I want to take a moment and admit something here, something that I didn’t believe could be true until I was married.
As last mentioned in the story of Will’s proposal, I didn’t consider myself the marrying kind. I was never one to dream about my wedding day, I never tore out magazine pages of my dream wedding dresses or imagined life as a Mrs. when I was a wee one.
Quite simply, I felt commitment was more (most) important, and the deep commitment that Will and I shared outweighed anything a piece of paper could say about us. We were husband and wife before the State of California ever said we were husband and wife.
When we decided to get married — after enjoying a long engagement where I could barely bring myself to utter the word “fiancé” because it sounded so foreign — I didn’t think anything would change. We’d known each other for 10 years… been dating for half that… already living together and raising animals and playing farm.
But you know what? After we were married, something did change. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It felt like something suddenly opened up in my heart… I didn’t think it was possible to love someone even more, and I especially didn’t think I’d feel so complete. The future feels a little different, and in a really amazing way. It’s not a matter of sealing the deal with another ring on my finger, or even being a wife (and now, I can barely utter the word “wife” even though “husband” is starting to roll off the tongue more easily).
It’s just… bliss.
28 Comments
Sonja
October 2, 2013 at 8:45 amI love this! You look so happy and there is a lot of love in these pictures. Congrats 🙂
Linda Ly
October 2, 2013 at 4:19 pmThanks so much!
The Horticult
September 21, 2013 at 12:14 pmWhat a beautiful celebration of love. Your friends knocking over the photo booth is priceless. (And so cool that you eschewed the seating assignments!)
We weren’t that into the “fiance(e)” thing or the ring thing and never read bridal mags leading up to our wedding. But then when we said our vows and danced our first dance in front of our favorite people, we were bowled over (and humbled and overjoyed) by the enormity of it all.
So much beauty in this post. Best wishes to you both!
Linda Ly
September 22, 2013 at 3:31 pmYou stated it so perfectly… that’s exactly how I felt as well!
theGardenBetty
September 19, 2013 at 9:01 pmWhat happens in Baja, stays in Baja. My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/iOrwu6hXsM #mexico #destionationwedding #lovefest
_STOKECITYNEWS
September 19, 2013 at 3:04 pmRT @theGardenBetty: Let the fiesta *really* begin! My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/y58HoQ5a3d #baja #mexico #newlyweds #st…
theGardenBetty
September 19, 2013 at 3:01 pmLet the fiesta *really* begin! My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/y58HoQ5a3d #baja #mexico #newlyweds #stoke
STAFFS_MEDIA
September 19, 2013 at 9:17 amRT @theGardenBetty: Party. All. Night. Long! My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/WIep40rY7v #baja #mexico #destinationwedding …
theGardenBetty
September 19, 2013 at 9:02 amParty. All. Night. Long! My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/WIep40rY7v #baja #mexico #destinationwedding #stoke
Jenn Sankary
September 18, 2013 at 11:39 pmJenn Sankary liked this on Facebook.
Amy Goo
September 18, 2013 at 11:39 pmAmy Goo liked this on Facebook.
Christopher Hisao Takemori
September 18, 2013 at 11:39 pmChristopher Hisao Takemori liked this on Facebook.
theGardenBetty
September 18, 2013 at 6:02 pmAnd the celebrations continue, from dance-offs to sky lanterns. My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/Lq5bY6CBKM #newlyweds #love
Duke Chase Mosakowski
September 18, 2013 at 3:23 pmDuke Chase Mosakowski liked this on Facebook.
theGardenBetty
September 18, 2013 at 12:03 pmSending off 2012 with a bang and ringing in 2013 with champagne! My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/sss1TvGOiP #bliss
Xochi Navarro
September 18, 2013 at 10:43 amI’m so touched right now I’m actually crying. Those pictures were equal measures beautiful, moving, and hilarious. I’m still not sure how my wedding is going to turn out. I’m currently in the midst of a long engagement, been with my fiance (yeah, weird word, boyfriend was easier) for almost 11 years, and we both already feel like we’re married, we know we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together. Soon kids and a house will enter the picture and we just need to seal the legal deal of marriage soon, but the anxiety of not only planning, but figuring out WHAT to plan is starting to get to me. All I know I want from a wedding is something fun and happy and relaxed. We’re not religious at all, we don’t have time honored marriage traditions in our families, and we have a limited budget. I gotta say, I’m really digging the idea of a getaway New Years Eve wedding. Oh, and the snowboarding and surfing all in one day plan, that was awesome. You know you’re totally awesome, right? 🙂
Linda Ly
September 19, 2013 at 2:26 pmThank you for the kind and thoughtful words, Xochi. 🙂
We were like you when we first started wedding planning. A Mexico wedding was perfect because we were able to do so much on a very limited budget, everything from the food and drinks to the DJ and venue. We were so, so, so lucky to find the place that we did, for so many reasons.
We had no dress code and no seating plan, probably two of the best decisions we could’ve made! People were relaxed (they could dress how they were most comfortable, and were free to roam the reception and socialize since we went with a buffet), and we were relaxed (no juggling around name cards trying to seat the “right” people together, and no food serving schedule). If you have a smaller and more casual wedding like this, I highly recommend it.
Also, with a vacation-type wedding, people are just happier. My favorite part of the whole weekend was just getting to spend time with every single guest that was there. I’ve been to countless weddings where you maybe only get a few minutes with the bride and groom because they’re so busy trying to squeeze everything into one day; but if you have multiple days to bond with your family and friends, it’s less stressful.
Good luck with whatever you do… Just be you. Serve only food you actually like (not what the venue says you should serve), change the format of the ceremony if it suits your beliefs better, skip the bouquet if you prefer a lei, etc. And perhaps most importantly, remember that at the end of the day/month/year, people will only remember the moments, not the decor. If you simply follow your heart, wedding planning will be a very fun and enjoyable process!
Thu TranLe
September 18, 2013 at 9:08 amThu TranLe liked this on Facebook.
Candace Pattillo
September 18, 2013 at 8:21 amprecious! miss you guys!
Garden Betty
September 18, 2013 at 1:14 pmWe miss you too! The rainy month is coming up, hope to see you when you come back to Cali. 🙂
Auraleen Rubio-Ehrlich
September 18, 2013 at 8:08 amAuraleen Rubio-Ehrlich liked this on Facebook.
The Cook's Garden by HGEL
September 18, 2013 at 8:08 amThe Cook’s Garden by HGEL liked this on Facebook.
Evette Michaelis Garcia
September 18, 2013 at 7:08 amEvette Michaelis Garcia liked this on Facebook.
Sofia Massi
September 18, 2013 at 6:23 amSofia Massi liked this on Facebook.
Melissa Caughey
September 18, 2013 at 6:19 amLooks like you all had such a wonderful time! Congratulations!! I totally agree with your lovely post!
Garden Betty
September 18, 2013 at 1:15 pmThanks Melissa!
BG_garden
September 18, 2013 at 6:01 amMy Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II):
I want to take a moment and admit something here, something that I didn… http://t.co/fYr3IwxFOx
theGardenBetty
September 18, 2013 at 6:01 amBlogged on Garden Betty: My Wedding Weekend Getaway (Part II) http://t.co/AREocHqovJ