Planning a wedding in your 40s on a budget? Here is how to skip expensive traps, cut stress, and build your ideal event.

Planning a wedding in your 40s on a budget? Here is how to skip expensive traps, cut stress, and build your ideal event.

After a summer hiatus marked by sudden career disruptions and unexpected life pivots, Drew and Kat return to document a major milestone: planning a wedding in mid-life. Having both been married before, the traditional playbook of pleasing extended family or dropping $20,000 on a single evening no longer applies. Instead, they apply corporate UX design principles, event production strategies, and creative installation tactics to engineer an authentic experience from scratch.

This candid conversation breaks down the reality of starting over, navigating budget constraints without external financial aid, and making rapid decisions—like securing a museum venue and setting a date in just four days. From late-night research spirals and non-traditional bachelorette concepts to avoiding cake fondant disasters and choosing paper invitations over digital formats, this episode offers a grounded roadmap for couples building a meaningful celebration on their own terms.

The "What You'll Learn" Bullet Stack

• The UX Wedding Framework: How applying product design principles removes emotional chaos from event logistics.
• Rapid-Fire Venue Sourcing: The step-by-step process used to lock down a venue and date in under 96 hours.
• Budget vs. Value Breakdown: Why shifting funds from high-cost venues to travel and honeymoon experiences changes everything.
• Mid-Life Marriage Realities: How prior life experience changes expectations around guest lists, attire, and wedding traditions.

Subscribe to master real-world life transitions, creative strategy, and intentional design weekly.

3. Interactive "Key Moments" (Chapters & Timestamps)

00:00 - Why We Disappeared: Life Updates & Unexpected Summer Hiatus 

01:27 - The Engagement Story & Life Hitting Us in the Side of the Head 

02:37 - Planning a Wedding in Mid-Life vs. Your 20s 0

3:27 - Setting Strict Spending Caps (Why $20k Venues Are Out) 

05:39 - Late-Night Research & Rethinking the "Bridezilla" Trope 08:35 - Treating Your Wedding Like a UX Design Sprint 

09:20 - Do You Need a Traditional Bachelor Party?

11:25 - Designing Custom Backdrop Installations & DIY Decor 

13:51 - Finding Inspiration in Pop Culture & Alternative Bachelorettes 

16:00 - Managing Scope Creep on Event Logistics 

17:53 - The Wedding Dress & Cake Disaster Traps to Avoid 

20:44 - Menswear Dilemmas: Tuxedos, Sneakers, and Blue Suits 

22:10 - Prioritizing Honeymoon Travel Over One-Night Events 

24:47 - The Guest List Reality: How to Handle Hard Cuts 

26:28 - Official Date Announcement & Location Details 

29:46 - Why Get Married Again? Breaking Down Mid-Life Union 

34:07 - Documenting the Journey & Modern Wedding Tech 

36:56 - Disposable Camera Pranks vs. Modern Paper Invitations 

40:09 - Finalizing Plans on a Budget Without Financial Aid

wedding planning, budget wedding, midlife wedding, wedding planning tips, DIY wedding decor, venue sourcing, UX design framework, wedding budget tips, wedding on a budget, non traditional wedding, wedding guest list, wedding planning podcast, adult wedding planning, wedding planning checklist, modern wedding trend

#WeddingPlanning #BudgetWedding #RelationshipAdvice

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome in to another episode of the Well. Wow, we haven't said that in a while. I'm Drew.

SPEAKER_02 0:07

And I'm Kat.

SPEAKER_00 0:09

And it's been a minute. We've been on hiatus. It's been a crazy summer.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

It has.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

It's been a really crazy summer, I have to say. We haven't had much time to do a lot of the things we enjoy.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

That is true. It's been a working summer. That's what I like to call it.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Aren't all summers working summers?

SPEAKER_02 0:32

True, but this one is extra work.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Yeah, this one feels much more like much more laborious.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Like a lot more labor involved. And mentally.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

And we have more people in the house, too. So it's everybody's everybody's working on something. And so it just there's a lot of work energy in the house.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

That's polite. That is polite.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Keep keep it positive.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Work energy.

SPEAKER_02 0:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Yeah. Keep it positive. Keep it positive. So keeping it positive.

