Wednesday, August 12, 2009

9 years ago today...

9 years ago today I was counting down the hours until my 2:00PM wedding.

9 years ago today I couldn't believe my wedding day had finally arrived.

9 years ago today I was counting my blessings...I was about to marry the man of my dreams.

9 years ago today I was trying to force myself to eat some lunch but was too excited to eat much of my turkey sandwich.

9 years ago today I arrived at the church to be surrounded by my loving bridesmaids--my sister Cat, my two best friends Ann and Emily (who arrived with a bag of Burger King), my good friend Nicole and Brian's sister Kristin.

9 years ago today Cat couldn't find the earrings she owned that matched the ones I had given all the other bridesmaids to wear for the wedding and had to borrow a pair from my mom.

9 years ago today I wore the same garter (my something blue) that my sister had worn the summer before (borrowed from my brother who caught it at my sister's reception).

9 years ago today I wore my mom's pearls (my something borrowed) and carried a handkerchief my great grandmother had made (my something old) in my bouquet.

9 years ago today I waited for the rain sprinkles to stop so I could take pictures in the church garden with my family and my bridesmaids. All I could think about was that Brian would be here soon doing the same thing with his family and groomsmen.

9 years ago today I walked down the aisle in the dress of my dreams (I felt like a princess) with my dad by my side (I always was Daddy's little girl and I got teary walking with him).

9 years ago today I had a huge smile on my face as I spotted Brian waiting for me.

9 years ago today we had a short and sweet Presbyterian wedding ceremony.

9 years ago today my husband kissed his bride...twice.

9 years ago today we posed for pictures as husband and wife with our two remaining grandparents--my Granddaddy and Brian's Grandma Marlowe. Granddaddy was so proud of himself for wearing the exact same powder blue tuxedo he had worn to my sister's wedding the summer before.

9 years ago today I was missing my grandmother who had just passed away in June.

9 years ago today the photographer kicked everyone else out of the church so Brian and I could have a moment or two alone as husband and wife.

9 years ago today I rode a trolley with Brian and our wedding party from the church to the reception. My future sister-in-law Shelley had decorated it complete with a flower-covered cooler full of champagne.

9 years ago today I partied with tons of friends and family at a beautiful wedding reception.

9 years ago today everything was a blur as I tried to talk to everyone while being with Brian as much as possible. I couldn't believe he was really my husband.

9 years ago today I realized how truly blessed I was to have so many friends and such an amazing, yet crazy, family.

9 years ago today all my guests disappeared as everyone wandered outside to enjoy a beautiful summer afternoon in Virginia.

9 years ago today my two best friends smoked cigars with my dad and my uncles and humored them all immensely.

9 years ago today Brian and I had our first dance to "Never My Love" and I had to keep reminding him to move his feet.

9 years ago today my dad put Brian's dancing to shame by twirling me all over the dance floor.

9 years ago today I danced with my grandfather--worrying the whole time that he was going to fall over.

9 years ago today Brian's six year old cousin kept dragging me out to the dance floor to dance.

9 years ago today I felt such pride that one of the beers on tap was "Brian's beer" that he had brought from the brewery in Ohio where he was the brewmaster.

9 years ago today I kept trying to enjoy some of the delicious food and kept getting pulled away for some official part of the reception like photographs, first dances or cake cutting--at least someone (thanks, Kate) brought me a beer.

9 years ago today I kindly fed Brian a piece of cake and then was horrified to hear him say that he was going to push cake in my face. (It only took about 8 1/2 years to forgive him for that one.)

9 years ago today our limo got lost on its way to pick Brian and I up from the reception and the band kindly played an extra hour.

9 years ago today we were faking our exit for the photographer who needed to get home to his babysitter when our limo finally showed up. My wonderful brother-in-law (thanks, Ron) had just offered to drive us an hour to Charlottesville where we had an early AM flight.

9 years ago today we left our reception wearing a Minnie Mouse veil and a Mickey Mouse top hat because Brian had just been in Orlando for the World Brewing Conference.

9 years ago today Brian and I made out like teenagers in the back of a limo since we hadn't been in the same state for months and, well, we'd just gotten married.

9 years ago today Brian and I said "I do" and I felt so very blessed to have met such a wonderful, loving, sexy man who loved me so very much.

9 years ago today I had no idea what the future might hold, but I knew who would be holding me in the future.

Happy Anniversary, love! Thanks for 9 wonderful years. I never would have guessed all the twists and turns our lives would take together. I can't wait to see what the future might hold! Here's to many many more years together. I love you so much!

6 comments:

Carol said...

Happy Anniversary!

Amie said...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!

sophanne said...

Happy Anniversary!

Kate (KnitsInClass) said...

Happy Anniversary! (my darling husband and I got married 9 years ago too, on June 17)

Lydee said...

that is so precious! thank you for telling us your story and thanks for helping me to remember my own wedding memories!

bodoba said...

awww that sounds like the perfect wedding! Happy anniversary!