I Do… Have Another Wedding This Weekend

I was at my cousin’s wedding this past weekend. Williamsburg, Virginia. The kind of town where everything feels a little slower and more rooted. That’s where she met her husband. You could feel the weight of that like the place itself was part of their story.

(me with the bride and groom 💚💚💚)

She asked me to speak at the rehearsal dinner and I was so honored.

(me and my grandpop at the rehearsal dinner. we call him Pops 🫶🏻)

It was a beautiful weekend. Not overly overdone, just real. The kind of wedding where people cried for the right reasons and laughed because they couldn’t help it. Families reconnecting, new chapters opening, time folding in on itself in the best way.

(Family)

(Selfie)

(Cousins)

And here’s the thing: it wasn’t an isolated weekend. I’ve pretty much been away every single weekend lately for weddings or wedding related events. One after another, friends, cousins, people I love and have watched grow into the kind of people who are ready for this kind of commitment.

I’m so happy for them. Genuinely. There’s something incredibly moving about seeing the people I’ve shared my life with find their person, someone who meets them in the quiet and the chaos. That kind of love? It’s worth stopping your life for. It’s worth showing up for.

But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t exhausting. Or expensive. The truth is, I’m still young. I’m still figuring out my finances, my job, what kind of life I want to build. And when you’re in that phase, not quite settled, still finding your footing, back to back weddings start to take a toll. The flights, the hotels, the gifts, the outfits… it all adds up fast.

I actually wrote a post back in October about how to survive wedding season without breaking the bank. And I’ve stuck to a lot of that advice. I split hotel rooms with friends whenever I can, it saves money and makes the weekend more fun. I some times do my own makeup, which I did for this past wedding and honestly? It looked great. But maybe the biggest lesson has been this: I can’t be everywhere. Not all the time.

That’s been a hard one. I want to be the person who shows up for everything. But I’ve realized I can’t always make every shower, every brunch, every lead up event. Sometimes I can only be there for the weekend itself and there are still a bunch events the weekend itself, but when I am there, I try to show up fully. Not just for the ceremony, but for the hours in between. The late nights, the early mornings, the deep conversations that happen outside of the main event.

Those hours, the quiet, sometimes messy, very human hours that’s where connection lives. That’s what people remember. Who was around when the music stopped. Who listened when someone needed a moment away from the crowd.

Weddings aren’t just about being in the photos. They’re about being present in the moments no one thinks to capture.

So yeah, it’s been a full season. I’m tired. I’ve spent more time in airports, ubers, trains than I care to admit, but I’ve also been reminded, over and over again, how lucky I am. To know people worth celebrating. To be loved by people who want me there. To keep finding new reasons to say, “Yes, I’ll show up.” 💚

Even when I’m still figuring things out. Maybe especially then.

xx,

Tallulah