Feeling Noustalgic...

First of all- Happy Birthday Mom!

My brother is getting married Saturday, and getting caught up in the frenzy of it all makes me remember my own special day - October 2, 1999. I remember all the parties leading up to it, the piles and piles of wedding gifts (some of which, I confess, still haven't been used to this day!), the dresses, the tuxes, the flowers, the food.....

I had a relatively big wedding - I think around 200-250 people, if memory serves me. (I stand corrected -my mom says it was 298, give or take 10-15 people) We were married at my childhood Church and we had the reception at the Country Club I'd gone to my whole life. We had a GREAT band and everyone looked to be having a great time. I remember not getting to eat or drink anything for more than 1-2 bites/sips before I was swept away for another photo op, to meet a distant relative or talk with friends/co-workers. I remember in great detail getting my hair and make-up done that day, getting dressed at the Church, getting photos done and waiting in the hallway to enter the Church. I DO NOT remember much about actually walking down the aisle, being up front and saying my vows and such. I can't explain it. Its just foggy. Maybe it was the nerves or the seriousness of it? Its a blur.

Looking back, there are many things I would have done differently and I only hope, that when its my girls' turns to get married, they will listen to me and take a little of my advice (but they probably won't. Maybe I should start brainwashing them NOW!). I think weddings can take on a mind of their own and you lose a part of yourself in them. My cousin and his fiancee recently "eloped" and hearing about their wedding experience made me a tad jealous. It was just them! No one else. It was just them acting silly and totally in love during the ceremony and just completely being themselves. That sounds nice.

Regardless, its fun to think back and remember our special day and the flurry of activity leading up to it (and the hundreds of thank-you notes that have to written afterwards!). There is just something about starting a new life together - fresh. Everything is new for a while. For my brother and his bride, everything is getting ready to be new. A new town. A new house. A new job. If they are anything like Bob and I when we started out together in a new town, a new house and with new jobs, this experience will bring them so close. I think its a great way to start a marriage. Completely fresh.