Wedding day excitement. White lace and tuxedos.
Flower girls. Wedding cake. Flowers.
The anticipation. The family. The friends.
Hope, dreams, and love.
All of this, and so much more, made up our wedding day so many years ago. We were so young, just out of college. My husband was 23, and I was 22. Babies, really, in the grand scheme of life. But no one could tell us that at the time. It was our day…and we were so ready for it. We had big plans, he and I. We still do. I’m sure we always will. But just for that day, everything was focused on the present. There were the stressful moments, like when we arrived at the venue to realize the ring-bearer pillows had been left behind over 30 minutes away. My brother had to drive all the way back to get them, and still had time to be in the photos. There were also the funny moments, such as the photographer who tried to make the football-playing groomsmen smile by saying “1, 2, 3, Hike…” as he snapped a picture. Apparently, football players do not say anything like that, and so they laughed at the absurdity. And then, there were the unforgettable, sentimental moments that I’m not even sure most people picked up on, but I did.
The day went along about like this…
The Morning Of: My Maid-of Honor, who is still my closest friend since kindergarten, had stayed the night with me one last time in my old room at my parents’ house. The same room we used to have sleepovers in as kids served as our last sleepover location. It was fun. When we woke, we had breakfast, did our own hair and makeup, and got dressed in the wedding attire. It was simple, easy, and just what I wanted. No stress. We traveled to the beautiful wedding venue in a giant caravan of family and the rest of the wedding party. Some had travelled in from other states to be part of the wedding, which my husband and I were so honored they did. Right away, we began to take wedding pictures. I got to pin my brother’s boutonniere on. Someone snapped a casual photo of the moment, and it remains one of my all-time favorite photos of him and me together. The atmosphere quickly became borderline chaotic, with people running this way and that, but I hardly noticed at the time. It was mostly a blur to me…I was more focused on my gorgeous “princess” dress, the flowers my mom had helped pick out, and my very-soon-to-be-husband. I recall a moment before it was time to line up to begin the grand entrance to the ceremony. Someone, I’m still not sure who, suggested the ladies of the bridal party duck into the room just at the side of the garden, where there were a few chairs, to sit and rest our feet a moment. We entered the silent room and sat there, staring at each other. Just us girls, not talking, not giggling nervously, but just calmly sitting and enjoying the moment. It was sweet and refreshing. Exactly the breath we needed before the procession. And then, it was time.
The Ceremony: I remember how my dad’s face lit up as he walked me down the aisle under the most beautiful February sky I’ve ever seen. My husband’s grandmother beamed as she sat proudly in the front row of our garden wedding wearing her favorite color, purple, to match our wedding colors. She even had a matching hat. My mom, wearing the most beautiful dress, who had been talking to so many people while waiting for her turn to take photos before the ceremony, now sat waiting to watch her daughter get married. My Godfather, also a pastor, conducted our ceremony. Family and life-long friends from near and far sat in the rows of white wooden chairs. My bridesmaids were stunning in their lavender dresses with silver shoes and matching pearl necklaces. The groomsmen looked so proud in their tuxedos with plum purple vests underneath. It couldn’t have been more perfect. We exchanged our vows, lit a unity candle, and managed to get a little bit of a sunburn, even though the temperature was so pleasant. All went so smoothly!
The Reception: Since our wedding took place on Superbowl Sunday, our reception definitely didn’t drag on! The food was served quickly, and it was very good. I know that sometimes the bride and groom don’t get to eat much, but we did! We each had ordered a different entree, so we could split and share. My husband already knew the way to my heart was to give me good food! We cut the cake. It was a gorgeous cake, by the way. All smooth frosting, with champagne filling, and fresh flowers on it! Our first dance was sweet, and the room simply spun. Then, the DJ did something I treasure to this day: he asked all married couples to enter the dancefloor. He then counted up year by year. The floor soon became a beautiful sight of sweet smiles and silver hair, as the younger couples filed back to their tables. As the couples who had been married for the longest remained, I was brought to tears as I realized that both sets of my grandparents were the last ones on the floor. Between them at the time, there was more than 100 years’ worth of marriage success for everyone in the room to marvel at. I’m not sure I could have been any prouder to be their granddaughter in that moment. And there the moment sticks, emblazoned in my memory, even today. In fact, I believe it was the final time I ever saw my paternal grandparents able to dance with each other. Priceless. The rest of the reception was filed with visiting, several toasts, and many well-wishes. Since it was a morning wedding, the reception ended with plenty of daylight to spare, and we made our way to my grandfather’s Cadillac, with my brother serving as our driver, to take us to our hotel. It was like a fairy tale.
The Day After: Since we had stayed the night locally at an ornate 5-star hotel, deciding to postpone the honeymoon trip to Jamaica until the summer (I was teaching, and it was mid-schoolyear), we decided to make our first full day as husband-and-wife fun…we went back to my parents’ house and opened all of our gifts!!! It took HOURS!!! We were so taken aback at the generosity and loved poured out on us. Still one of my favorite things to open was our wedding china. Oh, and the crystal! It was all breathtaking. I still love it all. I had put my bridal veil back on that morning, because I wasn’t feeling done being “fancy,” so all the photos have that I have of us have me wearing it. I actually love that. My parents served lunch, and the grandparents came over to visit once again. By the afternoon, we were so tired after everything that had happened in the last 48 hours. I think we fell asleep on the living room couch!
And that was that. The beginning of our wonderful life together. We started out simple and young. We grew into more mature, and I’d like to think wiser, people together. We became more complicated as we grew as individuals. We became closer as we grew as a couple. We have seen easy times, and rough times. We have experienced trials we never ever imagined we could face, and we have nearly been broken because of a few of them. But that’s not what God had for those two young lives back twenty years ago. What He had for us, what He HAS for us, is a lifetime of adventure, of love, of commitment, and of always finding the joy in our lives with each other. We have experienced do much together. From the most radiant mountain tops of jubilation to the depths of despair, we have prevailed. We have triumphed over cancer, financial hardship, severe and life-altering injuries, just to name a few. We have achieved more than we ever dreamed possible. The life we have chosen is certainly not conventional. It seems almost nothing we do is. And we are soooo good with that! We wouldn’t have it any other way. We love the life we have built together and are looking forward to at least 100 more years together. Happy Anniversary, Mr. Twine…you make life so sweet. And friends, may you find the joy all around you in your home, your memories, and your family today.