Everyone in my life has been telling me to have fun planning my wedding. And while I certainly try to have fun, it’s not always so easy.

I caught up with a bride who has truly taken the mantra “make wedding planning fun” to heart.

Kiera Zajicek, 33, of Mountain Top, is at the end of her wedding planning journey. Zajicek, and her fiance, Luke Capie, 32, will be getting married in June at Brigantine Beach in New Jersey, and the couple has been making the most of their time planning.

“Our planning has been fun,” she said.

And I admire that. At most times (so far), my planning has been very serious and I’ll be the first to admit I can afford to lighten up a bit.

Zajicek told me that instead of just asking his groomsmen, Cadie had a “best man competition,” and made an entire day of activities and sports for his friends to get together and have fun through the process.

“We’re just gonna have a good time,” she said.

In addition to having fun, Zajicek has been making sure her wedding is affordable for all those involved. She said she ordered the bridesmaids dresses from a vendor on Etsy and that she has a lot of DIY-friendly people involved in the wedding.

“We’re just trying to go really casual and easy,” she said.

And I get that. We talked about averages prices for weddings — which can climb close to $30,000 — and as a bride in her early twenties, I can appreciate keeping things as cost-friendly as possible.

Like Zajicek, I have a lot of friends and bridesmaids who are crafty and can help me put together things like centerpieces and floral arrangements. And her relationship with Cadie makes me think of my own with Mikey.

“He makes (planning) easy,” she said.

So does Mikey. While I’m stressing out about the next 50 things we have to accomplish, he stays level-headed and calm, which makes things so much easier for everyone involved.

But everything hasn’t been easy for Zajicek. She told me she lost her mother six years ago, and so parts of her planning that would typically include her mother, like dress alterations, have been harder.

“You put on a happy face (in those situations),” she said.

She has been finding ways to incorporate her mother’s memory into the ceremony. Cadie proposed to Zajicek with her mother’s diamond, and she is using part of her mother’s dress in her own.

“She’s there in a lot of ways,” she said. “She’s a part of it.”

And while Zajicek acknowledged planning can be difficult at times, she said the people in her life have helped her throughout this journey.

“I have a good support system,” she said.

Brigid Edmunds and her fiance, Mikey Lawrence, will tie the knot May 25, 2018.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_BrigidMikey-1-1-2.jpg.optimal.jpgBrigid Edmunds and her fiance, Mikey Lawrence, will tie the knot May 25, 2018. Submitted photo

Luke Cadie and Kiera Zajicek have found a way to have fun planning their wedding.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_zajicek-1.jpg.optimal.jpgLuke Cadie and Kiera Zajicek have found a way to have fun planning their wedding. Submitted photo

By Brigid Edmunds

bedmunds@timesleader.com

Editor’s note: Brigid Edmunds is the digital coordinator for the Times Leader. When she’s not working, she’s busy planning her upcoming nuptials to fiance Mikey Lawrence.

If you’re a bride-to-be or recently got married and would like to be featured, email her at bedmunds@timesleader.com.

Her column, The Prenuptial Project, will run twice a month in Weekender.

Reach Brigid at 570-991-6113 or on Twitter @brigidedmunds