Lucky number seven. Seven trips around the sun as a Mrs. I met Kenny when I was 18 and married him three weeks after graduating college (that last semester was so stressful!) Not many people get to marry their first love or even the greatest love of their life straight out the gate. Kenny is both for me. Sometimes when I hear people gush about their husbands and how they saved them or showed them true love or something along those lines, I think about our story. Kenny didn’t save me. I hadn’t had a serious boyfriend before him. Actually the guy I was “dating” when I met Kenny didn’t even live in Virginia and was seeing someone else anyways! Kenny has loved me from a teenage girl graduating high school thinking she was going to be a children’s equine physical therapist to a woman whose dreams involve raising kind human beings and saving love stories for future generations. He’s loved me through some really incredible moments and some really ugly ones. He’s loved me through such terrible loss and such wonderful gifts. Kenny has never saved me from my past or had to undo damage from that. He’s  given me a life I don’t have to be saved from. He is funny, like SO funny, and relaxed. He lets me know the dishes can wait and the laundry can sit, but we should take an hour to ride our bikes and shop at the little tourist spot on the pier or rush our kids to the shoreline to catch last light. I have truly never heard someone say something bad about him. Kennys ability to stay neutral in situations is a trait I am so envious of. He is calm, focused, strong and so funny. My first love, my greatest love of my life and my handsome hubs my life is far greater than anything I thought it would be because of you. 

Recently I asked my grand ma who has been married for 61 years what her secret was. She shared this: you have to be considerate of the other person. What’s your piece of marriage advice? Leave a comment because I want to know! Mine is: respect difference of opinions. How boring it would be to be married to yourself. Learn to HEAR what they’re saying and not just LISTEN. 

So after all that, I wanted to share seven random thoughts about our wedding/planning process!! Keep in mind this was before Pinterest and blogs! People rarely shared wedding info, nothing like it is now, so I was just winging it! 

1. I found my dress after my MOH essentially forced me into wedding dress shopping. I had been once and not had the experience I thought you were supposed to. I went against my will and she pulled the dress. It was so big on me I never had that AH moment because I couldn’t see myself in it. It cost me $400 plus alterations. The wedding dress shop is no longer in business. 

2.  If I could change only one thing about my wedding I would have moved our ceremony later! It was so hot and the sun was still so harsh! 

3. I don’t remember a lot about my wedding day except how good the cake was! It was a strawberry and lemon silk cake from Cake Delights. Ironically, Cake Delights did the cakes for MY styled shoot that was published in VOW magazine! Full circle. 

4. I knew nothing about photography and booked my photographer because my mom knew someone she did pictures for. I remember the picture on her landing page was a boy drinking water from a fountain. So cute and I booked her. That same photographer brought me as an assistant to one of her weddings years later and I was hooked! She’s still a friend and colleague and was the first person to really give me a shot at this!! 

5. The kiss after the cake smash in the face is my favorite wedding picture of ours. That kiss is an image I make a point to get at every wedding! 

6. Every year on our anniversary I wish we had a professional video from that day. It is my only and biggest regret from our wedding day!! I can’t hear our vows or remember which way the air moved (actually I’m certain there was no breeze whatsoever!) I don’t relive the first dance or the toasts. Little things I really really wish I could!! 

7. My flower girl and ring bearer were the kids of my favorite teacher/encourager from high school. We still keep in touch! Though not as much as I wish!