Why Getting Married Later Might Be the Best Thing That Ever Happened to You

Any time is a great time to get married and is special in different ways. If you’re feeling late to the game- don’t! After planning weddings for over a decade in Aspen, I've noticed something: the couples who get married a little later (mid-30s, 40s, even 50s) seem to have figured some things out that the 25-year-olds are still learning on the fly. The biggest perk of getting married later is you’re paying for things that make you happy, instead of what you think you should because you don’t want to be left out of what everyone else is doing. 

Who Should I Invite to My Wedding? 

Our rule of thumb: if you’re not going to hang out or catch up long distance with someone in the coming year, they shouldn’t be at your wedding.

Here's the thing about getting married when you're older: you've stopped caring about inviting people out of obligation.

Your guest count naturally shrinks because you're no longer inviting your parents' college friends you met once at Thanksgiving, your boyfriend's roommate from sophomore year, or that girl from your sorority who you haven't spoken to in eight years but feel weird not inviting.

A smaller guest list isn't a compromise. It's a feature. Every person there is someone you actually want to celebrate with, which means your wedding feels less like a massive production you're hosting and more like an actual party with the people you love most.

A lower guest count also means your budget goes further. You can spring for the nicer wine, the better food, the band instead of the DJ. Or you can just save the money and go on a longer honeymoon. Either way, you win.

What should I prioritize with budget? Don’t blow your budget on things you’ll regret.

When you're younger planning a wedding, it's easy to get swept up in what you think you're supposed to want. The Pinterest aesthetic. The Instagram moment. The thing that will look good in photos.

By the time you're in your 30s or 40s, you've lived enough life to know what actually brings you joy versus what just sounds good in theory.

You're less likely to blow $48,000 on flowers that will die in 36 hours if flowers aren't your thing. You're less likely to book a venue you can't afford because it's "the one everyone wants." You're less likely to say yes to things just because a vendor tells you it's "standard" or "what everyone does."

You know yourself. You know what you value. And you're way more comfortable saying "that's not for us" without feeling like you're doing it wrong.

The wedding you plan at 35 looks different than the one you would have planned at 25, and that's a good thing. It's yours, not some amalgamation of what you think a wedding should be.

You Look Snatched (And You Know It)

Let's talk about something nobody else will say out loud: when you get married later, you've had more time to figure out your skin, your body, and your overall self-care routine.

You know what serums actually work. You know which workouts make you feel good versus which ones just make you miserable. You've dialed in your skincare routine. You know how to eat in a way that makes you feel strong and energized, not deprived and cranky.

You're not trying to lose 30 pounds in three months before your wedding because you've (hopefully) made peace with your body or at least established habits that work for you year-round, not just in a panic before a big event.

Confidence is the best accessory you can wear on your wedding day. When you're a little older, you tend to have more of it. You've lived in your body longer. You know your angles. You know what makes you feel beautiful. You're not trying to look like someone else. You're just trying to look like the best version of yourself.

Your Wedding Party is Actually Your People

Any 35 year old will tell someone that’s 25 that your ride or die friends are much more an inch wide and a mile deep than a mile wide and an inch deep (like when you’re younger).Remember when you were 23 and thought you needed eight bridesmaids because that's just what you do? Most of us have been there.

When you get married later, you've had time to discover who stays through everything you go & grow through. figure out who your actual friends are. The ones who show up when your life gets messy. The ones who text you back about the hard stuff, not just the fun stuff. Your wedding party becomes smaller, tighter, and filled with people who genuinely know you. Not just people you felt obligated to include because you were in their wedding or because you've been friends since middle school.

There's something beautiful about standing at the altar surrounded by 1-5five people who've seen you at your worst and still think you're pretty great. That beats twelve people you're semi-keeping up with on Instagram.

The Bottom Line

Getting married later doesn't mean you missed the boat. It means you're boarding the boat with savvy. A clearer sense of who you are, what you want, and who you want standing next to you when you say "I do."

Your wedding will be smaller. It will be more intentional. It will be more you. And that sounds pretty perfect.

If you're planning a wedding in Aspen and want someone in your corner who actually cares about creating a day that feels true to you (not just true to what weddings are "supposed" to look like), let's talk. We only take on a handful of weddings each year, which means Iwe can give you the kind of attention and advocacy you deserve.

Reach out here and let's make something beautiful together.