 Dr. Dale Atkins understands your wedding woes and has the perfect sanity-saving solutions for emotional issues, family questions, and fears about the engagement, wedding planning, and future.
 | I am a thirty-one year-old woman, all set to marry a forty-four year-old man. Each of us has been married twice before, so what is appropriate for a third wedding? Both of us have been through a lot in our past marriages, and we have come to the conclusion that our union is a lasting one. I would like to have an elegant church wedding of any size, because I have yet to enjoy that experience. My fiancé would like a large reception for the same reason.
My fiancé feels I should have the wedding that I want, but is it truly appropriate? Could we have the wedding and reception in the style and size we want without being frowned upon, or am I worrying too much about the opinions of others? |  |  | You have answered your own question. You CAN have the wedding and reception you and your fiancé both want, and you ARE too worried about the opinions of others. Begin your life with this man in the manner that makes you both comfortable. Those who care to comment on the style and size of your wedding will do so whether you have the wedding you want or the wedding they want, so go ahead and do what is right for the two of you. It is YOUR wedding, so follow your heart. Everyone else is a guest. | | 
Dr. Dale Atkins is a professional psychologist and frequent media expert specializing in couple and family relationships. Dr. Dale is also an author with five books to her credit: Sisters; Families and Their Hearing Impaired Children; From the Heart (co-author); I'm OK, You're My Parents; and the most recently published, Wedding Sanity Savers (co-author). Currently living in Connecticut with her husband and dog, Dr. Dale has two grown sons and a private practice in New York City. | |
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