Future bride enjoying planning process

Planning a wedding can frazzle the hardiest of women. But Lenhartsville resident April Faust is reducing her stress level by refusing to attempt to please everyone.

“We kind of just decided that it’s our day so we’re just doing whatever we want,” said Faust, 32, who is set to marry fiancé Jared Kulp, 31, on June 22 at Mount Zion UCC Church in Strausstown.

The couple is also endeavoring to keep expenses to a minimum, as they plan on purchasing a house in the near future.

“The money situation is a big challenge,” said Faust. “We’re trying to do the wedding as cheap as possible because we are trying to buy a house.”

In order to save funds, Faust and Kulp are doing all they can by themselves, including making their own centerpieces and wedding invitations.

“Instead of paying other people to make things, or buy things, we’ve been trying to do everything ourselves,” said Faust.

And although many soon-to-be husbands are not excited about, or involved in, the planning process, Faust said she and Kulp are both spending a good amount of time on planning.

“He’s very involved,” said Faust, of her fiancé. “Most men don’t like to be involved but he’s pretty involved.”

Faust likewise mentioned that along with discussing the wedding plans with her fiancé, the most enjoyable part of the planning process is reconnecting with old friends and spending time with them.

Once all of the planning is completed and the marriage is consummated, Faust said she is most looking forward to calling Lenhartsville resident Kulp, a concrete finisher, her husband. And while she anticipates the day when she can use the label for her fiancé, Faust knows that the hard work will come after the day the vows are exchanged.

“Marriage is hard work,” said Faust, of what she has learned from her parents, from whom she learned not to give up. “I think a lot of people give up too easily and get divorced. My parents have been together a really long time and haven’t done that, but I know that they have obviously had a lot of tough times and just got through it together.”

In order to maintain a healthy relationship within the marriage, Faust feels as though communication is the key and that important issues should be discussed between marriage partners rather than attempting to sweep the problems under the rug.

To succeed in marriage, Faust also said a couple needs to refuse to stress about the small things, such as money; she also said it is important for partners to be involved in each other’s family. And she has received instruction through the advice of many people she knows that she and her husband should not go to bed angry.

But above everything else, Faust said in order to have a happy and lasting marriage, love is the key.

“I think some people get married for the wrong reasons,” she said.