Wedded bliss
Well, it’s been almost a week since I became a wife. So far, it’s been a good trip.
The day went quite well, despite a major dress malfunction 5 minutes before the ceremony (which was fixed by my new mother-in-law, God bless her). The ceremony was perfect, the weather was great and everyone had a good time. I really do think going low key, family picnic-like on the reception was the best idea. Everyone was so relaxed.
I was so happy to see so much of my family. I had relatives in from Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois and Florida make it out to see us exchange vows. Even people we were sure wouldn’t be able to make it were able to come. I survived a 4:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. day with only an hour of sleep and I didn’t collapse in the middle of everything. I’m still surprised at that.
The new husband and I have been getting along famously, not that I expected anything different. We’ve lived together for several months already so it comes as no surprise. But getting back into the swing of things at work hasn’t been as easy. It’s hard to get my brain engaged again after having such a great vacation.
The only completely non-blissful part of my newlywed experience has been changing my name. I’ve only been able to change a couple of things. I have a massive list to take care of in that regard. Then there’s the bank accounts to change, which means I also have to change all of my automatic deposits, withdraws and bill payments. Sigh…
Final countdown
I’ve stopped counting down to benchmarks and am in the final days of bachelorette-hood. It’s single-digits until I’ll be a married woman.
Six days.
Who ever thought we’d get to this point? We’ve been dating for six years, and all of a sudden, here is that same number only it’s a much shorter time frame and counts down, not up. We’ve got the church, the pastor, the white tent and the expensive photographer. There are pages of lists of schedules, things to do, things to get and make. I’ve got the dress and the veil, the makeup and the shoes. My mom has her waterproof mascara and the house is almost ready to be home to 11 people for a couple of days.
And it still hasn’t all sunk in for me yet.
Sometimes I wonder what the hell’s wrong with me. I’m getting MARRIED in less than a week. I’m doing all the preparations. I’ve got an arsenal of skin care products lining the bathroom counter. We are doing stuff for the wedding and talking about it every day, but still no big “Aha moment.”
I’ve had little moments, like seeing what will be my new name on the hotel confirmation and other such things. But I’m still missing that, “Oh my God, I’m getting married. I’m going to be Mrs. X” realization that you hear about in every book, every movie and TV show.
I’d better tell my sister, who’s doing my makeup, to grab me some waterproof mascara because at this rate it’s going to hit me as I’m walking down the isle. The last thing I need is to be a tragic bride with mascara streaks running down my face. I’ll have to tuck a tissue or two inside the bodice of my gown just in case.
I’m absolutely not having second thoughts. I love him more than I could ever have imagined. But six days. Kind of a small number for something so life-changing, isn’t it?
Something old, something new…
I’M GETTING MARRIED!
Well, it’s not like it’s exactly new news, but it’s more official than it has been before. The church has been reserved and the date set for… drumroll please… May 29!
I didn’t originally think it would be possible, but our engagement will be only slightly over a year. Because we were waiting for one of us to land a solid job, I thought it could be two years. But I was very fortunate and got a fantastic job down here in southern Indiana.
Now begins the daunting task of planning a Michigan wedding and reception from Indiana. I don’t even have a bridesmaid in this state to help me out, but my mom and two sisters are stepping up to the plate to help me. My eldest sister, whom you may know from Can I just say…, has already spent over an hour and a half on the phone with me today talking about it.
Even though our wedding will be low key and simple, it’s really amazing how many things there are to do and plan for when you sit down and think about it. For example: guest list, invitations, dress, food, cake, centerpieces, flowers, vows, colors, decorations, tent, a marriage license we have to physically go get in Michigan, the pastor, transportation, bridal registry, entertainment… seriously, the list goes on forever. The only way to keep it cut down to size is to take it piece by piece and make about a million lists — Thank you, Mom, for teaching me this!
There are other, more personal things I want to do, too. Like every bride, I want/need to drop a few pounds before the big day. I also really want to figure out a way to get my skin to clear up without having to spend big money on a dermatologist, which I won’t do. If you have any ideas there, please do share!
Also, if you know of any ways to make the whole deal cheaper, share those as well. We’re paying for this thing pretty much on our own, so cheap is good. I welcome any links for ideas, design or otherwise, with open arms!
