Happy Wife, Happy Life

This is the mantra of Mr. Cubbie's sister, bridesmaid T. It's so true! Say it with me, now:

Happy wife, happy life!

Doesn't that just make you smile? :)

Mr. Cubbie [thankfully] likes to follow this saying. He truly does love to make me happy - even when it means I ask him to read the Offbeat Bride book.

*note - being caught reading a book about brides is not considered "cool" by most guys!

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For those brides out there who are perfectly fine with their taffeta-filled weddings, I think that's fantastic! This book isn't so much about filling your wedding with quirky details, and nixing the favors, it's about empowerment over creating the wedding you dream of. And it's hilarious, to boot!

There's just so many things some guys don't get when it comes to weddings. Our most recent thing is invitations. I want pretty, letterpressed plantable paper invitations that will turn into a keepsake framed in our home. He wants to send out emails. Sometimes it's hard to feel like you have to justify things in your wedding that you know aren't actually crucial. (would people still come to our wedding if we sent emails? Probably yes. Is letterpress awesome? Drool.)

We've been planning our wedding since May 2008. In those twelve (!!!) months, I've thrown a lot of ideas his way, most of which didn't even register. Example - there's an awesome meadow at Westwind overlooking the ocean. Even if we can't do our ceremony there (it's about a mile hike!), we could still do a sunset toast for those who can make the trek. Mr. Cubbie didn't quite "get" the idea of having a second ceremonial-type thing.

When he went to Switzerland a few weeks ago, I sent him packed with the Offbeat Bride book. He read the whole thing while away, and now he can't stop talking about how hilarious it is! And he approached me the other day to tell me he thinks we should have a ring-warming ceremony and a sunset toast (the author talks about hers in her book). I laughed! And then he said, "You already suggested this .... didn't you?"

He's a changed man! Now that wedding planning isn't so alien to him, he's coming to me with all sorts of ideas for the planning! Wedding planning is now approachable for him, and that means he's involved a lot more. And that makes his future wife very happy. And his life all the more happy.

What do you think of the mantra "Happy wife, happy life"? How have you successfully gotten you fiancé involved in the planning process? Is he coming to you with ideas, or has it been a bit of a struggle?