SPEAKER_03 1:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

A little bit of a backstory we should share. And today's episode is going to be we're going to see where it takes us. We we didn't really plan this one out. So we're we're doing this off the rip. But a little unknown fact about Catherine and I is we've never officially tied the knot. So we've been together for seven plus years, and we officially got engaged December 25th, 2025, which was exciting. We'll have to share that video. And due to life, we haven't really had the opportunity to talk about. Well, we started to talk about a wedding, and then we both became unemployed and had life hit us in the side of the head unexpectedly. And so we had to put some things on hold.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

Right.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Now if we go back in time, we we have both been previously married. I had a small destination wedding. You didn't really have much of a wedding. So we thought we would.

SPEAKER_02 2:18

Sorry, I just that was just funny. Continue.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

So we thought about it and we're like, hey, we should probably talk about this. What it's like planning a wedding in your you know later years aged years. And and what's that what's that, you know, what's important now versus then.

SPEAKER_02 2:39

And it's so different.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Is it though? Like I I feel like it is, but it isn't because the excitement is still there. And then you kind of want to do the same things. You kind of want to have you want to create an experience. And I guess I I think now for me it's more about what we want as opposed to appeasing everyone else.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

I never wanted that. I know it never was about appeasing anybody else. But that's because I didn't really have one. Yes, but yeah, I it is different in good ways, though. You think about things like that, you prioritize things differently, yeah, and and financially, right?

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Like how much you really want to spend, and of course, we're paying for all this out of our own pocket. So it's it creates a different sort of thought process and planning process. So thank goodness I'm I'm with a very organized person that likes to plan. But I like to plan too. So my background, I catered weddings for a lot of years, working for like a high-end caterer. So I had certain expectations of things, especially food. And I think it it can cause issues because it's like, okay, this is my vision versus your vision. And I feel like we don't really have that debate, it's much more collaborative.

SPEAKER_03 4:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

And lucky enough for us, you happen to be the executive director of a museum now, which is awesome. And we have the luxury of being able to utilize that space to create our own experience. So I feel like the venue was one of the hardest things to pick.

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Now with that out of the way, we can focus on the details.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

True. And it is overwhelming trying to find a venue. I mean, finding a venue is not the problem. It's doing the research and comparing the venues. And then, you know, you have to spend time going and looking at venues. Although I did it, I look at pictures online, you know, I look at the Google photos, and then I look at their photos on the website, and I'm like, hmm, can I imagine myself in there with you know the kind of experience that we want? So and cost. Man, it's crazy. Like looking at prices for like renting a venue for a wedding is insane.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

I feel like it's always been expensive, but that brings up another nighttime ritual. So now instead of you know just kind of debriefing from the day and just chatting, now it's hey, look at this. Hey, so you know, back when I got married, there you didn't have access to the phone the way you do now. Like there wasn't as much information readily available. So now it's like every night, it's check this out. What do you think about this? And so, you know, I used to joke with you, being like, uh, you'll be a bridezilla. You will absolutely no way, never, ever, ever, ever, ever. And uh, truth be told, guilty pleasure. I have watched the show Bridezilla, I find it quite entertaining. Yeah, it is it is a train wreck, which who doesn't love with a train wreck?

SPEAKER_02 6:12

I know I can't handle it.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Now, granted, you're not you're you're not quite to that level, but I could see it creeping in. You you have a strong vision of of what you want, and I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

I feel like I I feel like I'm more focused on like checking all the items off the list and making sure we have everything.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Everyone bridezillas differently, and and certainly are bridesilling differently.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

What what do you mean? What is this? What are we talking about? You're a crazy person?

SPEAKER_00 6:49

No, no. You just have a you you remind me of your dad, where it's like this influx of information now. Sharing all this information. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

So it's it can be bad. I have to stop myself because I'll go deep, deep into the rabbit hole to get all the information. I'm like, I gotta look at this, I gotta look at that, I gotta look at all the things, I gotta build a Pinterest board, I gotta, I gotta save stuff on Instagram. I gotta screenshot this that I saw.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

I'm getting stressed out just listening. I know, so I'll wake up at like well, and then I'll wake up, I'll get woken up at like three in the morning because I see flickering lights. I'm a light sleeper, and I I roll over and I'm like, oh my gosh, what are you doing? Looking up wedding stuff. I'm like, babe, it's three in the morning. That's okay. I felt inspired. So I had a thought. Whenever, yeah, whenever the moment hits, you definitely jump on it.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

So true. Yeah. So it's but it's fun. It's it's fun to see like what everybody does differently. And you know, it's but I'm also kind of the person that's like, there's no way I'm spending like 20 grand on a wedding. I'm sorry. It's it can be someone else's dream, and I'm okay with that, but it's not my dream to spend that.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Yo, truth be told, we don't have it to spend. So even if we wanted to spend it, we ain't got it, kiddo.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

