Happy Anniversary to us!

One decade ago, we said said, “I Do” while surrounded by the love of ~300 of our family/friends. It was our perfect day.

• We filled the church with bluebonnet scented candles early that day to fill the church with their gorgeous smell.
• The weather was perfect. Father John opened the windows to our church. I never saw them opened before and haven’t since! The scent of the candles lingered among the feel of gentle breezes and sounds of chirping birds.
• Our family and friends were perfect. My heart grew larger and larger at several points during the last few days of planning and the wedding weekend:
  • when I heard our wedding music the first time–performed by Tim, Alison, Melissa, John, and Emily–on piano and strings; I didn’t just tear up, I cried; it wasn’t just the songs we picked, it was the personal touch only family and talent can bring to the occasion
  • when the girls on our Alternative Spring Break trip were so anxious to do *something* that they tied our bubbles in a flash of ~10 minutes…in the van…on the way to the Gila National Forrest…in New Mexico
  • when Patty & Julie arrived from Miami to help, support, and love the whole weekend and all the hustle-bustle
  • when the Jenn/Patty/Julie took me out for what might be deemed The Most Calm Bachelorette Party Ever®; somewhere I have the Aggie CARPOOL receipt from my ride home
  • when E’s family and our wedding party showed up in droves on Friday to help decorate the reception hall
  • when Patty made gorgeous on-the-spot silk arrangements from the stems and garlands I purchased because she saw voids in my “affordable” decor plan for a giant reception hall
  • when Elain ran the one errand she hates because she was the only one who could leave the decorating
  • when E’s mom managed the process for extra last-minute linens from the church’s ladies’ organization where we rented them
  • when Jim personally delivered the party favors I forgot to pick up
  • when someone (who??) alerted me to the time for us to meander over to the church for the rehearsal
  • when I changed from the tshirt I was wearing to one that was for The Big Event (an Aggie tradition) that was set for our wedding date: 3.31.01; #awesomesauce
  • when Scott, just one week after graduation from Trooper Academy was there for our big weekend eventhough we were absent (due to Alternative Spring Break) from his
  • when Father John made ready his favorite five ferns (a Zeta Tau Alpha nod, even!) to fill the rail in back of the altar
  • when I heard Diane and Crystal speak our selected wedding readings during the rehearsal; they were poised and eloquent for both the rehearsal and ceremony
  • when AJ thanked me for including our whole family in various roles of the ceremony mass and reception; she told me she was proud to wear a corsage on our wedding day
  • when E’s brothers took him out for pool; they’d never gone out as a group before…and though it was the closest thing he had to a Bachelor Party and was the night before the wedding, it was low-key and “safe”
  • when I took quiet/alone time after the rehearsal to calligrapher my personal/private vows to E and sew the navy blue roses to the back of my dress (a Paula Opal original and one-of-a-kind)
  • when AMay gave me a pretty face with her fierce makeup skillz
  • when my mom and grandmother showed up dressed perfectly for our theme/style, eventhough I’d never gone with them to pick dresses
  • when Pam gave me her emerald engagement ring to “borrow”; a nod to my own Irish lineage, too
  • when our photographer, Tim, made me feel like a princess instead of like the photo-phobe I normally am; who knew such a introvert could make me feel so at ease?
  • when I saw Daddy for the first time in a tux; he looked so handsome and wanted so desperately to please me that day
  • when Erin genuinely grinned to each guest
  • when our wedding party walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm, with the ladies sporting those cute little sweep trains I adored
  • when Sharis drove in from San Antonio, arriving after the matrons/maid walked, but just before I did…such a sweet moment
  • when Daddy was at the ready with a handkerchief just before he walked me down the aisle…and how perfectly he performed such a very-important-to-me role from the foyer to the doors to the aisle to the actual giveaway (I love and miss you, Daddy!)
  • when Donna & Matt reverently escorted the Host and those worthy to receive it
  • when we shared the light from our unity candle with everyone in attendance…and wow is that a great photo!
  • when our (again, introvert) photographer was able to properly wrangle the Luza chaos into place for the big-damn-family portrait
  • when Leanne and Winkler set about 400 candles ablaze at our reception…to give the reception the look I wanted
  • when C and B moved the altar arrangement to the reception (a step I had left out of the wedding day timeline)
  • when we weren’t yet “at” the reception; I peeked inside and saw decor moved and curtains pulled up off the floor and folded over a railing; I persisted until I found out the keg “exploded” beer all over the place; I’m still grateful that our family/friends took care of it as best they could in hopes that I’d never find out; no telling what else they “saved me from” that day!
  • when (again, when I peeked in) I saw everyone drinking our fancy margaritas…since there was no beer for the cocktail hour!
  • when Charles & Elain led us all, including my non-Czech/Catholic family and friends, through the Grand March, which rolled into our first dance, which was then severely interrupted by Aunt Grace, but that was fine because my dad’s laughter was priceless…making her shenanigans all worth it!
  • when, just after the first few reception “events-within-the-event” our photographer pulled us outside for some sunset images; E genuinely kissed me on the forehead, and Tim instantly said, “do that again!” One of my favorite shots!
  • when Mike DJ’d with the eloquence I felt worthy of a romantic day; we made the right choice in hiring a friend instead of “real” DJ
  • when, during the siblings portrait, Bobby hugged me and said, “Welcome to the family, Sis.”
  • when Sandra/Roy emcee’d each and every little “event-within-the-event” with perfection, poise, and humor
  • when Leanne and the other Replant members asked for a photo with us
  • when my grandparents danced for a few moments during the Generations Dance; Mama Bee was miserable yet tolerant of my wishes, but Grandaddy was elated
  • when Bob joked about his little gift prank of “camping” “egg cartons”; he must have given us three of them between our shower, the wedding, and “just because”
  • when Ali (and her/Jenn’s mom) found me at the water “barrel” and said sweet things about our ceremony (which given the month, colors, and similar faith was right on target with her own wedding a year or two before)
  • when Tres (Charlie the Third) danced with me, and when he danced with Kelly
  • when (one more time) our photographer remembered one of my Must Have images of us getting margaritas from the margarita fountain
  • when Pam & Pat were dancing to the songs we picked just for them (Play That Funky Music, White Boy and Brick House); probably my most favorite image from the whole reception
  • when Jenn made sure I remembered to give E’s mom, my parents, and my grandparents their gifts; yep, I had forgotten
  • when Daddy asked if he could change; he was so concerned about being properly dressed for long enough, but also knew he had to give his tux to E’s brother Tim to return on Sunday
  • when E told me and all our guests of our honeymoon location (I was too stressed out with wedding planning and asked him to plan the whole honeymoon & not tell me where we were going; he bought/packed me everything from swimsuits to sweaters): Greece; I’m still kinda dumbfounded that we did that; best wedding decision I made; best trip ev-AR; the image of my face during the reveal is another favorite image. Thank you, Julie, for your stories that made me appreciate Greece from afar.
  • when Crystal, who is Greek, taught us Thank You (Efharistó) and other key phrases in Greek in anticipation of our trip
  • when E gave envelopes containing itineraries and contact info to both our moms in case the unthinkable happened while we were abroad
  • when we had our getaway to the sights of bubbles and the sounds of little bells; it was a perfect blend for our senses to end our perfect day!

Happy Anniversary, E, my darling, my love. We had our perfect day, and these last 10 years have been the best of my life. I know the next decade will be just as exuberant as the last.

xxxooo