There’s Always Time If You Make It

On the morning of our wedding day, my wife and I woke up relatively early and did our usual routines. Then, we went downstairs for breakfast. Our families were also already staying at the hotel were the event was held, and my parents joined us for a quick meal before the big day.

We didn’t hang about for two hours, but we spent a good 30 minutes eating, and, as usual, I tried as much as possible from the buffet. We ate omelette, pancakes, bread, cold cuts, and yogurt with cereal. We had orange juice, chatted away, and my parents got some nice caffeinated drinks.

At one point, the waitress overheard us talking about the ceremony. “Oh, you’re the bridal couple? Wow!” We didn’t understand her surprise, but she explained: “Usually, we never see the couple that gets married. They typically don’t come down for breakfast. They’re too busy getting dressed, putting on makeup, and so on.” “Well, we prefer just eating,” I said, laughing. “It’s refreshing to see someone take the time to do that,” the waitress answered.

On the one hand, her observation didn’t surprise me. It’s a common gripe at German weddings that the first food appears at 4 PM, and that the couple has been starving longer than anyone else by the time it arrives. On the other hand, I was also flabbergasted—because who doesn’t eat breakfast when the next meal’s seven hours away?!

There’s always time if you make it. Truthfully, the time you make is the only kind that exists. It’s not always a sign you’re dedicating yours well when you’re going against the grain, but it can be a nice pulse check. Are you prioritizing what’s important to you or what you think will seem important to everyone else? And if there’s ever a day to break the rules and do what you want, the day you get married is probably it.