It’s wedding season, and Alyssa and I have been hopping from one gorgeous celebration to the next. Frankly, there’s no such thing as a wedding that isn’t gorgeous anymore. How could there be? We’ve gotten so, so, so good at weddings.
And as soon as one ends, the question becomes: who’s next? Usually, the heads turn to me and Alyssa. You are next! Your wedding will be amazing. We will dance so hard!!! (To which I always think: since when do we need a wedding to dance? We need to figure out how to party more.)
But what’s up with wedding culture? Why does everyone feel the need to have one? What is a wedding if not an obligatory party with a bit of pageantry?
There’s a similar kind of pageantry online, too. In my freelance practice, I keep having the same conversation. Most of the people I work with are doing something new, and they feel like they have to look like they have it all together. Like a successful, polished, put-together brand. Not just to be a freelancer or creator or small business owner, but to look like a legitimate one. Not just to make things, but to make sure other people know we’re making things. To be visible. To be notable. It’s silly. But I get it.
