MY FH and I got engaged mid-March. He is about to graduate from medical school and start his residency, the first year of which will be in a city about 5 hours away before he moves back home to finish residency. That said, his next year/five years will be quite busy and not wedding planning friendly. I started to go through all the motions and just trying to plan it around his vacation schedule already caused me so much stress I would cry just thinking about it. Then, we were both in a big blow out wedding this weekend which was beautiful, but also made me realize I just didn't want it. I have always talked about eloping/doing a family only wedding, because the pressure and attention of a full wedding is just not me. If we go a full wedding route, we wouldn't have much of a choice to have less that 200/250 people there. And the cost is enough to make me faint. Well yesterday, I have this crazy idea to ask our priest if he would marry us in a month and a half, so we could get married before he started residency. Although the Catholic prefers more time for wedding prep he said he could possibly make it work and we are talking to him on Saturday. I also found out that the local photographer I love is free that day, the church is free, the restaurant we love and would want our reception at is available, and my close family who I would want there is all available to come (which is an actual miracle). Needless to say, it feels like fate!! I am also fairly certain I could get a dress identical to the one I loved custom made in time as well. While I am SO excited about this possibility because it feels like the wedding I always wanted is coming to fruition, I'm also scared that I'm going to regret this because it wasn't the "traditional" wedding and my friends weren't there? If we do go through with it we aren't going to tell anyone until afterwards.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Did you have a quick or small wedding and regret it?