June 2025 was a wedding month. We attended two weddings, and for the second one, we helped with the planning and served as Maid of Honor and Best Man.
Wedding Number 1
The first wedding took place on the first weekend of June. Luckily, I had recovered from a nasty cold just in time, so I was able to enjoy the whole day. It was only the second wedding I’ve attended as an adult, and I was surprised by how different each one can be. Actually, I just remembered my father’s second wedding, but that was years ago, and I don’t remember it well enough to compare.
This wedding was small—very small compared to the 130 people we had at our ceremony. I felt special to be included among the 34 guests, just family and close friends. We arrived in the morning—some friends were already there, having spent the night. The whole day was calm. And rainy. But as they say, rain on your wedding day is good luck, and I believe they’ll have plenty. They are such a cute couple.
I have to admit, I missed having something to do at times—there was a brunch before the ceremony where we just talked for about two hours. Then the ceremony, which was of course beautiful. Afterwards, we were free to do whatever we wanted. I missed having some games or activities to participate in, though I’m not even sure why I’m mentioning it—I spent the whole day talking with friends and had a great time, so I wasn’t really bored. Maybe my expectations were just different, but I still enjoyed it.
There were two main activities: two games, though we didn’t play one of them. The second was to paint a part of a picture of the newlyweds. The idea was to paint only your section without knowing what the whole picture would look like. It was fun—I teamed up with my husband and a friend, and we painted one part together. When I visited the room at night before we left, the finished picture looked shockingly good.
The other main activity was dancing. It started, of course, with the first dance of the bride and groom, and then we all joined in and danced until the end of the night. At first, we attempted standard and Latin dances like waltz, rumba, cha-cha, and jive, but then we switched to disco, the Macarena, and just generally hopping around. It was a lot of fun. There was even an outdoor pool, which the bride, groom, and some friends jumped into and danced in—it was heated, so it was survivable even in the cold. We even made a deal with one friend: he would wear his fiancée’s dress if he could go in the pool. They exchanged clothes—she looked amazing in his suit, and he looked so chic in her red dress. We laughed a lot.
I had a bit of a stressful episode around 11 p.m., but I went inside, had some chewing gum, and did some breathing exercises. My husband then took me for a short walk outside, and I felt better. Honestly, I expected the stress to hit sooner, so I’m glad I was okay for most of the day and even managed to eat without any big problems. Then we just went home, which I was grateful for, since friends who stayed had to take the train in the morning—and I’m so glad I didn’t have to do that.
Wedding Number 2
The second wedding was very different from the first, and from other weddings too—it seems like every wedding is unique.
A big difference here was that we stayed at the venue—the couple had booked the entire cottage, so everyone was there for the whole weekend. There were some exceptions, like us. We arrived on Thursday to help with preparations and to deliver a lot of things. At first, I thought we could give someone a ride, but when I saw how packed our car was, I realized that wasn’t possible. My husband took the whole day off to shop for anything the bride and groom needed. He then did what I call “tetrising” things into the car (like the game Tetris)—apart from the front two seats, the car was absolutely crammed with stuff. It was impressive.
Preparations
We arrived at the cottage first, so we could at least unpack some things that weren’t too heavy (like the barrels of beer). We were asked to check if any restaurants were open nearby, but there weren’t any (not surprising, since it was before the summer season on a Thursday). Apparently, this surprised friends who arrived after us, as they had no food for dinner. I’m so glad we brought some emergency food with us—otherwise, I’m not sure what we would have done. They really should have told me they weren’t prepared, but that’s why we were there: to help. They ended up ordering pizza, which didn’t arrive until 11 p.m.—poor bride-to-be was starving by then.
The next day, we arranged the hall for the wedding feast, prepared the program, set up the seating arrangements, and decorated the whole room. The guys set up a big tent outside for about 50 people. We just did whatever the bride and groom needed, but sometimes I wasn’t sure when or where we’d be needed—a bit more coordination would have been helpful. They had a lot of activities that only they could prepare, like deciding which photos to print or where the family should sit. At least they came prepared, even bringing a printer, which surprised me. I even managed to sneak away for a quick nap in the afternoon, which was great.
The Evening Before
In the evening, people started arriving for the official start of the weekend—campfire, barbecue, and singing with a guitar. It was nice. At one point, I went inside to look for the happy couple, who were still busy with last-minute preparations. When I offered to help, I was met with a very stressed bride, so I quickly left, hoping she’d join us soon and relax a bit.
We spent the whole evening singing. I thought it might strain my voice, but I was able to speak the next day, so it was fine. I love singing, and since I took singing lessons with my sister a year ago, I felt a bit more confident. But because we haven’t sung much this year, I could tell my voice had lost some strength. I’m looking forward to singing with my sister again one day, hopefully in the little choir we’ve dreamed of starting.
I wanted to go to bed early. I think I went to the room around 11, but realized I wouldn’t actually get to bed that early. We shared the room (and just one bathroom) with five other people—seven people for one shower is a lot! Eventually, we borrowed other rooms’ bathrooms so we could get ready for bed. Surprisingly, others went to sleep around the same time—I thought I’d be the only one. Sleeping in a room with seven people isn’t very comfortable either; I’ve gotten too used to my husband’s planning and having a room just for us. But one weekend is manageable, even with two other men snoring.
