Today is our third wedding anniversary. Third! I can hardly believe three years have already passed so quickly. In light of my "moments" train of thought, I've been thinking about moments from our wedding that I hope to always remember. Sure, I recorded the big stuff in my very first anniversary blog post, when I recapped our wedding day and how incredible it all was. But I want to be sure to remember the little details, too, and I'm not talking about planned details like the centerpieces or ceremony programs. Rather, I'm talking about the little moments and details throughout the wedding day and week leading up to it that meant so much to me, I still smile when I think about them. Details like...
...how delighted I was when I walked into my bridal shower and saw everything the hostesses had put together for me: the food, the decor, the games, all of it. My family put so much thought into what I would like and they got it just right!
...tearing up for the first time of my wedding week when Molly gave me the first of many scrapbook pages she made, using old letters I sent her about Eric when we first started dating. As soon as she gave it to me, I cried. I looked forward to getting new pages all week long!
...the "poofs" Heather gave all the girls for Night #1 of my bachelorette party! Snooki totally copied off us, I'm sure of it.
...going to Busch Gardens with Molly and Megan to see Heather perform the week before the wedding, and running through the rain to get there!
...putting together bridesmaid bouquets with my mom. She and I are the most "OMG EVERYTHING MUST BE SYMMETRICAL" people, and we were the ones charged with making the bouquets look "random." It was a tough task.
...Eric's face as we practiced our vows at the wedding rehearsal. I think that was when it all really hit him, and it was very emotional.
...having all our family and closest friends together for dinner the night before the wedding. It was casual, fun, and all-around perfect.
...sneaking off with Eric towards the end of the rehearsal dinner to practice our first kiss. Of course, at the actual ceremony, all our plans went out the window!
...the looks on my bridesmaids' faces when they opened the photobooks I included with their gifts, and the groomsmen's reactions to their personalized bobbleheads.
...the final stages of getting ready on the wedding day. The limo had arrived and I wasn't dressed yet, so we went into full-on rush mode. My mom helped me into my dress and then my dear bridesmaids rushed around helping me with the finishing touches. (In the photo below, my mom is lacing up my dress and Megan is helping me with my bracelet.) On any normal day I would have been stressed about being late, but I was just too happy to be stressed.
...seeing myself for the first time as a bride. I was so excited!
...listening to Heather's solo from a tiny room outside the sanctuary before I processed in, and peeking through the doors at the congregation.
...Eric's face as I walked down the aisle. He was the only person I saw in a church full of people.
...THIS:
...holding hands during the entire ceremony. It just felt right.
...the way the gardenias on my prayer book bouquet smelled as I listened to the Pastor's message.
...Eric wiping my tears during the ceremony.
...my cousin Jacob completely surprising nearly everyone by coming all the way from Hungary for the wedding! I saw him as we recessed out of the church after the ceremony and yelled, "Jacob!!!"
...Heather and Ronnie dancing their way into the reception. Eric told all of our bridal party members to do something fun when they went in, but only Heather and Ronnie did!
...our guests' excitement (especially Jeff!) when we entered the reception to the Gators theme.
...Eric's face during our first dance (when he wasn't telling jokes, of course).
...how much Eric's family LOVED the "clink your glass to make the bride and groom kiss" tradition! I can still hear sister Kelley's laugh whenever they would clink their glasses!
...the beautiful toasts Ronnie and Heather gave at the reception. Both toasts were very "them" - Heather was very animated (as is her way), and Ronnie was hysterical. He had index cards, and didn't know what to do with them when he was done so he just started dropping them on the floor. Then at the end, he put down his cards to actually make the "raise your glass" part of his speech, but forgot the end so he went back to pick them up again! It was all very funny. For both toasts, I remember laughing and tearing up all at the same time.
...Eric's dance with his mom. He kept wanting to tango and she just laughed at him. She told us the last time we visited her that their dance (and our wedding) is one of the last things she remembers from before the stroke.
