I'm a Practical Bride....

... and can prove it. No really, it says so right here!

The wise and witty Meg, over at A Practical Bride, ran a contest in response to the "I'm a Modern Bride" ad campaign sponsored by, you guessed it, Modern Bride. For Meg's contest, 114 readers shared their smartest, sweetest, funniest and most meaningful reasons that they count themselves as "A Practical Bride"... all far more touching and personal than "My wedding lasted 4 days."

Well, lo and behold, Meg selected me as one of the 3 winners! I am deeply honored to be recognized by the Queen of Practicality herself, and to be counted among the 2 other winners, both of whom I greatly admire.

Here are the winning responses:

Desaray of DingMoonMoment:
"I'm a practical bride because I bought a power of attorney before I bought my shoes."
Sadly, her marriage won't be legally recognized by the District of Columbia. Kudos to them for doing it anyway! I love this answer because it reminds me about the true commitments we make in our marriage vows, and is a brutally honest reflection of what our gay friends in unsupportive states must face in their partnerships.

Cara, of Peonies and Polaroids:
"I'm a practical bride because I really and truly hope that our wedding won't be the happiest day of our lives."
What a beautiful and touching answer. Honestly, we should all hope the wedding is just the beginning of many happy days to come. I personally love knowing that while I can plan my wedding ad nauseum, its the unexpected happenings in life that can lead to great happinesses too. Surrendering ourselves to the unpredictable and everyday joys in life will not only let us enjoy our wedding day more, but all our days together thereafter.

And my own answer:
"I'm a practical bride because I believe the day is only 'perfect' if we end up married. To each other."
It's a simple truth. Not always easy to remember or put into practice, but essential. It boils down to two truths. I love him more than I could ever imagine. I can't imagine living without him. The celebration is just the icing on the cake, if you'll pardon my pun. Or, should I say, the cream on the puff? the beard on the papa? Oh brother....

Thanks Meg!