Getting Married After 30

The content in this blog post first appeared in my monthly newsletter in February of 2026. Sign up here for first access to more content like this!

Hi Friend! And happy Feb-r-u-ary! (Please tell me I’m not the only one who always has to sound it out like that!?)

This month’s newsletter is in lieu of the full-on rant that I originally wanted to write. And before we dive in, I want to fully acknowledge a few things: I am a woman in my early 30s who got married to my best friend when I was 27 years old. 27 is certainly not old by any stretch of the imagination, but I was the last of my close girlfriends to get married (every single one of my bridesmaids were already married when they were in my wedding). My parents got married when my mom was 19, and my brother got married when he was 24. So I certainly felt old at the time as a 27 year old bride. Practically geriatric. 

Looking back now, I of course realize that I was crazy to have felt like an “old bride”. There’s no such thing as an “old bride”. People get married at all ages, and it’s beautiful and wonderful and perfect to get married at any age (as long as it’s between two consenting adults who are madly in love with each other).  

Getting Married After 30 

Recently, a few different people I know got married (not to each other lol). They’re my age. A completely normal and appropriate age to be getting married, in my opinion. And reading through the social media posts of people congratulating them, I came across a few that struck me as wild (and as much as I wish I was making this up, they are indeed very real):

“By the time I was your age, I had already been married _ years. Congrats!”

“Now your life can finally begin!”

“You’ve spent all these years just waiting for your prince charming!”

Let me just tell you, I have thoughts. And if you want my full rant on this topic, let me know because I may change my mind later and write it out for you. Instead, I wrote a note to everyone who is engaged or recently married, but especially to those who are getting comments like those ^^ on your social media.  

Letter to Engaged Folks

I am so happy for you! You have always been such a joyful person, and I am so glad to see that being engaged has only added to that joy. Sixth grade us would have been so excited to know that we both have found such wonderful people to spend the rest of our lives with. 

As long as I’ve known you, you’ve always been full of laughter, been able to make even mundane tasks seem like a grand adventure, and been the loyalest of friends. Your fiance is the luckiest to get to spend the rest of their life with you, and I’m so glad that you have found the kind of love that you deserve. 

Love, Bree

And now, the gentlest of reminders: Anyone who makes you feel bad (about your age, about your fiance, about what type of wedding you’re planning, about who you are/aren’t inviting to your wedding, or about anything else, honestly) doesn’t need a place in your life. It’s completely okay to love them, and to let them go. 

Final Thoughts

I really believe that the people who made those comments I saw on social media weren’t being intentionally malicious. They were trying their best to congratulate my friends. And if someone makes a comment that makes you feel bad, but you value the relationship you have with them, it’s okay to say something about it. Even something as simple as “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me with your words, but you did, and here’s why …” Then see what their response is and go from there. 

But if it’s your grade school classmate’s dad who you haven’t seen since you were in the eighth grade, I’m giving you permission to delete their comment and unfriend them. Because you know and I know that they’re wrong. 

You had a full and amazing life before getting engaged and married, and you’ll have a full and amazing life after. There have been ups and downs before, and there will be ups and downs after. And yes, of course, falling in love and getting married changes your life, but this is not when your life begins. And to pretend that you were just sitting around waiting for someone to marry you for all those years doesn’t do justice to the life you have lived or to the amazing person that you’ve become. 

*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!

I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a portraits/elopements/branding photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!

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