Good morning, friends! How was your weekend?  Mine was so wonderful as we were in Cincinnati celebrating two of our good friends’ wedding and running around seeing all our old friends!  I will recap the weekend tomorrow because today’s post is dedicated to my sweet hubby as today marks one year of being married.  

Our wedding day was the best day of my life.  But, it has not been a walk in the park ever since.  Marriage is not easy.  This year has been full of very high highs and very low lows.  Marriage takes a lot of work and commitment.  I am FAR from an expert, but if there is one thing I have learned in this first year of marriage, it is this: You cannot be the best partner if you don’t take care of yourself first.  I am guilty (as are most of us) of putting others first and often neglecting my own needs, but this year has helped me to realize the importance of taking time for yourself and constantly working to be the best you that you can be.  At times this year, when I put myself on the back-burner, I was not able to be the best wife/partner I could be to my husband.  The best thing I did for my marriage this year was to take care of myself in order for me to figure out how to be the best partner I can be to my better half.  

I was talking to a friend recently about the idea of soulmates.  We both agreed that we didn’t really believe in the idea that there is only one person out there that you are meant to be with, but there are a handful of people you are truly compatible with.  This friend then said “It is a CHOICE to be with the person your are with… every day, you have a choice to make… to be with that person or not.”  This truly struck a cord with me.  Marriage is a choice.  Not just at the proposal or on your wedding day.  It is a choice every. single. day.  We all want this AH-HA moment, but that is not the way life works.  There may never be that moment that you KNOW for certain you are with the right person, but instead, you have a choice to make.  And I chose and still choose every day to be with my husband.  And he chose and continues to choose me (I am so thankful).  I think it is important to never stay stagnant in a relationship, but always continue to grow.  There will be ups and downs; relationships are often referred to as roller coasters, but you always have a choice to make.  You have the power to control your future and marriage certainly is not always the easy choice.  It is hard work and it needs constant attention, but it is worth every minute.  Marriage is a beautiful thing.   

Happy Anniversary, Jonny!  I am beyond lucky to call you my husband.  I am so grateful that you have put up with me for almost 8 years and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!  I love you!  

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Switching gears a bit… remember all those wedding recaps I promised you?  Well this week is the week!!  I am going to finish up summarizing our wedding day in posts throughout this week and I am really excited to relive the best day of my life.  

Today’s post is all about our ceremony.  We chose to get married in my husband’s parents’ backyard and then have a reception downtown.  This place means a lot to my husband and it is absolutely gorgeous so this was one of the very first decisions we made after getting engaged.  

My husband walking his momma to her seat. 

My mom and stepdad walking down the aisle.  

My little brother walking our doggie, Riley, down the aisle.  Riley was our ring bearer.  My mother-in-law made Riley’s outfit to match the boys. 🙂

Getting ready to walk down the aisle with my daddy! 

My daddy handing me over to my husband. 🙂 

Jon and I are both pretty non-traditional and didn’t want to follow a set order of events for our wedding.   We decided to make our ceremony completely ours and I am so glad we did. 

At the beginning of the ceremony, Jon and I both presented our mom’s with roses to symbolize the joining of our two families. 

 

 We had Jon’s uncle marry us (he lives near us in Texas), my cousin sing, my aunt read, and my little brother play the harp.  It was perfect.

Early on we decided that we wanted to write our own vows.  I was so nervous to read mine out loud, but it was a very meaningful thing to us and I will cherish the words my husband wrote me forever.  

Jon’s uncle gave a beautiful speech about us and marriage and we were so happy he agreed to marry us.

We said I do and exchanged rings. 

And sealed it with a kiss! 

We were SO excited to finally be husband and wife! 

Our siblings were happy for us too. 🙂

Next, the first cocktail hour begins…. 

Questions:

1. If you are married, how long have you been married?
2. If you are married, did you have an indoor or outdoor wedding?
3. Tell me something unique about your wedding/what you want for your future wedding.