Finding our own path

So P and I have been together for over 5 years now, and on our wedding day we will be one week away from the 6 year mark.  We've never broken up during those years, but we've definitely had our rough patches.
We met when we were taking on one of the hardest things we've both ever done, and we were both immersed in our jobs.  During our first two years together, we lived 2 1/2 hours apart, and saw each other about two weekends a month.  Our relationship really grew strong over those years, and when I was offered a job in St. Louis, we decided to move there together.  We lived together for one year in St. Louis, and it. was. hard.  He didn't have a steady job, and he was really unhappy.  I hated my new job, and I was struggling with what I wanted in our relationship.  It was not pretty, people.  So what did I do?  I applied to grad school and told him I was going in the fall.  He decided to apply to grad school as well, got in, and then we were ready to move.  But we did something that I think a lot of people didn't understand.  We decided not to live together.  For the first time, we lived in the same city, but in our own places.  And it was the best thing we could have done for our relationship.
Over the two years in grad school we both grew up a bit, and we were able to have really honest conversations about what we wanted and needed in our relationship.  We both needed to figure out what we wanted and needed before we could really strengthen our relationship.  We got engaged towards the end of those two years, and then moved across the country together.  This time we were ready, and living together has been amazing.
I know our story is a bit unconventional, I'm sure some people raised their eyebrows when we decided to live apart, but for us it was the right decision.  Now I don't have any doubts, and am so sure that I want this man to be my partner in life.  He's my family. 
Anyone else have a not so traditional relationship path?

Keeping it real

One thing I want to make sure of is that we do not lose ourselves in this whole wedding planning thing.  It's easy to get caught up in it all, and find yourself making decisions that you wouldn't.  For instance, we both knew that we did not want a fancy cake.  We never like them, the cost just seems outrageous to us, etc.  But about a month into wedding planning, we found ourselves getting talked into one.  I know this is small, but I really want this to be, well, a wedding of our own.  
So we are not doing a fancy cake.  We are having my amazing sous-chef friend make cupcakes, because he makes delicious cupcakes.  And because they are amazing, they are throwing it in with our per-person cost (which is highway robbery, and we seriously could not be more grateful). 
There are quite a few things that we are putting our feet down on, which I will write about in a later post.  How are you dealing with keeping your wedding about you and your partner? Please share any advice you have on how to do this!