Let me share a little something about getting married.
The wedding day is anticipated to be the crowning event of every girls’ existence…
We’ve built up to it for years;
Watching videos, swooning over gorgeous couples, making our perfect Pinterest boards.
The day we’ve dreamt of all our young lives.
When my time finally came,
I realized it wasn’t just picking out my favorite dress and being in love.
There was A LOT of preparation that went into it.
I had to make endless decisions… expensive ones…
About things I didn’t really care about.
Table cloths, cake flavors, party favors, invites, venues,
center pieces, tents, flowers, signs, vases, food…
Trust me, the list goes on and on.
Planning became my day job.
And not just mine…
It was a total family affair.
I started wondering as the day came closer, if it was really worth it.
“Why are we not just taking this money and going to Hawaii with the fam?”
“Why didn’t we choose to just do a dinner with close friends and call it good?”
“Why spend our day stuck in line, exhausted, talking to a bajillion of our parent’s friends we hardly know.”
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By the time all these thoughts had surfaced,
We had invested and the invitations were printed.
There was no going back.
So I decided a few things beforehand…
I was done worrying about the fluff.
I was going to enjoy this day and remember what it was REALLY all about.
Love. Family. Eternity.
Celebrating the beginning of life with Park.
You best believe we were gonna celebrate.
August 21, 2015.
The day we thought would never come– finally did.
I must admit,
It honestly was the GREATEST celebration of my entire life.
Which I almost hate to say,
Because it adds to the stereotypes and false expectations.
But it was absolutely magical;
I just want you to know WHY.
Not because my hair and make-up were amazing…
They most definitely weren’t.
Not because we had the most delicious cake…
Ours didn’t show up until 9pm— lopsided and the wrong color.
Not because everything ran smoothly…
We had some definite hiccups along the way.
It was the most wonderful day of my life because;
I promised myself and my all– to my closest friend.
I felt great peace and confidence that I had chosen the person to best complement and complete me.
I celebrated with all of my existing family.
I gained another amazing family.
I started my very own family.
We felt so flooded with love from our friends, relatives, and neighbors.
Days before, many started serving, setting up, and preparing for us.
We watched people work from morning to night..
just so we could enjoy our day.
So many came to support us and show their excitement.
Family, old friends, teachers, loved ones—
People who had impacted our lives in some way… were there.
I can’t put into words the gratitude we felt by the time the night ended;
It was humbling and overwhelming.
Park might have shed a tear or two…
And even though my cheeks ached,
I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face.
So what I really want to say,
is THANK YOU to everyone who made it so special.
It will be a forever highlight of our lives.
I also learned though, that a wedding is just that–
A highlight.
Not the crowning moment of existence.
Life doesn’t build to that day…
And then decline.
At least, it doesn’t have to.
August 21st was a wonderful beginning.
My new opportunity to share everything with the person I love most–
Adventure, trial, stress, growth, fun, sacrifice, love, aging, children, dreams, struggles…
Our relationship offers happiness to seize and potential to develop.
God wants us to progress through adversity together,
While finding joy in the journey.
Learning to work through the bad and focus on the good.
The greatest wedding truth–
There’s no more end to us and our relationship.
We hold the promise of eternity.
What a beautiful promise it is.