I hate to 20 grand just for for the wedding. But I would spend 20 grand on travel. Now that to me, I would spend money on.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Now, see, that would be fun if we got married in like 10 different countries. We did like a marriage tour and we just toured the world. Marriage married in every different country.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

Oh, so hey, we talked about this where, you know, based on both of our backgrounds, like being in UX and product and you know, tech and all that stuff, we were talking earlier. We have to share this about what if you made your wedding a product and you know, like the whole experience, and you look at it through that lens, and it's like, okay, well, how do you package the the wedding announcement? How do you do, you know, the the bachelor party, the you know, the what are you gonna give away at the wedding? It's so funny being in that field, that how we look at things from a different point of view.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Well, that brings up an interesting topic. No, so you you paused, so I I'm going to interject bachelorette and bachelor party. Now, for me, at my age, I just I don't know. I don't feel the same desire to have like some big bash, right? So I did that, been there, done that, been to many. You know, it was fun. Yeah, but now I feel and so I'm challenged because I don't play golf. It's not like a thing I want to do. And literally, we live three miles from the PGA headquarters and the PGA golf course. Yeah, so there's no shortage of options with it's just not something I enjoy. So I'm conflicted. I'm like, well, do I just not have something? I mean, I don't have a lot of friends locally here in Texas, so it may not be an issue, but it's it's kind of a weird thing for me because it's like, do you keep with tradition or do you just kind of break the no having a bachelor party? I'm getting no, of course you don't. I go to the strip, I don't need a bachelor party to go to the strip club. We go everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

A special occasion. No, I think that I mean, of course, I would think you stay with tradition, but you make it yours. And I think that was one thing we've been talking about is how do we how do we customize a wedding so that it reflects our personalities? Like I told you, I don't want like a traditional wedding. Like we're too creative and artsy that we I just feel it's not my it's not my thing. Although it looks beautiful, you know, that kind of a theme with other people and I love it. It's just I I need something a little bit different. I have to put some paint on something. So so we had this, you actually had the cool idea of like how to how to create a a really fun backdrop for right behind like the official and and us at the the quote unquote altar. So I'm excited to build it.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Yeah, we're we're definitely gonna do some arts and crafts, but uh upscale wedding arts and crafts. And yeah, we're definitely going to inject a lot of our personality into this, I guess, or yes, our experience of growing together, you know, to reach this point, which has taken a long time, you know.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

It has a a lifetime.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

So but it it's an exciting time and but also challenging to because we we did kind of give us ourselves a short time frame to do all of this.

SPEAKER_03 11:58

Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

And so in in much of our I don't know if it's apropos for us to to work this way, but it's very spot, it was kind of spontaneous in a way, whereas like, hey, let's pick a date. Okay, we pick a date. Hey, let's pick this, let's choose this. Literally, it happened within four days. Right? Like, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this, pick the date, pick the venue. Now we're looking, you know, we have quotes out to caterers.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Wait, wait, wait. I I have to I have to give some context.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

Wait, wait, go, let's go back back up. Talking backwards because I'm re-reviously rewinding the tape. You gotta talk about a bachelorette party. Did you you never had one before?

SPEAKER_02 12:45

No, no, I never had I never had all of that. I didn't have address, I didn't have cake, I didn't have anything. So but what I wanted to say it was fine for the time, you know. I mean, I feel like different different times call for different measures. It wasn't it was not a shotgun wedding, just FYI. People are gonna be like, why is she what is she talking about? Anyway, so yes, I didn't have all that. So I was thinking, I really want to have some kind of bachelorette party, but I wanted to pull together all of my my favorite, some well, some of my favorite people that I just love that are just some of my greatest supporters and friends, and pull them together for uh a day of fun. So, did you want me to tell exactly what it is?

