One year ago this week, I was up to my elbows in stress, consumed fully in all the wedding details and I worried about our wedding day that was quickly approaching. I wish I knew now what I didn't know then; I would have done so many things differently. Paying for a wedding without the help of my parents was an extremely difficult task, but Rich and I made it happen. I wish we would have thought about the future and spent our money more wisely... we could really use that money now for the down payment on a house, but we have great memories and special photos from our special day.
The morning of our wedding, I awoke to a beautiful blanket of snow which covered the streets, the trees and sidewalks. It made for a messy commute, but the scenery gave a February wedding a little spunk. On Friday our photographer called and expressed his excitement about the forecasted snowfall and asked if it was OK to have most of our pictures taken outdoors. Of course, I replied with a "yes", even though I knew it was going to be bitterly cold. Deep down, I knew the backgrounds would be amazing so we could not pass up the opportunity to get pictures in the snow. Rich had a great time and our photographer captured his snow ball fight on film (those are some of my favorite pictures). We all prevailed and survived the arctic temperatures, although in hindsight, I don't know how. I smile each time I look through our coffee table album because the photos turned out to be gorgeous. I don't think I can thank our wedding party enough for standing outside without coats and long johns... they certainly were troopers because it was very, very chilly.
I'll never forget the moment I made it to the end of the aisle and locked arms with Rich. He looked over at me, smiled and spoke a sentence I'll never forget. He whispered in my ear, "The snow is your Dad's blessing on our marriage and he's looking down with a smile." Tears welled up in my eyes, but I was able to hold it together. I'll never know how I made it down the aisle, as that was my biggest fear. I always dreamed of my Dad walking me down the aisle and that special part was missing... and it broke my heart into two. My brother's and I persevered through the quivering legs, beating heart, upset stomach and nervousness. Once the church doors opened and everyone was looking at us, I felt the joy surround us as we marched down the long aisle and my prize was waiting there with a smile. Rich gave me a gift the morning of our wedding and along with it was the sweetest card. Inside he wrote, "Thanks for walking the aisle for me."
The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was fun, although I don't remember much. Unfortunately, a few things I do remember are negative. I am still in shock at some of the comments that were said during our reception and after our wedding was over, but one day I will soon get over it. Some people can be so mean especially when they've been handed everything with a silver spoon their entire life. Most comments came from a few people who have never been nice to me so I should have expected it, but it hurt my feelings a great deal because of the sacrifices we made.
I am happy that our wedding is behind us and we are approaching our one year anniversary. I know one thing... I never want to plan something of that caliber ever again! What means more to me is the happy marriage I have with Rich and all the good things we anticipate in the coming year; a new house, a baby (fingers crossed), a new dog (one can hope, right?!) and a life full of happiness, love, trust, good health, cherished memories, friends and family.
It was a wild ride, but becoming Mr. and Mrs. Smith made it all worthwhile. We are so thankful for the generosity of all our family and friends before, during and after our wedding. We were blessed with so many wedding showers and parties - the love people have for us is profound and we can't thank everyone enough for sharing in our special day, especially since they braved the cold and snowy streets.
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