This week, as we’re exploring the ideas of history and memory, obviously we had to have a Wedding Graduates Return post (one of the staff’s very favorite things… please send them our way). Jessie echoes exactly how I feel about growing into my marriage and finding the way it has, in fact, changed us. Here are Jessie and Steve, from the wedding they didn’t want, to the marriage they very much do.
Two years ago, I wrote a post called The Wedding They Didn’t Want. The wedding turned out more perfect than we imagined (mostly because we never really had any expectations). What we did have expectations for was our marriage.
Steve and I had been living together for a year and a half when we got married. We moved in together only three months into dating (when you know, you know). So, from the very early stages of our relationship we not only lived together (in a tiny one bedroom apartment), we worked together too. Twenty-four seven, quite literally.
With things stable in our lives, a marriage wasn’t a fairytale ending to us. It just made sense. Having the same last name and the ability to do things on the other’s behalf would make our lives so much easier. Other than that, we believed nothing would change. Our expectation was that we were “locking in” the wonderful life we had.
But, what we didn’t realize until we said our vows is the overwhelming emotion that would come from pledging our lives to one another. He’s a part of me and I’m a part of him. We aren’t two people living together and sharing love. We turned into two people sharing life, every little detail of it.
Our first two years have been wonderful but difficult. I’ve gone through a lot of health issues. Through that, I learned so much about the kind of man I married. I thought I loved and respected Steve completely before, but his calming presence and support through some of the darkest times of my life made me realize that I’d gotten luckier than I even knew.
Sometimes I try to imagine what he’ll look like when we’re old, how his face will light up when he holds our future child, the smile he’ll have when he walks through the front door of our first house. Before we were married, I saw my partner. Now, I also see my future.
And that is the kind of marriage we want.
Photos by: Milestone Photography