...my 85-year-old grandfather doing the conga line, YMCA and Chicken Dance.
...my mom's crazy, unstoppable dancing all night long.
..."Pointy-fingers dancing" with the bridesmaids. I don't even remember how this started, but we were all about it.
...Heather teaching my mom to "booty dance" at the reception. My mom was also amazed that Heather was dancing with her beer in hand, and Heather was just all, "well, what are you supposed to do, CHOOSE between beer and dancing? Ludicrous." That's my sister.
...back at our wedding night hotel, giving up on our in-room hot tub that would NOT warm up (we even called maintenance!) and staying up late talking about the wonderful night and reading through cards and our guestbook.
...not knowing what to do with ourselves the morning after the wedding. We had planned to be leaving for our honeymoon, but were instead stuck in Florida for a week thanks to a hurricane. We just went back to Cha Cha Coconuts, our rehearsal dinner restaurant, for lunch. Even though we could have easily been bummed about our delayed honeymoon, we were on top of the world. (We also should have been bummed about forgetting to pack hair gel, because YIKES. But, we embraced it!)
...the long wait at the airport and overcrowded flight when we finally DID get to go on our honeymoon, courtesy of the aforementioned hurricane (people were returning to the islands after being evacuated). We were the last ones on the flight and almost didn't get to sit together!
...the joy we felt when our delayed luggage (again, thanks to that overcrowded hurricane flight) finally arrived at our hotel over 24 hours after we did!
...a sunset sail followed by a delicious dinner on our honeymoon, courtesy of another couple on the sail with us. It was intended to be our "splurge" dinner, so we went all out - surf and turf, soup, appetizers, wine, dessert. When it was time to pay the bill we were informed that some of our fellow sailors had already picked up the tab for us. We were so overwhelmed by their generosity and hope to repeat the favor for another young couple someday.
As you can see, there are just so many incredible moments to remember. I have never felt such excitement, joy, gratitude and love as I did at the wedding and during all the wedding events. I am so lucky to have such wonderful memories.
And all those moments were just the beginning. Since those couple of weeks in August of 2007, Eric and I have shared countless moments together that I never want to forget. In fact, Eric asked me just the other day what my favorite moment from each year of marriage was. Honestly, I couldn't choose. There were too many: coming home from our honeymoon to a mess of all our things waiting to be unpacked in our new apartment; setting up that apartment; my grad school graduation; our first married Christmas in Florida and Cleveland; New Year's Eve in Florida at the beach; Eric's graduation; packing up and leaving DC; our second anniversary in the Caymans (and another flight delay); our first days in New York; Thanksgiving Day parades; birthdays; our first Christmas in the city; New Year's Eve in Times Square; the BCS National Championship Game; Eric being sworn in to the bar; moving to our new NYC apartment; the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest; our trip to Hungary and Scotland; recreating our wedding meal for our second anniversary; the Gala at the Plaza; our Dexter Halloween costumes; Eric's half marathons; the Easter Bonnet Parade; Los Angeles; and so many other things. I want to remember it all. (For the record, I think I chose our DC apartment as my favorite thing from Year #1, New Year's Eve in Times Square for Year #2, and Los Angeles for Year #3. Those answers are subject to change.)
I'm also so incredibly excited about all the moments we will continue to create throughout our life together. We're still at a stage characterized by great changes. It's strange to think about where the next three years of our marriage might lead us - New Jersey? DC? Florida? Somewhere yet to be determined? Kids? House? Second dog (heh heh)? Any and all of these things are completely possible, and it's so exciting to think of the changes ahead of us. And then beyond that - who knows? There is so much to look forward to, and I can't wait to see where life takes us.
Eric, thank you for an unbelievable, unforgettable first three years of marriage. Here's to remembering all the moments we've created and all the moments yet to come. I love you!
2 comments:
Love you guys. Happy Anniversary!
Omigosh, I actually got chills reading this and remembering it all. Loved it. Love you!
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