SPEAKER_00 13:44

That's up to you if you want to share it, or we can share if we can say it is okay.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

I will I will say though that it's I tell Andrew this all the time, and I I have to know if you if this happens to you, put it in the comments. Different times of your life, you're watching a TV series, or you know, you get hooked onto a movie, or you kind of latch on to something you're watching, and it and you feel like it's it's speaking to you in a certain time of your life. And so I have to say, I've been watching the show Sweet Magnolias, and at the end of the season, one of the characters gets married, and her wedding is like colorful and joyful, and she's got you know, just everything is beautiful, and the you know, the the friendships that they have and all the friends that they invite. So that's the kind of vibe that I'm going for. Something creative and colorful, and you know, and just pulling all the the people, of course, all the people together that you really you really, really love and connect with. Although it's limited because you know, venues have a capacity. But I will give more details on a future podcast about what is planned, but I'm super excited about it. It's gonna be arty and creative and very much me as well as like the other people that are gonna be there. So and and you'll see photos and videos online. But I'm just I'm excited to have some fun with it and make it however I want.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

Yes. And if you made it this far in the podcast, please like, follow, subscribe, share, comment, do all the things that helps with engagement, it helps keep our content pushed out there, and leave a comment. Let us know what we should do. We're we're gonna take some suggestions from from our vast audience of listeners, and maybe we'll incorporate it into the experience. So or let us know what you think we should do or shouldn't do.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

Yes. I have to back, I have to share something.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

Okay, back to the discussion.

SPEAKER_02 15:51

You and I both have been in corporate, like we kind of straddle multiple spaces, I feel like we've been in corporate a long time, but we're also super creative. So I I've been looking at the wedding and like the preparations for the wedding as like an art project. I'm like, ooh, what if I could build this giant tree to put in the middle of the venue, you know, and we hang things on it. Or, you know, because my background, I I was I worked at anthropology as a display artist for a little while. And then, you know, I've been in art all my life and I love mixed media and I love sculpture pieces and installations. And, you know, I'm like, oh, and so I really have to kind of like force myself not to not to go overboard and you know, but that's how my brain thinks. I'm like, okay, I want to think of all the things, don't limit me, right? Like there is no sky is the limit. And then you're like, okay, I gotta pull it back. Okay. Do I really want to be now I'm spending 20K on just all the decorations? You know, it's funny. And you think about, you know, when you start planning things, like, okay, well, what music are we gonna play? And it's like we really have to sit there and then make a decision. But the reason I've been like, hey, let's let's make decisions is because gosh, it'll sneak up on you before you know it, and then nothing's planned. So we've been trying to do, I feel like with everything going on, we've been doing a good job of like accomplishing making decisions and like accomplishing some of the smaller tasks so that by the time we get to the date, it's not, it's already planned out. And considering that I plan so many events per year, it it really's not that big of a deal to plan it to me, because that's what I do all the time.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Well, LaDee Dah. We can just wrap it up here. My goodness. You got it all figured out.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Wow, we don't. The dress. Okay, I want to hear from the women out there or anybody that's getting married in a dress. Do you have a hard time? Did you have a hard time selecting it? And because there are so many options. Goodness. Oh, it's like overwhelming. And then to think about actually going in person to these stores, I'm like, oh goodness. You know, like I don't want first off, driving around Dallas to go to different stores to, you know, shop is a feat in itself with all the traffic. But I find the dress and the cake are the hardest parts. Finding some someone that can make a delicious cake and then that that doesn't just look good. Okay, people. I gotta say this. I don't want a cake that just looks good, you know, it looks all beautiful, and then you cut into it and you taste it, and it's like cardboard. You know, so if you've got a good cake maker, let me know.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Yeah, neither one of us likes Fondant. So I think that's part of the challenge.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

I want like what do we say? What kind of cake? Well, I don't think funfetti.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

I want a box cake, funfetti.

SPEAKER_02 18:55

Yeah. And and and what kind of icing did we talk about yesterday? It was but what kind of buttercream? But didn't you have a flavor? I thought you mentioned something else about some kind of oh, cake batter flavor. Cake batter flavor. So if anybody can do that, holler.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

I might just make our own cake. I I may I may embark on perfecting the craft in six months.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

I'm actually making my dress. I mean, we do have we we are artistic. I could potentially make my dress. So if you see me with paint splatter all over my wedding dress, you'll know, wow, she's really dedicated to her craft.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

You know what would be a cool dress? What's your artist friend's name that we bought the Vogue picture from? The wedding dress she's the wedding dress she spray painted.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

Oh, that's right. I should totally get her to make my dress. Celeste, if you're listening. Yeah. Oh my gosh, I'll have to contact her.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

She took a like a wedding dress and spray painted it. And it was it, it didn't look, it didn't cheapen it. It it kind of made it couture.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

It was very couture.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

It was just very cool. It it really looked very, very cool. I'll have to find a picture of it. If I can find a picture of it, I'll put it in the in the video. But it's so that I I'm struck with that a similar dilemma just because I I over-rotate on this stuff. I would love to have a tuxedo made.

unknown 20:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

But then I'm like, do I want to wear a tuxedo? And then I gotta figure out shoes.

