Last week was our 14th wedding anniversary. I've never written about our wedding before so I took a few pictures of our wedding photos and thought I'd tell you about it.
I always say my husband and I met in high school although I remember him in grade school. He was a year ahead of me and everyone knew the two Mike's in his grade. It was a very small high school in Western New York, with just 23 students in my graduating class! One day at the end of 10th grade I looked across the lunch table and thought, wow, he's really cute! In typical high school fashion and according to all rules of etiquette I threw a spit ball at him! He looked up at me and gave me a dirty look. And so it began. We started dating the following year. He asked me to a school dance only after my friends practically guaranteed him I'd say yes. (Thanks Jodi!)
We were both known as the "artists" in our school. (In a small school everyone is known for something.) We went to the same art college in Ohio, I leaving our hometown a year later than he. I remember when I went to visit him at college, before I was accepted there, he took me to his favorite place. A park called, Deaf Park, with Topiary bushes that grew as figures from the painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte, by Georges Seurat. We went at night and it was magical and breathtaking. That park became our favorite place to go and we lived just a block away from it in downtown Columbus, Ohio. In our last year of college my husband proposed to me there after his plans to propose at a restaurant fell through. (Luckily, our waitress never left us alone.)
We had a small wedding on the morning of July 18th, 1998 in Western New York. I was just 23 years old. I remember at the time thinking I was an adult but now I look back at these pictures and see what kids we were.
We said our vows in front of an old hotel with a winding path lined with flowers & sprinkled with rose petals. We released Painted butterflies and the kids blew bubbles. We had a harpist, my Dad sang a solo and we had only Swing, Big Band & Jazz music at the reception.
We released a few butterflies for photos and this one stayed on my hand for a long time. It was one of those, "Wow moments". I remember I had mosquitoes all through my veil and dress after these photos. Our wedding was lovely though I remember being terrified (of being the center of attention) and glad when it was over. My how things change! I am no longer that shy little girl.
We've gone through many ups and downs as all marriages do. It hasn't been easy. That little 23 year old had no idea! She thought marriage was a dream. Now I know it's quite a bit of work but definitely worth it. Our lesson after marrying so young has been letting one another grow and change while still staying connected. How odd when the person you've always known becomes someone else entirely, out of your realm of concept. We are in a good place now, accepting of our many differences and even now finding new commonalities.
We have been blessed and I have only love for this man!
Do you have a love story to share? Link up in the comments, I would love to hear them.
Until next time...
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A Lovely story, since I was a little girl I always wanted to marry a man with red hair, guess what, I spotted this man talking with his friend and my girlfriend and I joined his group, it was pretty much instant, I thought he was so so handsome, ( Still do) he used to wear this green corduroy jacket, and as you know, Red and green match.
ReplyDelete34 years later, still in love, so cool
cheers Marie
oh what a sweet story and i love marie's too. ; ) if i find the time i'll share ours too. my husband and i met when i was in high school (he's 7 years older) and we've been together ever since. it was love at first sight and we married when i was only 24 - young like you and i could've written your same sentiments. thanks for sharing your story. it's so fun to share this way.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful story -- thank you for sharing it (and thank you, Marie and nunu, too... I adore stories like these.) My husband and I met over 13 years ago while volunteering to cook a meal for a homeless shelter. A friend of mine was captaining the kitchen. She set my-husband-to-be washing enormous pots in the enormous sinks and I was assigned to cut vegetables. I noticed him because he had a very kind, bespectacled face and a dapper goatee-beard. He noticed me when I scolded the other woman chopping vegetables -- she was joking around and had tossed a small piece of cucumber down my shirt so I yelled, "Please stop throwing vegetables into my cleavage!" (I suppose that was an attention getting statement, if ever there was one!) My husband-to-be kept trying to finish the washing-up so he could help with the vegetables, chat with me and rescue me from my tormentor, however, my friend (captaining the kitchen) was oblivious to the brewing flirtation and kept giving him more pots to wash! Obviously he did finally get through washing all those pots... and here we are today after 12 years of marriage with 2 children, a house, a garden, and even a cat.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to read other people's happy marriage stories! We too have stood the test of time (21 years this Sept) We met when I was 18, within a week we 'knew', 6 months later we moved in together and married 10 days shy of 2 years after our first meeting. We have changed over the years but thankfully we have kept on the same path. It appears to be a path just for us as many don't completely understand us! ;o)
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary Becca!
xoxo
~ joey ~