Everyone tells you not to worry about your wedding being perfect, to let go of the details, enjoy, and remember the point of it all. We went into our wedding weekend so excited and so grateful to have family and friends near that I don’t think anything could have brought us down. As bullet-proof as we already were for anything to go wrong, our wedding day still ended up being perfect, to the point where I’m having a hard time believing that it happened.
I’m still in a daze, wondering how it all went by so fast, and how so many months of planning and anticipation and painfully tremendous excitement boiled down to the happiest and most beautiful hours of my life that felt minutes long and then POOF, it’s over. It’s cruel!! On the flip side we can say that’s what makes it all so good and that this is just the start of even better times and years to come, but I wish so much that we could’ve stayed in those moments longer. I imagine this is what the photos and video will help us do (can’t wait for those!!)
Friends have asked what my favorite part of the day was and it’s hard to choose. The general feeling of being loved and supported by our community of family and friends stands out a lot. I felt it the moment I started walking down the aisle and it brought me to tears, much sooner than I had anticipated them to come. I braved my ugly crying face through the vows as well, and even after the ceremony when O and I retreated to the bridal suite I sat there crying, still processing all the emotions from the ceremony while shoving the cocktail hour food in my mouth. Also one of my faux eyelash strips came loose like a hangnail from all the tears, NBD- I packed eyelash glue knowing this would happen.
The rest of the night went by even faster. Soon it was dinner, then my dad was saying “That’s it? So short,” when our father daughter dance ended, then we were pleading with the bartender to keep the bar open after last call ended, then I was eating a bratwurst and fries at a place that had crayons to draw on the tables and somehow got crayon all over the elbow of my dress lol, then I was telling our Uber driver that we just got married and he was like “What?!?” and I was like “Yea look at me I’m wearing a wedding dress!” then we woke up the next morning and I asked O did that all really happen? Was I there??
The feelings still remain- I’m deeply grateful for everyone who helped make our day so perfect, for the outpouring of love from people who’ve been an important part of our story, and I’m madly in love with my husband. What an amazing thing to have experienced the culmination of our lives in one gorgeous day with our favorite people.
I meant to share a final wedding update before the big day but vastly underestimated how crazy everything would get during the month leading up to it and took a break from the blog, and then we honeymooned in Maui which I would like to do every year WOW is it pretty there. And as much as we did have fun planning our wedding, I’d be fine to never think about it again haha. I’ll share more details once the photos are ready, including a couple DIYs we did + sources, and to generally share more about my favorite day if ya don’t mind. This might be a while since I plan on submitting the photos to a wedding publication first not only because I think it would be cool, but mostly because I want to spread love for my awesome vendors. Over-gramming peeks will be irresistible and likely.
Some things I would’ve shared in that final wedding update:
I ended up going the DIY route for more than I had initially planned for (I planned for zero) and while I wholeheartedly support that time is definitely money and if it’s within budget to get someone else to do it then absolutely do, I’m so so happy with how everything turned out and it felt really good personally carrying out what I envisioned- ya know, that addictive pride you get when you DIY. That said, it would get stressful doing things like staying up late cutting menus and place cards and you reeaaaallly gotta love doing that stuff or have a ton of help if you don’t want to risk a nervous breakdown.
Picking up my wedding dress was an unexpectedly teary-eyed moment. In that last fitting, I finally got to see it formed to my body and I felt gorgeous. On a more personal note, I felt proud of my body, which has never come naturally to me. I worked extra hard for over a year now to improve my health and fitness and am finally seeing it start to pay off. I got emotional thinking about how O would see me in that dress and feel proud of me too. And now that the wedding has passed I can confirm that I indeed felt more beautiful than ever that day.
Side note: the dress is super dirty now and the bustle ripped and I’m not sure what to do with it. Clean and preserve it because I have a hard time letting go of sentimental things?? Past brides, what did you do with your dress?
Picking up our marriage license was another exciting moment. We went to city hall together where for the first time I saw my new last name in writing (WEIRD AND COOL) then we spent about 5 minutes outside trying to take a boomerang of us holding the envelope. Boomerang successful. Honestly though, I’m kind of dreading changing my name merely for how much of a pain it seems like it is. Is it so bad? Should I not put it off for long or meh, take my time?
I’m glad we waited to get married. O and I have a life long history of knowing each other, including a decade of being in a relationship. In all that time, I got to know him the most in the past couple years of living together. It was a time that we grew most as a couple, and it solidified that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Everyone’s timing is different, and ours took longer than what I had written in my book of plans, but looking back now I wouldn’t change it. We know ourselves and each other far better now than we did only two years ago and I see how valuable that is.
Any questions or comments about what you’d like to hear from me, or your experience as a bride or bride-to-be? Leave it below <3.
Congratulations!
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Thank you!
Congratulations! Have you considered not changing your last name? I got married last year and decided to keep my last name as have several girl friends who recently tied the knot !
I for sure considered it but he has expressed that he’d really like for me to haha. Also heard from a friend’s mom who didn’t change her last name that she wished she had because it caused some logistical problems throughout the years. If he didn’t have a problem with it though I’d love to keep my name!
