Our Real Wedding Day....

So, while I was being all whiny yesterday, today I'm going to be all sentimental.

My real wedding day was not the day we had a big church wedding with fancy flowers, music, candles and a bunch of people around us.

Our real wedding day there was only us, the Justice of the Peace and his wife. I don't remember the name of the chapel. It was down in Virginia. There were no flowers. There isn't a single picture from that day. There might have been music. I didn't walk down any isle. We wore shorts. The whole thing cost $50 and we forgot to leave him a tip.

And it was perfect.

Perfect in every detail from what we were wearing to the weather. It was hot and sunny. It was just the two of us. We already knew we were forever and this was merely a formality. We said our vows and we meant every word. We said them there in front of each other with no one else around and without worrying about anyone else but each other.

Some people thought it was just awful we got married all alone like that without all the trappings of a Church wedding. That it didn't mean that much because we didn't share it with anyone. Those people couldn't have been more wrong. That was one of the most perfect days of my life. That was a day filled with hope, promise for the future, love, and excitement. The day we got married was filled with dreams of our life together and plans for the future. We were hopeful.

That's not to say there was no one happy for us. There were. The people that realized we were perfect for each other. The people that knew we were getting married because we wanted to be together and it wasn't about a show for everyone else.

We said our vows and made our promises. There was no one in the audience judging my dress or the flower arrangements. There were no empty seats because people who said they were coming "forgot" about the wedding. There were no eyes on us. No one complaining about the food, the lighting or letting their kids get into the wedding favors so at the end there weren't enough for everyone. In our real wedding we didn't have to please anyone but ourselves.

We did have a Church wedding later in the year. We didn't do it for ourselves though. It was a nice day but that was it. The Church Jamie spent his whole life at and where his parents still are VERY involved in, decided to dig up the parking lot on the day of our wedding. And half the "Church Family" didn't come. But, we had the wedding. I wore the dress. It was a fun day. We left for our honeymoon to Jamaica after that ceremony though. Every time we saw each other that day we just said, "Jamaica." We rode in a Limo. I had a massive headache and we had to hunt down Tylenol at the hotel near the airport. We never did get anything to eat. And no one put any of the food in our freezer for when we came home. There was a lot extra because a lot of "Church" people that promised to come didn't. I wouldn't have minded trying some of the food when we got back. I heard it was good! My Dad paid for the wedding. We had the reception at the Church so there was no dancing or a toast. But it was a fun day. Would I do it again? Nah. I'd have done something else with that money. However, we came out of it with some great pictures and we made a splash. We showed everyone how to do a wedding right!

So, the day we got married for "real." That warm sunny day in June was a perfect day. It was everything that defines who we really are. It was low-key. It was private. Emotional. And Perfect. And when I think of my wedding day, I remember my shaking hands in nameless chapel being married by the JOP. And I remember it fondly. I remember being happy in our own little world. I remember a tiny bit of dread that we had to face the disappointment from some people the next day that we got married the way we did. But we knew what was right for us.

I celebrate the memory of our Real Wedding Day. I celebrate our Anniversary in my heart. The day we got married was about starting a life, about making a marriage. It wasn't about the wedding. It was about the marriage. It was about the people making the vow to always love each other, be there for each other, be faithful and be true.

So, I say Happy Anniversary to us! We would do well to remember the lessons of our wedding day. That we are better and perfect when we do things the way we want to do them. We should always keep the rest of the world out of our marriage just like we did the day we got married.

I think we're doing a pretty great job. I know that we love each other. I know that 11 years has flown by. I know that we still make each other happy.

We still have a lot of Love. We have Faith. We have Hope. We're doing all right....