SPEAKER_03 20:37

Right.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Do I wear sneakers? Because I feel like that's just part of my DNA. But then again, do I really want to wear sneakers? I'm not a huge fan of sneakers and tuxedos, so I like them.

SPEAKER_02 20:51

I think it's fun.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:54

Your taste is a little bit different than mine when it comes to menswear like that, though. Because I was like, oh, maybe you should look into a blue suit word. Oh my gosh. Well, you know, I'm just thinking backdrop of where the venue is, you know, the museum where we're actually having the wedding.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

Yeah, but it take go back, like talking to my Gen X peeps and my older millennials. When you think of blue tuxedo, I know the first thing that pops into my head, and I'll put a picture on the uh in the video, is that old powder blue tuxedo with the big ruffled shirt. No, like that 70s with the big wide collar.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

I was thinking like a really pretty navy. Or like not even a navy. Like a Williamsburg blue.

SPEAKER_00 21:44

It depends on the time of day. If it's at night, you can get away with that. But if it's in the day, if I I don't know. See this, see, I'm already over-rotating on this.

SPEAKER_02 21:53

5 p.m.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Yeah, we'll have to talk about that.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

Or maybe earlier. I don't know. I'll have to figure it out. But anyway, then we're we were talking about what we're gonna do for our honeymoon. So we're still we're still debating on travel spots, Europe or you know, some kind of beautiful island, or you know, but we do definitely want to travel. We would prefer to spend more money on the travel than the wedding, just because we like experiences. But yeah, trying to plan, oh, and and like figuring out a ring for you, you know, like I have mine, but but it's like all the how many decisions go into planning a wedding? I'm sure there's documented data out there that's like, yes, 2,000 decisions on average are made for weddings. So I would love to hear people's wedding like like faux pas, plus like some of the best things that that have happened to you in a wedding. You know, did you have a videographer? Did you only have a photographer? What was your cake like? Did you have cake, you know, or did you do a tower of cookies or brownies or you know, shout out to Eric from Sweet Magnolias with his brownies. But anyway, yeah, so lots of decision making. But I will say it, I feel like it doesn't seem as much pressure at at my age now as it used to feel. Like it was such a big deal, you know. It's still a big deal, but I feel like we're able to have more fun with it now at this age.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

Feels more relaxed. Yeah, there's not a lot of pressure to be perfect or again, appeasing everyone else except which you lose sight of kind of the purpose or the point. So it's about the experience we want to create. And if you enjoy it, great. And if you don't, take it deep.

SPEAKER_02 23:53

Oh, okay. Well then uh yeah, so anyway, but yes, it's it it'll be a fun planning. We'll have more details about upcoming plans and wedding days. That was a long pause.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Yeah, I'm just thinking of where to go. So we have the date, we have the location, we need to figure out a tire, an appropriate amount of guests.

SPEAKER_02 24:31

Like, since don't you feel bad not inviting certain people? Because you're like, man, I really need to invite these people, and then you're like, uh I do.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Because I mean, we have a pretty big social network, but no one's loc we don't have a lot of people that are local, so it would be a lot of travel for people, so that might thin the herd a bit. Not everyone wants to travel, so the guest list I feel like is the hardest thing out of all of it. It's it's the guest because it's it's hard. It it's like picking like your team.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

You remember when you used to lie, like yeah, who's the last one to always be upset to get picked?

SPEAKER_00 25:15

It's so there's always that feeling of, well, who am I gonna upset? Right, right. Is someone gonna be upset if I invited this person and these people don't get along and they don't like each other? And I'm just like, I feel like now I'm like, I don't care, but I also don't want to upset people.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

Right.

SPEAKER_00 25:32

And our our thing isn't gonna be like a whole sit-down, fancy dinner type thing. It'll it's gonna be much more of an interactive mingle scale party.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

So I do have to say we're planning something, hopefully it's fun for people to see, but I know it'll be fun for us to see it. We're we're putting together something special visually to kind of showcase how we met and kind of our our UX journey through our life together. So I think it'll be fun. Are we announcing the date?

SPEAKER_00 26:12

If you if you would like, or if you want a whole, I don't know if if it sure? No, yes, whatever you want.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

You're not sure.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

I said sure, yes, whatever you want.

SPEAKER_02 26:29

Okay. I think we should announce the date. Or should we announce it on a next episode? Should we keep people in suspense?

