH’s native language into our ceremony by asking our mothers to read poems in English and Spanish. I looked into this online and found out that bilingual weddings are a growing trend. Salma Hayek married her husband in French; actress Malin Ackerman and her Italian husband asked their fathers to read love poems in English and Italian at their wedding; and Eva Longoria said her vows to Tony Parker in his native French, while he recited his vows in her native English. Celebrities aside, I’m thrilled that the wedding will incorporate a touch of Mr. CH’s cultural background. I would love to find other ways to incorporate our family history, traditions, and culture into the wedding. For this week, though, I’ll focus on my verb conjugation.

Hasta luego!