The first wedding I ever planned was my best friend from childhood's. We had a guest list of 170+, a $7500 budget, and only a few quick months to execute it all. I was 23 and hadn't yet read enough Wedding Industry material to think that this was an impossible task. It was *great.* I honestly think that every single guest enjoyed themselves, and I was so tired by the end of the night that I stepped out of my champagne-stained dress in the front hall of my apartment and walked straight into bed with a full face of makeup still on. I was hooked.
Weddings do not have to be expensive, stressful, planned two years in advance, or formal. As long as they feature a couple who loves each other, the rest is ultimately pretty extraneous (although, potentially really fun extraneousness.) That said, a lack of money, time, or fanciness does not mean that your wedding cannot be beautiful, meaningful, and all other kinds of wonderful. And it certainly doesn't mean that you can't have a totally kick ass party.
I believe in marriage. My grandparents were married for 62 years and I'm currently planning my parents' 40th anniversary party. I have seen first hand how powerful the institution can be, how marriage can let people help lift each other up to the best versions of themselves. I also believe in parties, but know that the amount of pretty details or money involved in the party has very little to do with the strength of the marriage (my parents' 1972 wedding cost $750 and was held at home and self-catered by her family. Even in today's dollars, that's less than $4000.)
I have cried at almost every wedding I've ever been to, and I will probably cry a little bit at yours. I will certainly wear party shoes. I will also run interference, take care of details, do my very best to fix any problems before you're aware of them, and generally do everything I can to make sure that you are able to be fully present at your wedding, not worrying about logistics or problems but focusing on the commitment you're making and oh, hopefully also on having a sh*t load of fun. My goal as a planner and coordinator is for every couple to leave their wedding and realize that they didn't worry about a single detail all day.