Love this post! And congratulations!! My one-year anniversary is in less than two weeks, so I’ve had all the feels for everything wedding!
FWIW, my dress is still in the garment bag, but at some point I will have it preserved!
And, changing your name will be a major headache! I’m not sure what the specific rules in your state are, but you’ll probably have to go to the social security office first, then the DMV. Then from there it’s all the other random places that take forever! I waited six months before going to the social security office, and I’m slowly making my way down the list, but am still not done.
I went to the social security office to get a new passport and would like to never go back ugh. Same but stronger feels for the DMV. Ah well, I’ll take my time I guess haha.
Thank you, Caitlin! I’m leaning towards preserving.
Congratulations Amy so excited for you :)
Thanks Tanya!
Congratulations! I’m so glad all went well and you have a great time. Best wishes for all that is to come! About your dress – definitely get it cleaned as soon as practical. I had mine preserved, but once you do, you can’t ever open the box and look at it! From time to time I would worry if my dress was even in there! (My preservation was a wedding gift from a friend who picked it up the next day and took it in for me.) After a couple of years, I broke down and opened it – I’ve had it in a garment bag laced with Lavender in a cool dark closet checking on it from time to time. All is good. My daughter has interest in using parts of it in her (whenever it happens) wedding dress. Parts, because the 80’s were not a “oooh, I want to wear your dress” decade, I’m afraid. ;)
Haha that’s so cute that you needed to check on the dress. I feel like I’d want to just look at it sometimes too. Surely someone can figure out a way to preserve it where it’s still visible?? Btw, what a great and thoughtful gift idea, wish I had it taken care of so soon after the wedding but I’ll hop to it soon.
Thanks Deb!
Congratulations !
Thank you!
Congratulations on your marriage. I have been married for over 31 years. My dress went to the cleaners and then has hung in my closet ever since. Generationally I can say that I would never have fit into my mother’s wedding dress and my dress will never fit my daughter (she is much taller than I am) so saving it for future generations usually isn’t practical. There are 2 things I wish I had done with my dress. I wish I had had mine made into a christening dress for my children. It was a fleeting thought when I was pregnant but between my energy being sapped by the pregnancy and our concentration on preparing for the more important needs of our new baby the gown never got made. The other thing I still think I may do is to have some of the lace parts of my dress made into wedding garters (lined with blue of course. Something old, something blue) or other jewelry. I have seen lovely pendants made out of the lace – could be put onto a necklace (although I wouldn’t plan on that as the dress design might call for something different), bracelet, or earring fobs. I’ve also seen lace covered bangles. So maybe save parts of the dress for something like that – or to even wear yourself.
Yes my mom has suggested to me that I save the dress for my daughter and I already see the impracticality of that, and she’ll probably want something else! I like the idea of transforming it into something I can wear for another occasion, but breaking it up into parts kind of hurts to think about- again the sentimentality is pulling at me hard.
Love you Amyyyyyy! So grateful to have you as a friend. You and O brought the waterfalls to my face on your magical day. I’m so happy for you guys and can’t wait to see you again soon 💕
I love you. Thank you for being there for me <3.
This brought me to tears, so beautiful. Congratulations on your marriage! Wishing you so much love as you set out on this new, beautiful journey with your life partner. xoxoxo
I was crying while writing it too haha. Thanks so much, Angelee.
Congrats Amy! Sounds like a beautiful wedding.
Thank you, Jan!
Wow! Congratulations to both! Blessings.
X
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Thank you, Marisa!
Congratulations!!!! I saw your wedding card box. I love the simplicity of it. Where did you get it?
Thanks Jolie! It’s from Target but looks like it’s not available anymore. I put the “cards” lettering on myself with adhesive vinyl.
So beautiful. Congrats Amy!! So happy for you and LOVE your instagram feed #goals.
Thanks so much, Tiffani!
Amy, Congratulations!! Thanks for sharing about your wonderful wedding day!!
Would love to see any details you wish to share about the big day and where you ate at in Maui.
For your dress, depending on the fabrics used to make it, you may not even need to have
it preserved. Mine has been rolled in an all cotton sheet and stored in a cedar chest, or a dark drawer.
I even tried it on when it was our 7 year anniversary and it fit !! Like others mentioned, my daughter is taller than me so my dress will not work for her. I’ve been married 23 years, so even though I’m a very sentimental person, I can finally see it being cut up. and used in new ways. I may have it made into ring pillows– if my two would like that. As for now, it remains in a cotton sheet rolled up and kept in the dark.
Congratulations beautiful! Hope you have the happiest life together.
Congratulations! Can’t wait to see pictures! My husband and I just celebrated our one year anniversary and I have yet to make any moves on changing my name. It’s important to my husband so I plan to eventually, but I say take your time- no need to rush:)
Congratulations! Would love to see what you do with your wedding photos- am looking for a non-tacky way of displaying a few of our wedding photos around our home but unsure of how to do that well. Maybe a good idea for a future blog!!!?? :)