Okay we’ve made it to the third (and final) part of the wedding recap (phew!). This was the part that everything the last 2 years had been leading up to. As I waited my turn, I watched our wedding party pair up and start walking down. My mom followed, and that was my cue to go. I barely remember this part- so many emotions I basically blacked out lol. It was so overwhelming, but in the best way possible. I just remember meeting my mom at the door, linking arms with her, and then walking down the steps trying not to trip over my dress. Then I was finally able to look up and really take it all in.
So many people standing, smiling and looking at me, my cheeks hurting from smiling so big and my eyes welling with tears. Seeing faces I hadn’t yet that weekend that I was so excited to finally find. Our wedding party waiting at the end and… Dan. My guy. I can’t wait for our wedding video because I feel like I barely remember this moment. I remember bits and pieces but very few details. I was trying so hard to be the most present I could possibly be, but those emotions take you on a journey haha.
Before I knew it I was at the end of the aisle hugging my Mom and taking Dan’s hand. The ceremony was perfect. I loved every single second. And boy was I relieved when it was over- it felt like the party could finally begin! We took SO many photos and hugged and talked and laughed and barely ate and maybe peed one time the entire night, and once it was time to dance I was ready to go. I think that was my favorite part of the night because the pressure was finally off, there were no more “to-do’s” and we could just relax and enjoy.
Then, after what felt like one second later, the last song played and we looked around at our emptying venue and soaked it all in one more time. Then we went home, ate in-n-out, showered cause I was real gross, and passed the f out. Weddings are EXHAUSTING. Especially when you’re running off of three hours of sleep.
We spent the next day getting brunch with everyone and had dinner with some of our SD friends, then headed up to Santa Barbara for our honeymoon (photos of that here). We had Remi in tow which made it so much more fun too. She loved sleeping in the hotel beds and now we’ve created a monster and she sleeps in our bed at home.
On our way back we stopped in Vegas and played black jack until 5am (whoops). Then we drove the rest of the way and got home on Friday night (or Saturday morning) at 1am. This trip was seriously the most amazing once in a lifetime experience, but I don’t think we’ve ever been so happy to be home.
This whole wedding experience was incredible, but it also had its challenges. So many heightened emotions, you feel so out of your “normal” for so long and it begins to stress you out. All you want to feel is excitement, but in reality, it’s human to feel a range of emotions, so don’t be hard on yourself if you’re feeling overwhelmed at times too.
I know I say things were “perfect” a few times throughout these recaps, but what I should say is they worked out perfect for us. Some things did go wrong and, if I’m being honest, it was hard at times not to obsess over them. Like after the wedding when I learned that our polaroid battery had died, and so we were only able to get a few photos for our guest book. I was bummed at first, but then realized I didn’t want to waste my time feeling disappointed about something so small, when I could be using that time to just feel so freaking grateful for the amazing day we got to share with our people.
Planning was quite the rollercoaster too and, although I still get stuck in little nostalgic moments sometimes, I am overall just so damn happy it happened so that we have these memories and can move on to a new chapter. I also think all of this was a lot for me because it served as a reminder of my Dad not being here (at least not physically). Thinking of what the day may have been like (or this whole wedding thing overall) with him involved, is hard. I know he would have loved to walk me down the aisle and share our first dance. It pains me to even think of it at times, but I’m also grateful I got to share those moments with my Mom- it’s all so so special.
My best advice to anyone planning a wedding: don’t worry about the details too much, or about everything going “perfectly.” There is no such thing as perfect, at least not how we tend to think of it. What will make your day perfect are all the little personal touches and quirks that come out of it. You’re going to feel overwhelmed with emotions. LOTS of them. Try to focus your attention on the good ones and go with the flow. You only (ideally) get to do this once, so relax, soak it all in, and enjoy. I know… so cliche, but there’s a reason for that. And, if you ever need to be reminded that weddings don’t have to be “perfect” to be magical, just come back and reference this post- writing it has helped me and I hope it helps you too.
Now, onto that next life chapter. Excited to see what all it has in store for us. 🙂
Are you currently planning a wedding or have you planned one recently? Would love to hear your stories and advice!
If you liked this post, you may also enjoy Wedding Recap: Part 2.