The day before my wedding…
15 Years of Marriage
I remember 2 things from that day, the day before my wedding, 15 years ago…
I remember sitting under a table at The Old Spaghetti Factory… crying.
No, weeping. Not from cold feet, but from overwhelming stress.
Wedding planning and a my senior year of college. I turned in all my papers and took all my finals A WEEK EARLY.
Yes, sobbing under a table over there at the Riverside Old Spaghetti Factory.
I also remember our Best Man making hand puppets out of the bread at the rehearsal dinner. The only laughing I did all that day, I’m sure.
No bachelorette party, but bread puppets at the rehearsal dinner.
Cool.
The wedding day…
I remember the cake-maker-person didn’t add the basket weave design to the top of one of the cakes.
I remember us getting in kind-of trouble for having a money dance.
We were married on campus at our Baptist college… where only the Devil himself was more evil than dancing.
The money we received from that dance was all the money we had for our honeymoon…
My husband’s precious father married us.
I covered my mouth when my groom got the “You may kiss the bride”. I was embarrassed to kiss in front of my parents.
The fire place in the reception room didn’t work.
Instead of a gift table, we had a Christmas tree for guests to put the presents under.
It was arguably the most beautiful the A.J. Staples Room had EVER looked – before or since… Trees decked with white Christmas lights and burgundy bows… garland… a wonderland, as far as I am concerned.
I don’t remember our budget, but it was small compared to many. A couple thousand? Dress, food, fees, cake, flowers… I’m amazed at what we did. We were young… 22 and 23. I was still one semester from graduation. My groom had just graduated the semester before.
SO young.
Just. Starting. Out.
“They” said the first year would be hard. It probably had its moments. But it wasn’t nearly as tough as rumors suggested.
In these 15 years…
I still don’t have a wedding album…
I have many of the same towels.
I have 9 china place settings I’ve used less times than the number of years I’ve been married.
After 15 years, I need new everyday plates.
And new pots and pans.
And a knife set.
I have 3 kids.
And corresponding stretch marks.
I am not the mom I thought I’d be. Nor wife.
I was way better at both roles before I became them.
I have learned to identify “small things” and try to let go.
I struggle with that all the time.
Were I to have another rehearsal dinner, I would not be found crying under a table.
I would be found drinking at the bar. I didn’t drink then.
But I do now.
What will the next 15 years bring???
I cannot imagine, but I have my hopes… like, plastic surgery. Kidding.
