The Greatest Party Ever Held!

Five years ago today the husband and I were married.

I woke sometime between 4:45 and 5:15 am to get my hair done. My bridesmaids flooded my childhood home and everyone- well almost everyone- had their hair done and ate some breakfast. I fell asleep in my poofy slip, my purple button down shirt, and my done up hair on my parents' couch. The photographer got some great shots!

We left early. I was NOT going to be late to my wedding. We took pictures in my town. We stopped and said hello to family members who happened to get to town early and stopped to grab something to eat. Then we took a tour through the two surrounding towns because we were SO early.

Finally, the church. I took a few pictures with guests who were arriving. Apparently, my soon-to-be husband was contemplating ordering some Domino's with his best man and the pastor of my church. It was getting late.

Finally the wedding.

The wedding was beautiful. It started late courtesy of an organist that shall remain nameless. I was given away by my dad and we walked up the aisle to a trumpet fanfare (thank God the organist didn't show!). It was the hottest day of the year and the church had no air conditioning- well, they did it was just broken. The pastor gave a beautiful homily on points to a successful marriage- there were 423. No, seriously, I think there were 7 but we were already so late it seemed like it took forever. We exchanged rings. I made my husband put his ring on the wrong hand because I can't tell my right from my left. Then we kissed and the wedding- the important part of the day, the part that made the rest of it all possible, was over.

And it was really all just beginning.

The pictures. Oh, God, the pictures. There were tons of them- just as I wanted. It was so hot. People were melting. Our poor flower girl, I thought she was going to curl up under a tree- had there been any- and fall asleep. Just about every picture you could imagine was taken. I have the 580+ proofs to prove that. Now, it was time to eat.

The party.

The party began at the reception hall that I really didn't want at first and I am so glad we chose, i.e. my parents and future husband talked me into. All we really needed was the cocktail hour and a DJ. There was a seat for everyone in the cocktail hour. There was enough food for everyone to have 4ths and my parents even took a ton home. There was a vodka luge, I never sampled it. I spent the cocktail hour with my new husband and one of our groomsmen eating in the back and then my maid of honor and I attempted my only visit to the toilet. It was interesting.

The party continued.

We were introduced as a married couple and came in to some Van Halen. We danced to Etta James. Then my dad and I danced to Paul Simon. We watched photos of ourselves and our lives and our families up on TVs all over the room. We laughed, we cried, we surprised everyone with our gift of photos through the years. We visited each and every person, we took pictures, we laughed some more. I did a few shots with my grade school nurse, my high school CCD teacher, the priest that heard my first confession, the woman who drove my carpool and whose son was the first boy to ask me to marry him, the brother that took me to Ireland, and the pseudo older brother who I still think does not believe I'm married with kids! Then we danced.

And the party continued.

We danced and ate and danced some more. We did not throw cake at one another. We tossed the garter and the bouquet. We did the electric slide and the chicken dance. We had such a good time. We ended the night with "New York, New York" and then we went to our hotel to enjoy time with our friends. We were not allowed to drink in the hotel bar because the bartender did not believe that the woman in the giant wedding gown and all of the girls in matching red dresses and guys in matching tuxes were over 21. We drank in our suite. We enjoyed the night some more and then we went to bed. The morning came.

And still the party continued.

We had breakfast with family before we left on our honeymoon and they left on a much deserved vacation. It was perfect. The whole thing was perfect. It was an excellent beginning to a party that has not stopped. I highlighted the best parts of the wedding experience. There were downtimes to the party. There are always downtimes to any party. I don't need to highlight, I remember them and I try to put them aside. There are downtimes to our marriage. I do not need to harp on them and remind myself of them over and over again. We work on them and we try to work through them. That's what this is all about. It's about friendship. It's about love. It's about commitment. (The letters we had engraved on the inside of our bands- FLC.) It's about work. It's about the good times and the bad times. The good times outweigh the bad times. We enjoy them more! Duh!

Five years ago today I married my husband and we began the party that would carry us through two children, countless struggles and endless joys. I never had doubts about marrying my husband. I never questioned whether he was the right one. I still don't. (Although I didn't want to move out of my parents' house!) Five years ago today I stepped into a white dress and put a ring on the wrong hand of my husband and I have not looked back. We partied like rock stars that night and people still talk about it as the best wedding they've been to. They still talk about the fact that we looked so happy and really epitomized what love and happiness should look like. Five years ago today I took the first steps into the life I have today and I had no idea what lay ahead just that I would have my friend and my love by my side.

And the party still continues today and for that, I am grateful and blessed.