Let's Get Married| Love is All That Matters

31 X 31 | #2

"When it comes down to it...It's about the love.  And that's all the matters."

On June 8, 2012, in our new home and in front of the people that love us most, I married my best friend and the love of my life.  This was likely no fairytale by anyone else's standards but to me, it was indeed a fairytale. I married a man that's so right for me and I believe God aligned our lives perfectly to come to this moment.   I married my Prince Charming, my Boaz.

The day of our wedding started beautifully as I basked in an incredible and inexplicable calm that had washed suddenly over me three days prior to the wedding. (Before then, I'd been stressed and "just done" with the planning process.)  All was going so incredibly smooth that it was almost unreal.

Following the ceremony, we hosted a small reception of 62 guests at The Chart House in Annapolis and I'm telling you, it couldn't have been more perfect.  It was so intimate and meaningful;  Tears shed, laughs had, love shared.  If I had it to do over, I wouldn't change a single thing.

Five years in and he still makes me blush like the freshman crushing on the senior classman.  I still get excited and can't wait to see him when he's on his way home and I pray that never changes.

My Dress: Tadashi
Birdcage Veil: Made by me
Makeup: @colormelovely

You know what this means: One more thing slashed off my list of "31 Things"

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THAT ONE THING THAT GOES WRONG WHEN ALL ELSE IS GOING RIGHT:

For the inquiring minds, that there is a Toy Story band-aid and my unintentional "something blue".  I wore it with pride and as if it were a diamond ring.

  As the time drew near for the wedding party to walk, I'd decided to make some last minute adjustments to my bouquet.  In my haste and enthusiasm--and in the middle of jokingly labeling myself a florist and horticulturist--I sliced my thumb wide open with the floral shears.  The cut was so deep that it took quite a while for my thumb to stop bleeding even after applying lots of pressure.

After I'd gotten dressed, assuming the bleeding had stopped, I peeled off my bandage and went into the bathroom to put on my veil--which I'd handmade the night before.  It was then that I heard a number of horrified gasps.  My thumb had begun to bleed again and dripped on to my dress.

As I gazed unaffected at my blood-tinged dress, I could hear my cousins and my mom exclaiming "Oh My God! Oh My God! No!" I looked from the terror-filled faces down to my dress.  Surely, the blood was very noticeable and had to potential ruin the perfect of the day but I wasn't about to let it.

My exterior remained placid and my mind clear as I searched it's faculties for a solution.  I examined my dress once again and noticed that the blood, only dripped on to one of the flower embellishments and as well, a small bit on the middle of the waist belt.  Without a word, I searched the bathroom drawer for my brow shears.  The room was silent as everyone held their breath watching me.  I calmly snipped off the petal of the flower and tossed it in the trash can. "Problem solved."

My mom then offered one of her clip-on earrings as an embellishment to cover the spec of blood that had gotten on the belt.  Funny how things work out, though, because I'd been looking for that extra touch to add to my dress for about three weeks but to no avail.  All it took to obtain the perfect embellishment (and it did compliment my dress perfectly) was for me to bleed on my wedding dress.  Now, that's what I call awesome. 

After it was over, a friend said that I handled it well but I'll tell you, it was something bigger than me.  There was something in me that wouldn't allow me to panic.  I felt constantly assured in my spirit that no matter what happened, Chief would still be there to meet me and take me as his bride.   A little shed blood wasn't enough to stop the show or send me into a frenzy.

When it comes down to it, it's not about the day or the dress or the hair or the makeup or the money spent.  It's about the love.  And that's all the matters.