six months later... and counting

Photo by Ica Images

Wow... Once upon a time I thought I could be a blogger. At one (brief) point I was even writing three blogs a week and in 2011 I wrote 88 blogs. And yet this is blog number 13 in the last two years. I've been a slacker when it comes to blogging, but that doesn't mean I haven't had things to say.

My last blog came out two days before one of the biggest days of my life. I got married May 30 and it couldn't have been a more perfect day. Maybe I should've blogged about it as soon as I got back from my honeymoon to really capture my emotions, but instead I've been soaking it all in. When you want something for so long, it takes awhile to trust it's true.

Some of the highlights from our wedding weekend in no particular order...

1. We didn't have a runaway bride or groom! Before 4:30 p.m. on May 30, Steve and I were husband and wife. I've heard so many horror stories of weddings gone wrong that it was a relief to know we made it to the finish line.

2. The weather was amazing. I was too chicken to have an outside wedding for fear of crazy weather, but I also really wanted photos taken outside. The guys may have been sweating a little, but I could not have asked for better weather.

3. Everything worked out at Camp. Don't get me wrong... there were glitches or maybe hiccups... but none of it really mattered. They were not used to hosting weddings, but in the end I feel like I was able to embrace the full experience of another weekend at camp. On my wedding eve I slept in the first cabin I ever spent a week in when I was nine years old. I stayed up talking to some of the best friends a girl could ask for and woke up to take a morning walk around the camp. I ate breakfast in the dining hall and got married in the same building where I felt God take a hold of my heart when I was 12 years old.

4. No one got hurt. Steve tripped down the stairs after we were pronounced husband and wife and it still makes me crack up. We can laugh because he wasn't hurt and he is just so graceful. By the time we made it to the door and greeted all of the guests, he was telling everyone that I had swept him off his feet. Everyone close to me was relieved it was him and not me knowing he recovered better than I ever could have.

Photo by Ica Images

5. I may be biased, but the ceremony was awesome. Everyone told me to soak it all in because it goes by so fast and I really worked hard to take in each moment. I tried to see everything around me and experience the wedding and not just rush it away. We had some amazing friends and family support us and we will be forever grateful. I loved taking communion with Steve to start our marriage and our pastor did such a good job of putting God first on a day that keeps trying to pull your attention to each other. Not to mention... I have friends that can sing! I can't stop playing the video of Kenny and Zoe singing. At that point in the ceremony, I had finally composed myself during communion and then Steve and I turned around to face Kenny and Zoe while they sang.. just in time for me to lose it again!

Photo by Ica Images

6. My parents are uber generous. The day wouldn't have been possible without them. I know there are stories of people getting married for super cheap, but it's really hard to do. I tried to be so conscientious of my parents' pockets and Steve and I took care of some little popup expenses here and there, but no matter how you slice it... the wedding was expensive. I can't thank them enough and I'm so grateful for everyone else that thanked them. We always joked that I would have to wheel my dad down the aisle by the time I got married, but we walked it together.

7. My "vendors" took such good care of me. I had the best photographers in the world with Ica and her husband Tim. Jenna was so patient with my hair and took care of a bunch of my bridesmaids with time to spare. I never even met Angie who did my flowers, but she took glimpses of a vision I had and made everything look great. Rich kept the party hopping even if he did shut down some of my friends' requests. He managed the music and I just kept dancing! Julie and her crew at Sterling Caterers was so good. They even valeted our car and made sure our wedding party was taken care of before the reception. I left them boxes of decorations on Thursday and they ran with it. Six months later and I'm sure I've forgotten someone, but I'm really just grateful for the people who went above and beyond a contract to make our day so special.

Photo by Ica Images

8. So many people trekked a long way to attend our wedding. We had family and friends at the wedding from at least five different states and most people had to drive at least an hour let alone all of the people who came from NC and beyond. After all of the weddings I've been to, it is not lost on me how expensive and time consuming weddings can be. People paid gas or plane tickets and hotels and gifts and dresses or tuxes or a new outfit... I'm so grateful. Managing the guest list was probably one of the most stressful parts of wedding planning for me and it meant the world to me have so many of my favorite people all in one place for a day. I just wish I could have spent more time with everyone.

Photo by Ica Images

9. I had two cokes! Leading up to the wedding I cut out soda and french fries in order to make sure I could fit in my dress. Once we knew we could get the dress zipped my friend Sarah bought me a coke from a camp vending machine and it had never tasted so good! Steve was also kind enough to stop at McDonald's on our way to the hotel after the reception so I could get another one.

10. Did I mention I got married? For a girl who had dreamt of her wedding since she was a little girl, there were a lot of expectations riding on this one day. I don't know that I had picked out wedding dresses or flowers, but more than anything I looked forward to a day when I could promise myself to the love of my life. It wasn't an easy road for Steve and I to get here, but it was worth it. I could not have found a better man and I just pray every day that I can love him more.