Photo Gallery | Wedding Wednesday: Week 22
You may know me as News 8's "Good Morning Quad Cities" Reporter, but when I'm not counting down to the John Deere Classic (19 days!) or telling you how to beat the heat (as I sit here in our "the-air-conditioner-is-broke-and-it's-officially-88-degrees-in-here" house), I am planning a wedding!
Welcome to Wedding Wednesdays!
Days Until We Say "I Do"... 52
It's really incredible how quickly 4 years go by... 9 months go by... 50 days go by. Today, I am reflecting on that.
It was 4 years ago (give or take a couple of months) when I met Zach. It was late September and I was at a point in my life where I was not expecting to meet my future husband on a random Thursday night going out to a local bar with my friends. Isn't that always the way it works, though? I had experienced a pretty crappy two years prior... I got hurt a lot and I turned that hurt into hurting others. I had my heart broken in college and every guy I dated after seemed to put a piece of my heart back together...but with a glue stick, not super glue (I've been doing way too many craft projects, friends). So, when something either started going really right or a red flag popped up, I would take it upon myself to crunch my own heart back up and throw the pieces in that person's face... or back in my own. I am not really proud of the person I was then. I had a great college experience, don't get me wrong, and I am literally sitting here on my couch because - and only because - of how unconditionally loved I was by my friends and family during that time, but there was definitely something missing inside of me.
(Insert "GAG ME" Here) I was missing Zach. When we met, there weren't angels singing over us or a thunderstorm of rainbows. We hit it off instantly, but we had to work pretty hard on both sides to get to a healthy, trusting relationship with one another. It was not very easy in the beginning. It's never been easy to tell you the truth. However, your muscles don't get stronger after an easy workout. You don't get the career you want by taking the easy way up. There's a difference between effortless and easy... Our relationship was effortless, but it's never been easy. I wouldn't have it any other way.
As you all know, we spent the weekend in Chicago, so there wasn't a lot of wedding planning going on (unless you count laughing and drinking a little too much), but we did have a chance to reconnect and remind each other what August 11th is really about. My friends who've already gotten married warned me in the beginning that it's easy (there's that word again) to get wrapped up in things like centerpieces (ha, we all know that happened) and flowers, but that's not really what's important. They're so right. By getting away from the wedding room, I felt a sense of peace. I still felt the way I felt before Zach and I got engaged... that I would marry him in a courthouse in jeans and flip-flips (cute flip-flops, mind you) with only a judge present. It's not about all the easy things, because if you think about it -- flowers and centerpieces are easy compared to other things in life - it's about the things you've worked your ass off for... and Zach and I worked our asses off for each other and to be together.
So, you can probably see where I'm going here. On Saturday, it will be 9 months since Zach got down on one knee. I cannot believe how quickly that time has gone... which brings me to how fast the last 50 days have gone. It seems like it was not too long ago I was writing about the 100-day countdown and it wasn't too long ago. Days go by fast. I have to re-check my last blog post every week just to make sure I really am writing Week 22's entry, which seems crazy to me. Before we know it, it's going to be Week 29 and "Days Until We Say I Do" will be the first time I type a single-digit number... 3. It's intense, it's awesome, it's ridiculous, it's effortless... and it's everything but easy :)
If you were able to get through that whole rant, thanks for reading and listening. If I could give some type of advice besides putting numbers on the back of your RSVPs (which is in the next paragraph) or having back-up plans when craft projects don't turn out right the first time, it's this -- Plan a getaway with your fiance. It doesn't need to be extravagant or long (our trip to Chicago was 16 hours total), but do something together to get away from your hometowns and away from planning so you can remind yourself that you're not spending your future with peacock feathers or taffeta... you're spending it with him.
Okay, I'm done being sappy... for this week anyway! The one thing I did want to tell you all about is the RSVP cards, which we're getting plenty every day in the mailbox (it makes checking the mail so much more fun!). Before I sealed them all up, there was something I saw on Pinterest that I am SO happy I "pinned" before sending the invites out. Assign each guest a number on your spreadsheet or whatever you're using for your guest list and put that number on the back or in the corner of the RSVP card. That way, if someone responds (which we've already had a couple) and doesn't put down their name for some reason, you can look them up. This is really important for people who RSVP that they're NOT coming, because they don't feel like they need to put their names down since they're not coming... understandable, but not helpful for you. SO!! That is on my "You Should Really Do This To Avoid Therapy" list for any brides-to-be reading this :)
We have a big weekend coming up... Zach has his Bachelor Party (golf and drinking... so a typically Saturday for Zach, haha) and Zach's Mom and I are putting the final touches on the Rehearsal Dinner! Plus, some of my bridesmaids are coming over to help me put together the program fans so I will have plenty of pictures and things to tell you next week! Ciao!
