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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OSU chapter.

The wedding of my dreams, but maybe not yours…

Every girl has thought about their wedding since they were little; dreaming about the perfect white gown, venue, flowers and everything in between. Most picture a big white traditional wedding with all of their friends and family at a venue they have loved since they were little. I, however, can’t imagine my wedding being anything like that. 

I always dreamed of a small, intimate wedding in a destination that is special to both me and my future husband. Whether you want a big traditional wedding or a small one like me, there are so many amazing types of wedding venues and choices. All that matters is that you are marrying the one who you love; the wedding is just part of the fun.

Why I want it Small

Ever since I was little, I have been more on the shy side. Being shy has made me nervous in certain situations; especially talking in front of big crowds. I definitely break out of my shell once I get to know someone, but it is hard for me to be super outgoing right off the bat. With that being said, I truly cannot imagine anything worse than having to stand in front of 100 to 200 people, some of whom I wouldn’t even recognize, read my vows, say “I do” and kiss. I think I would remember being nervous more than the day itself; taking away the beauty of the love created.

Having just our immediate family and some best friends at my future wedding would make it more meaningful in so many ways. Family is so important to me, so having them there while I got married would be a top priority, even though I have a huge family! What matters most to me when thinking about a wedding is feeling happy, loved, confident and calm. Having a small wedding in a place like Lake Como, where my family and close friends celebrate the love I have found, sounds like a dream come true. 

Where I want it

I’ve always dreamt of having my wedding on a lake or mountain somewhere in Greece or Italy. Although I don’t have personal connections to either of these places, I have been to both, and loved them so much. Hopefully my husband is part European so it would make more sense as we choose a location… 

I can’t imagine anything more beautiful or special than marrying the love of my life on a mountain top overlooking beautiful scenery with our loved ones surrounding us. Spending the money on traveling to a destination like Italy is something I would rather do than spend money on catering for hundreds of people. I have been passionate about traveling since I was little, and I have been to so many enchanting places. Having the chance to get married in one of these places would be perfect.

Even though I don’t want what is considered a traditional wedding, I still want a beautiful white gown, beautiful bouquets of flowers and a ceremony. So much stress goes into planning big weddings, and I think that sometimes the beauty of the wedding gets taken away by that stress. If I were to have a wedding in a different country, with a small amount of people, or even elope, the stress would be minimal. When I think about my dream wedding, it makes me smile and I hope I can bring that dream to life one day.

Everyone has different hopes, dreams, goals and styles in life. For me, having a traditional wedding just isn’t in my cards. I absolutely love going to weddings and every single one has been beautiful, but I just can’t picture myself getting married with so many people during a one-night experience. I would love to remember my marriage as a week of memories and celebrate our love through the beautiful setting. I love fantasizing about my future wedding, and my ideas could totally change, but for now this is what sounds dreamy to me. It may not sound dreamy to you, but that is what is so special about weddings, and what makes the love that you and your partner have so special. 

Katriel Orlean was previously an intern for the National Writing Program at Her Campus as well as the Instagram and Facebook editor at her Her Campus's Ohio State University chapter. She created graphics for her chapter's Instagram and Facebook, posted new articles on both social medias, and helps to recruit members through Instagram. During her time as a writer for the NWP, she wrote evergreen articles as well as articles that are news based. She wrote about five to six articles per month for this program. Beyond Her Campus, Katriel was an intern for Spoon University where she wrote 8-10 articles per month. These articles were sometimes evergreen and mostly they are based on timely news in the food world. She is a recent graduate from The Ohio State University, with a degree in Communications Analysis & Engagement. In her free time, Katriel loves to travel, workout, play tennis and pickle ball, and hang out with family and friends. She is a buckeye through and through and loves to exude all of her school spirit at the Ohio State football games. She loves to write, especially for HC!