With cannabis becoming legal in more and more territories, couples are starting to throw extravagant weddings that include both open bars AND cannabis bars! “The ultimate turn up” as the young kids say. Imagine sharing your signature strain along with your signature drink at your wedding! That sounds like the best wedding ever. But while you’re dreaming up this very modern affair, you regretfully remember your conservative cousins and your parents that “Just Say No.” Cringe.
Planning a wedding can be stressful enough without bringing pot to the party, but reefer is an important part of your romance and you don’t want to closet your legal right to celebrate with cannabis. Is a this battle worth fighting? What do you do? To quote rap legends, the Beastie Boys, “You got to fight for your right to party.”
To help walk you through how to warm your family up to a marijuana matrimony, we’ve called in relationship expert Molly Peckler from the cannabis relationship-coaching firm, Highly Devoted!
HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO BREAK THE NEWS:
HIT THEM WITH THE FACTS & “JUST SAY KNOW”
Knowledge is power! Remember those research papers you did in college that caused many an all nighter? Well, we’re going to use those researching skills to help back up your position on why having marijuana at your wedding is totally acceptable. Here are few ideas of what to include:
· Share with them the number of states and countries that are changing their laws on cannabis.
· Tell them about the 50 Most Influential Pot Smokers to show them how casual use of marijuana, like casual use of alcohol is nothing to be feared. Steve Jobs smoked pot and look what happened there.
· Share that according to the latest research, marijuana is a lot safer than we previously thought.
· U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention says alcohol kills more people than cannabis does. Maybe you should rethink the open bar instead…
· Tell them how cannabis has saved lives of small children with diseases like epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
· Cannabis has also done wonders for the emotional improvement of cancer patients. It’s the one two punch of emotional guilt.
There is so much information to give your parents if they are ever skeptical of the wonders of weed. Isn’t the Internet awesome?
TELL YOUR STORY
You laid down the logistical argument of being pro-marijuana. Now hit them with the emotional argument. Let your family know HOW and WHY cannabis is a symbol of your relationship. Speaking from your heart and sharing how cannabis helped you find love is a great to help the naysayers become a part of your journey. Try and compare your use of cannabis to how others recreate with alcohol. After all, how many wedding speeches start off with “So we were at this bar…?”
INVITE THE NAYSAYERS TO A LEGAL SMOKE SESSION
For the more daring of couples, Molly suggests asking your family if they would like a smoke session to break the ice about having a weed wedding. Your family might look at you crazy and that is totes a normal reaction. But they might take you by surprise with how open they can be. Maybe your dad can tell you about that time he smoked at a Grateful Dead concert and thought Jerry Garcia was Jesus.
There is no harm in just asking!
SHOULD ALL OF OUR GUESTS KNOW IN ADVANCE?
Now that mom and dad have loosened up to the idea of weed wedding, what about everyone else? For this, we go back to Molly.
Should you tell your guests? Molly, should we tell grandma?
“Honesty is always the best policy, so let your guests know about the weed wedding ahead of time. You don’t need to spell it out on your wedding invitation, but make sure to spread the word to all of your guests, including grandma. Your wedding is the perfect opportunity to shatter outdated stoner stereotypes and start a more open, honest dialog about cannabis.
Maybe you’ll be lucky and have a former hippie grandmother who used to smoke with the Grateful Dead and think a weed wedding is very cool. Not only would that be absolutely amazing, but it will also bring your family closer together.
Remember your wedding should be a shared experience of love. No one should show up to your wedding holding a grudge and resentment. Making sure no one is surprised about your weed lifestyle may save you from a lot of frustration later on.”
Check back next Wednesday for ideas on how to inform the masses about your weed wedding!
THEY STILL WON’T BUDGE 🙁
Okay, you laid down the facts, but mom and dad are still wagging their fingers. They’re paying for the wedding and just can’t get behind a cannabis bar. Bummer L. HELP US Molly!!
Molly, what should the good people do if mom and dad are being just really uncool?
“Stay calm and clearly explain why you want to have a weed wedding, as well as the legality of the event. If your family still disagrees, offer to pay for the weed-related aspects of the wedding. If you’re still getting push-back and you don’t want to rock the boat, plan a weed wedding after party.”
Thanks Molly! Work with your parents because a compromise might save your wedding day. A weed after party would be cool. Try to hire Snoop Dogg as your DJ and then everyone would want to partake in the fun. Can I come to that party?
You can also choose to have fun with cannabis at your bachelor or bachelorette party! There are a growing number of event planners who are current on ever-changing state laws that would love to share their passion and help your plan your posh pot party!
FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE
According to Molly, “Your wedding day is about sharing a special moment with your friends and family. You want everyone to feel the same joy you have.” Lest us not forget friends, it’s your wedding. “If having a weed wedding is important to you and your fiancé, then do what makes you happy,” Molly stresses. Just remember, It’s your day and your life together. You don’t want to start the rest of your lives together regretting a decision made just to appease your family. “Do what you need to do to make sure you have the best day possible!” To live by the words of Audrey Hepburn, “Be happy, that’s all that matters!”
Article By: Katherine Chung @katchung92
Katherine is a freelancer hailing from the great NYC. She graduated from Temple University with a BA in Media Production and her first love is television. Katherine’s other loves include eating, Francis Ford Coppola films, and collecting vinyl records.