The Day
The next day was The Day. We got up around 8 to have breakfast and prepare the whole place. Decorating the tables took longer than we expected, even though we’d started the day before. Then it was time to get dressed.
I don’t usually wear makeup—the only time I did was at my own wedding. I don’t even own any, except for mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick. I wanted to try putting all of that on, but after getting into my dress, I realized the slit was too high. The bride’s mother, who made the dress, quickly added a few stitches—she was amazing. Then I went to check if the bride needed anything and spent a little time with her—it can get lonely just sitting for three hours getting your hair and makeup done. In the end, I just put on mascara for about 20 seconds, and that was it. It’s not really my style anyway, so I was fine with it. The whole morning (and the days before) felt a bit chaotic.
But we managed to get everything ready, including the bride and groom, and the ceremony was beautiful. It felt strange to be in the wedding party and walk down the aisle, but I was glad the attention was on us for only a few seconds before it shifted to the bride. The weather was perfect—a big change from the cold the day before—sunny and about 22 degrees, especially nice in the mountains.
After the ceremony, we had the usual group photo shoot—families, friends, etc. I totally forgot that as Best Man and Maid of Honor, we’d be in a lot of photos (I’m not particularly a fan of being photographed). But it was quick, and then we went to lunch.
Everyone expected someone to give a speech, even though the bride and groom said we didn’t have to (which was the only thing I requested). But my husband was persuaded to give one, so he stood up, called for attention (clinking his glass, classic), and said:
"Congratulations to the newlyweds. Bon appétit."
As everyone said, one of the best speeches ever. I loved it. And then we could eat.
Soup was served, and then two main courses were available buffet-style. One was my favorite, so I selfishly got up right after the newlyweds to get it. However, no one else went for a long time—I guess they were shy—so it didn’t matter that I took the initiative. I ate both the soup and the second meal, which I’m proud of (I sometimes have trouble eating at social events).
Then came the first game: wedding bingo. We got cards and had to fill them out with people who matched different questions (like who taught the bride or groom to cook, who knows the bride’s shoe size, etc.). The game was just after lunch, followed by the cake cutting. That was a lot of activity, so people wanted to relax, have coffee, and chat. I was already exhausted, so I went to our room for a nap, which was great.
When I came back, I realized I wasn’t the only one—many people were still resting. We talked and played board games. The original schedule got stretched, and the game my husband and I prepared was delayed by about an hour and a half (which didn’t matter at all).
We prepared a variation of a classic wedding game. We printed questions on large sheets for everyone to see, except the newlyweds. The guests saw the questions, and depending on whether they matched the answer, they either stood up or stayed seated. The bride and groom then had to guess the question based on who stood and who sat.
Some examples of the questions:
- Who has heard the bride/groom sing?
- Who has seen the bride/groom dance?
- Who has seen the bride/groom naked?
- Who changed the bride/groom’s diapers?
- Who didn’t think they would ever get married?
It was even more fun than I imagined. The guests gave great hints, and the newlyweds guessed all the questions in the end.
After dinner, there was the bouquet toss and the first dance of the newlyweds. It was beautiful—the song choice surprised me (a song from Shrek, “It Is You”—a slow waltz), but it was perfect. Then there was a dance with the parents, and after that, everyone could dance. However, it seemed most guests weren’t the dancing type, so after a few songs with just me, my husband, and a few friends, we switched from classic dancing to party dancing. We made the mistake of forming a conga line and going inside to persuade others to join us—which ended up with almost everyone staying inside. But we went back out and partied until midnight.
After more dancing and talking, I went to bed around 1 a.m.—well, closer to 2, because again, seven people for one bathroom, and everyone decided to go to bed at the same time. How similar we all are.
The next day was chaotic again. Some people were leaving, others went for a hike. We chose to go home, took two friends with us, but ended up packing and waiting for other things to take back to the city for about three hours.
But overall, it was a great experience, a wonderful weekend, and a successful wedding.
Supporting a Friend’s Wedding Without Burning Out
Being there for a friend’s big day is a privilege, but for introverted and sensitive souls, it can also be overwhelming. Over the past month, I learned a few gentle strategies that helped me show up for my friends—without losing myself in the process:
Set Boundaries Early: Before the festivities, I clarified with the couple what I could realistically help with. This meant saying “yes” to decorating and logistics, but “no” to late-night party planning or endless errands.
Pack Your Comforts: I brought my own snacks, a cozy sweater, and even face mask for sleeping—tiny things that made long days and noisy nights more manageable.
Schedule Downtime: I made sure to sneak away for a short nap or quiet walk, especially when the social energy started to drain. Even 15 minutes alone helped me recharge and return with a genuine smile.
Communicate Openly: When I felt overwhelmed or unsure about my role, I checked in with the bride and groom. Honest conversations prevented misunderstandings and helped me feel more at ease.
Celebrate Small Wins: I reminded myself that just being present, lending a hand, or sharing a laugh was enough. I didn’t have to be the life of the party to be a valuable part of the day.
If you’re supporting a friend’s wedding soon, remember: your presence and care matter more than perfection. Take care of yourself, too.
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