With Memorial Day ushering in the beginning of summer, it also means Wedding Season. You know, that glorious time of the year when it’s difficult to plan your own summer vacation because you’ve got so many Saturday weddings on the calendar and you have few open weekends left.
Summer wedding season can be hard for singles—even guys, though they don’t always admit it.There are toasts and dances and garters and bouquet tosses and a million big and little reminders that someone else has found love, but you haven’t. You’re genuinely happy for some couples, but then there are those who cause you to wonder how in the world you’re still single yet they are not.
So how do you keep the underlying sadness at bay throughout the coming months? How do you mentally prepare so that you truly are happy for your friends, but also honest with God and yourself that this is not easy—especially when you’re donning yet another bridesmaid’s dress or groomsman’s tuxedo?
SingleRoots Writers Say…
For wise counsel, we asked some of our SingleRoots alumni writers to weigh in on the matter. Here’s what they had to say:
“Perfect your whip and polish your nae-nae. You don’t want to be on the wrong end of a bad wedding dance video. Also, if you already have weddings on the calendar, set aside some time to pray blessings over each marriage now. I find as I pray for God to work in His fullness through the blessings others receive, the inclination to develop jealousy or self-pity dramatically reduces.”
:: W. Brandon Howard, author of Do Christians Need Better Branding?
“For ladies, don’t overcommit yourself. Don’t agree to be a bridesmaid or throw a shower or throw bachelorette parties for multiple people. Also, I admonish people to not agree to be a groomsman or a bridesmaid for a couple that you are not close to. It is a serious thing to stand a as a witness for someone’s wedding, even though our culture has turned it into mere pageantry. You are agreeing to be hold them to their vows, not just dress fancy for a few hours. Secondly, don’t attend every wedding you get an invite for. If an acquaintance sends you an invite or an old school friend that you haven’t talked to in a decade invites you, you are not obligated to attend. Lastly, have a friend you can vent to or even an opposite gender friend you can take as your date that will empathize and help diminish those lonely feelings that accompany wedding season.”
:: Brooke Corcoran, author of What a Difference a Decade Makes: Thoughts on Waiting for Your Spouse
“I mastered the art of being overwhelmingly happy for the couple while at the same time being dreadfully sad for myself when I attended weddings as a single woman. My best preparation was to be happy for my friends and remind myself, albeit for the thousandth time, that God knew what He was doing and that His timing was perfect. Now that I’m married, I can attest to that from experience.”
:: Nicole Eckerson, author of Why Your Story Matters
Explore the Topic Further…
For further discussion on surviving the summer wedding season, check out these posts:
How to Survive the Summer Wedding Season :: 6 Tips From a Retired Bridesmaid – “As a retired bridesmaid, who has 7 weddings (and the dresses to prove them) under her belt, I feel the pain of my fellow single brothers and sisters who are enduring seemingly endless summers of showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, wedding cakes, and dances to the Beyonce song that shall remain nameless. It’s because of this vast experience I feel I’m more than qualified to offer a few tips that have served me well in past monsoon wedding seasons. Godspeed to you, my friends.”
Summer Wedding Season (in GIFs) :: Because Sometimes Words Just Aren’t Enough – “When you’re in your twenties and thirties, weddings multiply faster than Gremlins who are fed after midnight. All of the girls from your sorority need you in their wedding, or all of your bros from the campus ministry Bible study you were involved in felt led to pop the question around Christmastime and, of course, their brides all want June weddings. If your summer is packed with weddings galore—for whatever reason—this GIFs post is for you. Godspeed, friend.”
What I Learned from Attending (Yet Another) Wedding – “I am not good at a lot of things but going to weddings and making them fun is one of the blessings our great God has bestowed upon me. I will eat your food. I will dance with your women. I will bust so many moves I’ll have your grandma breaking a sweat from the old folks table in the back.”
