What a wonderful wedding! What love! What beauty! What weather! We were so very lucky to have everything just fall right into place on the day of our wedding. We know we had help from lots of people, and we really appreciate them. The weekend was complete MAGIC.
We have been married for about 6 weeks now, and I have had one major realization - nothing is different. But I think that's a good thing. I guess there is a small difference in knowing that this is the man that I am committed to for the rest of my life, and there is no backing out now, but that only makes the relationship more exciting and special. What I am trying to say is that there have been no surprises since arriving home after the wedding festivities. We knew what we were getting into. It was so important for me to know everything that I could about my partner before I made the lifelong commitment of marriage. How awful would it be if a few weeks after the wedding I realized I married a man with crippling road rage? Or one who has unattainable expectations as far as my duties as a wife? Or one who has some pretty disgusting habits (I don't know, like eating his own scabs)? I know Joe, completely and fully, and I knew what needed to happen in order to make this marriage work. We were already making our relationship work before we even said "I do" - we moved across country together, we lived together, we purchased a house together, we purchased a car together, we had a joint checking account, we were parents to a wonderful dog together. I was able to learn so much about my partner, and this knowledge only solidified my desire to marry him. I know some people are old-fashioned, but I really recommend learning as much as possible about the person you are to marry before you actually marry them. Now, when either us take part in a disgusting habit, or do something incredibly dumb, we only have to point to our ring finger and say "it's yours for life!" But we knew of those things already, so it's a joke, rather than an earth-shattering realization.
I am proud to say that the wedding went off without any glitches, issues, mania, or meltdowns. I wasn't sure how I was going to act on the day of, and I truly surprised myself. I didn't force my bridesmaids into a Bridesmaid Sweat Shop on the day of the wedding, requiring them to do everything and anything in their power to make me feel special. They were extremely helpful though, which was a wonderful relief. I didn't yell at anyone, freak out, melt down, or turn sassy. I maintained my composure, and felt like I handled all hiccups with grace. I am proud of this! I didn't know if the day of the wedding I would unleash the beast. AND I did all of it on 3.5 hours of sleep. Incredible!
What helped tremendously for my well-being and mental health on the day of the wedding was the fact that we did a "first look" before the ceremony. A "first look" is when the bride and groom meet privately, which photographer in tow, to see each other and capture their reactions on film. This was wonderful for a few reasons. 1. We were able to react the way we wanted to when we first saw each other, rather than having to censor or filter our emotions due to the fact that 120 people are watching us in that special moment. 2. It will be saved forever on film, which is quite special. 3. There is no one else in the world who I would have rather seen, hugged, squeezed, and checked in with other than Joe. The "first look" gave me the chance to do that. 4. It forced us to be ready an hour before the ceremony, which insured that make-up would be applied, hair done, and smiles dazzling ahead of schedule.
Our wedding truly was magic, and it will certainly be a day that I will never forget. I had so much fun, and it was incredible to be the center of attention for all of that time. What I will remember most are the words of support, love, and encouragement that we received from our guests. It was so heart-warming! My favorite part of the evening was shortly after dinner - we were walking around the tent, going from table to table and thanking people for sharing our day with us. The sun was setting, and it cast a warm yellow glow throughout the tent. The tent was completely aglow with gold, and the flowers surrounding the tent stood out so brightly. This warm image, mixed with the wonderful words from family and friends, will be seared into my memory forever. Nothing will ever replicate that beautiful feeling. There are a few pictures that show this glow. Here is one of them, from our excellent photographer Stefanie Baker.
There are a couple more exciting wedding-related activities that now must take place. First up, HONEYMOON FIJI 2011!!!!!! We are more than excited for our 10 day getaway at the end of July. We are staying at two different resorts, on two different islands, so we will be able to experience a variety of beach, ocean, lagoon, mountain, jungle, animal, food, people, activities, and beach. Next up, I was disheartened that we couldn't share our special day with our main man (or, uh, dog) Ramone. He certainly would have been the ring bearer if we could have brought him to North Carolina. I see a certain wedding dress-inspired photo shoot in the near future, starring me and and the other love of my life, Ramone. More on that later.
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