*one year + one month later

I never understood when people said their wedding day was the best day of their lives, until I had such a deeply good day on ours.  We were surrounded by all of our family and friends, hosted at the home of friends, ate our go-to Indy fast food, and had a party. There were a lot of people, and a lot of planning went into it, but in the end it felt natural and celebratory. I’d dealt with a lot of anxiety in the year prior, and was nervous that I would be so paralyzed with it that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the day. But the weather was gorgeous, and I felt so present to the day and its joy. What a gift.

And of course, Andy and I got to stand up and tell our truth – we love each other, and we promise to continue in that love for as long and as deeply as we can.

A couple months ago, I re-read our vows to each other. I think I was a little afraid that the words would be too specific to the people we were then. It’s only been a year, but they way I think about things has shifted; I see differently.

After reading them, I felt buoyed and hopeful, like these things are still true and they are spacious enough to keep walking in together for many years to come.

People who helped make the day beautiful —

Photography : Emily Elyse Wehner
Flowers : River Stone Rose
Bridal makeup : Olivia Rodriguez
Rings : Jack + G Studio
Dress / Suit : Reformation / Calvin Klein
Furniture : Party Time Rentals
Dinner / Dessert : Yats / Cold Stone Creamery
Venue : friends’ private residence

Hand-made candles, borrowed rugs, mini steamers to the rescue, home-mixed essential oil bug spray, last-minute errand-running, late night clean up crew, ice cream cake cutting, music + AV team, officiating, poem-reading, grounding real-life presences :
our friends and family ♥

(gonna keep reposting this poem forever)

Mysteries, Yes — Mary Oliver

Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds
will never be broken.
How people come, from delight or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say
“Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads

 

♥