DISCLAIMER: These are all just my opinions, but to each his own. You do you.
I've been seeing a lot of posts on social media lately that have been driving me a little nuts. Girls will post something that reads along the lines of this: "I really want this tattoo but I don't want it visible for my wedding day!" This has been driving me UP THE WALL.
Tattoos are awesome, but tattoos are permanent.
Let me say it louder for the people in the back.
Tattoos are permanent. They don't come off.
They're not accessories that you can put on and take off when your aesthetic permits. When you get a tattoo, it stays on you for the rest of your life–it'll be there for funerals, parties, work, church, and even *gasp* your wedding.
As a person with seven tattoos and counting, hiding them for my wedding would be least of my worries. Honestly, when I go to pick out a dress, I'm probably going to look for one that keeps them as visible as possible. Why? Because I paid good money for my tattoos and I'm proud of them.
My tattoos mean something to me. They're pieces of art that I decided to put on my body for the rest of my life. I love the thought of having something sentimental that sticks with me for the rest of my life. Sure, I have some "dumb", "cutesy" tattoos. The coffee bean tattoo on my ankle could definitely fall into that category. But, honestly, that one probably means the most to me out of all of them. That one represents my best friend, and I don't foresee that (or her) becoming something (or someone) that I'm ashamed of any time soon.
Besides their personal sentimental value, tattoos are a beautiful expression of an artistic nature. Tattoo artists are insanely talented humans that deserve just as much praise and admiration as any other artist would. I follow SO MANY tattoo artists from faraway places on social media. I already have plans to get a sleeve done. I want to cover myself in as much beauty and art as I possibly can.
What really gets me about an idea to that effect is the amount of judgement that I feel from posts of the like. It almost makes me feel like I've messed up my body or made it impure in some way. If someone doesn't want one tattoo visible on their wedding day, where does that put me? What does that make of my art and my choices to alter my body?
I know, I know. These posts are never directed at someone in particular. And they're definitely not directed at me, personally. They're just someone "thinking aloud". I'm just taking a generalization and finding a reason to get offended. And yeah, maybe I am. But maybe I also want to get rid of the stigma that tattoos would "dirty" my blank canvas or that they "pollute" my body.
The only reason that I would even think of covering my tattoos for my own wedding would be if my significant other came from a family with a religious doctrine that would not allow tattoos. Out of respect, I would absolutely cover them. But I wouldn't cover my tattoos for an aesthetic reason.
Personally, I want my "dumb" coffee bean tattoo on display. Because, personally, I want my best friend by my side as my maid of honor with her "dumb" coffee bean tattoo on display.