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Good question. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 26:45

I think we should.

SPEAKER_00 26:48

I don't know what you're waiting for then.

SPEAKER_02 26:51

So drum roll, please. May 1st. It's a Saturday.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

It's gonna be May.

SPEAKER_02 26:58

That's right. So we're we're excited. It'll be it'll be good timing because in April. Yes, 2027. In April, I have the fashion runway show. So that'll be good timing right at right after that. But yes, it should be good weather. It should be. I I also thought it was kind of funny May 1st. I forgot about this. It's May Day. So, and all the all the girls that I went to school with as a as a kid, you'll remember this. As a senior at school, we did the Maypole dance, and we always were wondering why it was why it was a tradition. I mean, if you haven't looked up what May Day is about, you can look it up. But that's not why we're having the wedding on May 1st. So it was just a a good good date at the beginning of the month in spring and not during April, which for me is big arts month. So and my birthday month and the fashion show month. So it's a little too much. However, we are gonna have the bachelor party, or you could say, in April, and I'm excited to uh talk about more details.

SPEAKER_00 28:09

And on that note, I'm thinking, I don't know why I'm deep in thought here. About what oh, yeah, exactly. Nothing. So I didn't know what May Day was, other than you know, an SOS call, but I I did not you know, Mayday, Mayday.

SPEAKER_02 28:40

Oh, got it. I was a little slow.

SPEAKER_00 28:45

So I didn't know what it was, I had to ask you what Mayday was. Okay. All right, I think we wrap this up. So if you think back, right, after all the years of experience we can wrap this up. Listen, listen to you trying to get out of recording more. The fans want to hear us. Maybe not. Did you ever think you would plan another wedding or plan a wedding in your future? If I would have asked you this ten years ago?

SPEAKER_02 29:29

Yeah, I knew. I knew that second time around I was gonna I was gonna do things differently.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

So what would you do differently? Like what made you want to do things differently, or why did you want to do things differently, or what differently did you want to do? Wow, that was a really stupid way to say all that.

SPEAKER_02 29:52

But oh my gosh. Maybe we should wrap up. What did I why did I want to do things differently?

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:03

Because I think I think a lot of people can relate lesson, lessons learned in life, you know, don't shortchange yourself. You know, do the things that you I always say you are the only one who can live your best life. So if you're living your life for someone else, whether it's a parent, you know, to please someone else or a a partner or a child or whatever, you're not living your best life. You need to live life for you. And and so I think that's that was my lesson learned is you know, why why am I trying to please everybody else when I'm miserable? Or, you know, that you don't do that to yourself. So that's why. That's why I thought, you know, no, I I know what I'm gonna do differently next time around. If if there was to be a next time around.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

So why do you want to get married again? Why why would you want to have a next time around? What what about I thought about not ever getting married again?

SPEAKER_02 31:08

I did before I met you. I was I would have been fine, you know, not not getting married again. So what changed that?

SPEAKER_00 31:20

You I mean, when you know you but what about marriage is appealing? Like what about the actual union?

SPEAKER_02 31:28

It's a whole nother podcast. I I yeah, that's a really good question. You know, I think a lot of times it's just you think, oh, well, that's just society, right? Like you you progress in the relationship, that's what's expected. But at the same time, I don't, I don't, I've never been one to uh to do what other people tell me to.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Yeah, amen. We we are very much alike in that sense.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

But I I felt like why would I not want I turned the question around, why would I not want to get married to you? So, you know, I and I didn't have a reason not to, you know, so I feel I feel it's different. I feel a hundred percent sure and a hundred percent good about our relationship, and I want to make it forever, and I feel like there's something special about exchanging rings, you know, and the the ceremony of that that is special, you know, it's almost like you solidify your bond even further. And a lot of people might think it's silly, but I don't.

SPEAKER_00 32:45

Come on, the real answer, the real honest answer is you got tired of saying this is my boyfriend, you know, this is my ugly.

SPEAKER_02 32:55

What do I call you at this age? It's my boyfriend.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

That's my definitely never, it just never felt quite right.

SPEAKER_02 33:05

It felt weird, yeah. Yeah, so people would always call us, oh, how's your wife? How's your husband? I get tired of correcting it. That's for the real reason. I tried to make it special, but that's really the reason. I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

Which is great. No, I hey, you know, I I vowed I would never take the plunge again, and you know, here we are. So I feel like, like you said, when when when it feels right, it feels right. And when there's no heartburn over it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

It's not like you wake up and you dread it, you're like, oh no, you know, like, uh, do I really want to do this?

