The Sullivan Wedding (and the Chaos We Thrive In)

My brother got married last month and in true Sullivan fashion, it was an epic backyard wedding. Two weeks after Halloween, no less. Talk about a whirlwind.

Everything was done in-house. The flowers, the décor, the tent, the video, the mood… all of it. Somewhere between arranging twenty vases of fall flowers (complete with ladybugs), editing together a 10-minute video filled with family memories & words of wisdom, and building a dreamy barnyard-meets-wedding photo op, I realized again: these events basically function as a second full-time job.

And, in their own way, we all feed off the chaos.

There’s something addictive about it… like the adrenaline of being part of something bigger than yourself.

But the truth?

Sometimes there’s more tension and chaos than joy in the moment. There was exhaustion. Sore muscles. Maybe a few tears. And no matter how “prepared” we thought we were, most of it came together on instinct rather than instruction.

Still… looking back, I see where I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It’s the kind of messy magic you don’t fully appreciate until it’s over.

Working with my (much younger) sister was a highlight. She has more patience than anyone I’ve ever known — I swear she doesn’t have a genuinely mean bone in her body. She handled my stress and frustration with so much grace (thank you). And somehow, we collaborate pretty flawlessly without ever needing to hash out every detail. We agree where it matters, disagree respectfully where needed, and keep moving. I may or may not throw in an eyeroll. I will not confirm or deny! But back to a more serious note — it’s a gift.

When the day was finally over and everything went beautifully, the emotional payoff was immediate. Like someone had lifted a weight off my chest. I spent the entire next day in bed with zero regrets. I could finally breathe again. And honestly, it took the entire following week to fully decompress from the wedding and Halloween before it.

It was chaos.

It was exhausting.

It was absolutely us.

And despite everything, I’m grateful I got to be creative in ways I don’t often get to be: arranging flowers, styling and designing sets, photographing moments, collaborating with my sister. These events remind me that even in seasons that pull me away from my personal creativity… I’m still creating.

Just in a different way.