This week, I’ve been thinking of two of my very special friends who are getting married this year. One ties the knot tomorrow…

It got me thinking about the day I said “I do” (only a short 10 years ago). My husband and I were so young then (23 and 24 years old, respectively).

Everything leading up to the wedding day seems like a daze. The magical moment of getting engaged and slipping that sparkling ring onto your finger, the planning that starts pretty soon after saying ‘yes’ to the moment you walk down the aisle with eyes only for the man of your dreams. Absolute perfection…

Or is it…?

I remember SO many things going wrong on my wedding day.

1. Our Photographer got lost and arrived late, so we have no pre-wedding photos of getting dressed, putting on make-up, all those girly girl and mommy moments… None, Nada, Zip… (Hence, no photo for that one.)

2. The driver of the classic car (a 1963 Mercedes-Benz, my husband is insisting that I share that detail), we were driving thought it was funny to drive around the block, over and over again, telling me it was FASHIONABLE to be late… If I had a photo of him, it would probably have a huge X mark over his face – HEADSHOT!

3. My bouquet was SO heavy, all I really wanted to do was throw it to all the single ladies sitting in the pews waiting for me to say “I Do”…

4. As we walked up to sign the register, my newlywed husband stood on my veil and almost ripped out half my hair, now that would have made for some awesome photos, ya think? :) As you can see, my mother is trying to stick it back in CALMLY in… Na,h it didn’t work.

5. On the way to our photoshoot, we were taken to the wrong beach point, which was actually known as a red-light district… Appropriate hmmm… Again, no photos of my family and bridal party, champagne in hand, overlooking the ocean. (But we did get a few nice shots, I will admit.)

6. When I walked into the reception hall, I noticed, to my utter disgust, that the event organizer had covered the main table in a lace cloth that we had implicitly told them not to… I disliked it immensely! I just wanted to cry…

7. One of my favorite things about our wedding decor was our cake… It was different, and I loved it! However, it was dropped just before the reception. (By a sweet, sweet young lady who also happens to be getting married in the not-too-distant future. I always giggle when I think about the infamous’ cake drop’. She was devastated… Much more than I was.) It tasted heavenly! As you can see, the middle cake kinda took on the resemblance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa… Oh wait, I can see the nasty lace in this photo too… Damn, never saw that before…  What was with these organisers and their obsession with lace?

By the end of all this, I was a little heart sore that my DREAM DAY wwasn’tso “perfect”… And my OCD (which has magically disappeared since having kids) kicked in… I remember my NEW husband leaned over and said: “Today is only one day in our forever” – yes you can… aaaah… Yip, I know I landed a good one… The BEST one!

That moment has always stuck with me… Yes, the wedding day is absolutely important and incredibly special. We want it to be magical and perfect. After all, it is the beginning of our forever. But it is exactly that… A day. Just one day in many, many more to come.

Marriage is hard work. There are days when we think, ‘What on earth are we doing?’ When, to be honest, we don’t like our spouse, and I’m sure they feel the same way (sometimes!). Add kids to the mix… Oh goodness. There are good times that take your breath away and imprint on your soul love like no other. We all have those moments. But sometimes it’s so hard that it could be easier to walk away. (I know that in some instances, it is necessary to walk away.) But the reality is, we made a choice… Love is a choice! We wake up every day choosing to love our partner for better or worse.

Marriage is being able to see the worst in one another and still love and forgive, nurture and grow together. It is a lifelong commitment to cherish and invest in the relationship and promise we make on our wedding day.

A strong marriage rarely has 2 strong people at the same time. It is when a husband and wife take turns being strong for each other that marriages grow stronger and love grows deeper. It is when two imperfect people learn to accept and love each other, despite their differences. And sometimes it requires falling in love over and over again. So, enjoy the good times, treasure the special times, and forgive in the hard times.