SPEAKER_00 33:44

I I definitely want to capture a lot of the planning. I think it would make for interesting content, possibly. Or just it's yeah. I feel like in this day and age to capture moments like this, because think about it, when it's very different for us. Yeah, yeah, because you can actually document all of the the what's leading up to it and capture a a large portion of time, true and kind of have that memory. So it is kind of cool. Uh no, go that was it. I was I was done.

SPEAKER_02 34:23

It is cool. I because back in the day, when I was 16, I got a video camera for my it was either I think it was Christmas, and that was like the only thing, right? And then the Polaroid like disposable cameras or whatever. And now it's like, oh my goodness, you can make content out of it. Just not because we want to like do anything, you know, to like promote our wedding. It's more about the fun of documenting, you know, this experience where there's no way I could have done that before. So it's really very different. Actually, sorry, I have to interject this. Even as an artist, so I used to do a ton of art through high school, and the photos that we would take of the artwork were really bad because the cameras now obviously are so much better. You know, I've been able to enhance the photos with AI and and make them look not the artwork, but make the photo look better, you know? And and gosh, it's so crazy, all the tech that you have now. So it is really fun to be able to say, hey, let's go check out a wedding venue and take a video of it and share it with other people just for fun, you know.

SPEAKER_00 35:34

Yeah, we we still need to check. Well, actually, we don't need to check out wedding venues anymore, but fortunately we'll we'll still have to make rounds to to see some other things or try some cakes or food or dress. So and I'm gonna be pretty, pretty much a bridezilla when it comes to the food. Oh yeah, I definitely know that. I have a very specific vision in my brain, so definitely need to accommodate. I I probably need to temper my expectations.

SPEAKER_02 36:07

Oh well, that's part of it too. Like nothing's going to be like perfect, nothing's ever perfect, but you can get darn close.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

Live, love, laugh.

SPEAKER_02 36:19

Random.

SPEAKER_00 36:20

Live, love, laugh. And favors. That's the other thing. I don't know why I keep thinking about that. Is it appropriate in this day and age? Oh, quick story. You brought up disposable cameras. I don't know if anyone else remembers this, but they were this demon seeds on every table was the disposable camera.

SPEAKER_02 36:40

Demon seeds.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

Yeah, because you know what most well, I shouldn't say most people, you know what we used to do with the disposable cameras.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Remember, you would you would take the pictures and then you'd have to take it somewhere to get developed.

SPEAKER_02 36:54

Oh, yes, right.

SPEAKER_00 36:55

So you'd take the camera in the bathroom with you and just take random photos of things that would be embarrassing for that to be developed, and you're paging through all the pictures and you're like, oh yeah, that was all you. That was fun.

SPEAKER_02 37:09

I didn't do that.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

You're missing out. That's I'll tell you that the now that creates a memory.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

That's a memory right there. Disposable camera. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 37:22

Yeah. Well, I was I was gonna mention too. Oh, there was something else that that oh, invitations. So invitations have changed, right? Like everything is digital now. But so do you still send a physical wedding invitation or an invitation? I like physical invitations, so yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

I I I think there's something charming about what's on your show?

SPEAKER_02 37:53

Oh, that's so funny. I just know I love the Polaroid.

SPEAKER_00 37:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:00

That's awesome. Okay, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 38:02

I was trying to be nostalgic. Nostalgic. But yes, I I feel like paper invitation, there's still something about receiving something in the mail.

SPEAKER_02 38:12

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 38:14

So and we will design our own.

SPEAKER_02 38:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 38:18

Possibly. And try not to use too much AI. Like I think we could get some concepts utilizing some AI.

SPEAKER_02 38:27

But it's good for concepting, especially. Yeah. Especially when we're trying to no, no. Good for but we we're really big into like how can we create like how can we create something that represents us? So we will we will be doing that. But it'll be fun.

unknown 38:47

It'll be fun.

SPEAKER_00 38:48

And I think I'll have to give I think for the party favors, I'm just gonna have to give away sneakers. That would definitely thin the herd. So if I could just give away like 80 pairs of sneakers, I'll just have to invite only people with a size 12.

SPEAKER_02 39:03

Amy was like, oh, we could line like create like a whole runway or sidewalk lined with your sneaker boxes. Hey, you never know. It might be something.

SPEAKER_00 39:16

Yeah, we'll have to do something. We'll have to do something.

SPEAKER_02 39:19

We will.

SPEAKER_00 39:20

It's it's important. It's important.

SPEAKER_02 39:22

Yes. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

So stay tuned. I think as we get more ingrained, this is kind of the kickoff to to a future episodes around our experiences in the mid-stages of life, planning a wedding that is long overdue, on a budget, with no exterior help or financial aid, and not being the wealthiest of individuals.

SPEAKER_02 39:54

So speak for yourself.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

Uh hey, that's that's why I'm hitching the wagon on you because you're my meal ticket. So yeah, I I think we'll we'll develop or we'll have some funny experiences knowing the two of us. And uh we'll have to share, we'll have to share more of the our best episode was our nighttime rituals, which incredible amount of downloads. We'll have to share the wedding nighttime rituals that now I have to experience after a long taxing day of work, uh-huh, coming home and talking wedding.

SPEAKER_02 40:33

Yes, it's great, but you're always ready to talk. You are that's right, even when you roll your eyes. I'm kidding, you never roll your eyes. You never roll your eyes.

SPEAKER_00 40:42

That's not true. I I do. It it depends on who's in front of me, but no, I've been known to roll my eyes.

SPEAKER_02 40:48

Not at you, not at this, though.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

At work, you kidding me? My eyes are always rolling. I feel like I'm having a seizure, my eyes roll so much. It's crazy. Yeah, I don't know what it is, but the people at work, man, I'm just like, hey, that actually just came out of your mouth. Yeah, that probably should have never been an email or a comment. So yeah, stay tuned for future episodes. This one was a bit wonky, but it'll clip up.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

Oh, we're gearing up. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00 41:18

Yeah, this will be fun. Oh, yes, dear.

SPEAKER_02 41:22

Ah, ooh, yeah. I was gonna say follow follow our socials so you'll you can see photos and the video content we put together. So we have the podcast, but if you follow our socials, you'll be able to see like the journey for the next couple months.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

Yeah, we'll we'll put our personal socials in in the cut in the description. It's also our link tree. So, but also follow this social because we can cross post to this social as well.

SPEAKER_02 41:52

Oh, yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 41:54

We'll have we'll share our life with everyone as as as best we can to so you can experience what we're experiencing and hopefully it it'll be a fun experience. Yeah, yeah. We we definitely like to make fun of ourselves, that's for sure. So, in any case, that I I guess that'll bring this episode to a close. I miss podcasting with you. Well, you have to stop being so busy. You are too busy of a person to whatever.

SPEAKER_02 42:28

Don't even lay the blame on at my feet for this.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

I'm just lazy. That's not true.

unknown 42:35

That's not true.

SPEAKER_02 42:36

Next up. Not entirely true. No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 42:39

Yeah, we let us know. Give us some suggestions on on what we should be looking for wedding-wise. Give me a little bit of a good idea.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

Yeah, actually, so I have very specific requests. So if you have, if you're in the Dallas area, or even if you're not, that's totally fine. Suggestions on a really good cake maker, suggestions on where to find a wedding dress. I feel like I I should write a prompt like I'm doing for AI. Really specific. No, five wedding dresses. And I'm not, I will not be spending two, three thousand dollars on a wedding dress. I want to find something really cool and kind of like, you know, maybe antique or vintage that may be $2,000, who knows? Or or party favors. Like I'm always up for it because I love to do favors, like party favors and things like that. So if you have some really cool, creative, artistic ideas, shoot them our way.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Yes. Yes, party favors, delayed favors. Yes. Not delayed, just just in thought. It's been a it's been a thought-provoking episode.

SPEAKER_02 43:52

But excellent.

SPEAKER_00 43:53

We look forward to seeing you in the comments.

SPEAKER_02 43:56

Yes. Share your stories with us about your own wedding. We'd love to hear it. Anything, anything you've got.

SPEAKER_00 44:04

Anything and everything. And on that note, that'll bring this episode to the well, which we haven't said in a while, to a close. So thank you for listening. Make sure you like, follow, subscribe, engage, comment, repost, make a video, stitch, whatever. Do it all. Just do it all. And we'll see you for the next episode. Or talk to you the next episode, or hear from you in the next episode. Any case, that's another episode. Stay tuned. Stay tuned. I'm Drew.

SPEAKER_02 44:37

And I'm Kat.

SPEAKER_00 44:39

And we'll see you next time. Bye.

SPEAKER_02 44:43

Bye.

unknown 44:44

Bye.

SPEAKER_02 44:46

Oh, Lord.