First Look
September 10th marked the 12th anniversary of our engagement!
I made my poor husband wait 3 long years before I agreed to even "think" about getting married. For some that may seem absolutely ridiculous...and looking back, if I "knew then what I know now"...yeah, well, I would say the same thing...
It wasn't that I wasn't attracted to the guy...it wasn't as if we could barely keep our hands off each other:)...it was more of my fear of all things "marriage"...
Coming from a longggggggggg line of divorce in my family, the whole idea of marriage wasn't something that I thought I was capable of doing...or rather, doing WELL. In other words...I lived through the whole divorce scene as a child and to be brutally honest, it just wasn't something I EVER wanted to deal with for myself...
That said, after finally saying YES...our big day arrived.
This was a moment that was going to tranform my life completely...I wasn't just coming out with a different name...this was life changing...and I wanted to soak it in and remember every ounce of it.
The problem was, that with all my friends and family there, there was just so much to think about...I wanted to spend time with everyone, as well as remember the flowers and the smell in the air...remember the conversations and the music...and I wanted to focus on my man, who had so patiently waited for me...
I just couldn't do it all...I wanted the pictures to journal my day, and I wanted the mental memories to stick with me...but amidst the hustle and bustle, I found it hard to just BE...
Anthony is a stronghold...he is an anchor for me...and therefore, on our day, instead of opting for the traditional waiting for him to see me the first time coming down the aisle...in front of everyone else...we chose a "first look".
It was sort of taboo, back in the day...but, I'm BEYOND thankful that we made a new tradition for ourselves.
We met in a secluded room...he waited...alone...and then I stepped in, and walked toward him. I can't tell you what that moment meant to me...to us...It was our only chance we had that entire day to spend time alone. It was a moment that was carved out JUST FOR US. It was away from everything else and we shared in a moment that was about to change us forever.
We got the chance to talk, hold hands, pray and wrap our hearts and minds around the fact that we were choosing that day to commit to each other for life...The weight that lifted from my shoulders was nearly instantaneous...
I laughed...and giggled and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of the following hours...My heart was ready and I could focus on everything else around me b/c what I had just shared with my husband to be was so precious that I still count that image as my favorite from the day.
That first look afforded me the luxury of getting all those photos out of the way ahead of timeas well...so that I could focus on the family and friends that had come to celebrate with us. It allowed for that smooth transition...it freed us up to be able to mingle after the ceremony and share in everyone's happiness for us.
Now, I don't say all this to belittle the choice of brides to go with the traditional moment of when the groom first sees his bride walking down the aisle. Whichever choice our clients choose, we are able to work with and go with the flow. Everyone has a background and a history and a dream...you don't want to forsake something that is special to you.
However, I did want to let those brides know, that there is this other option...and it is just as precious as the traditional one.
AnneMarie and I are looking forward to a few more weddings as we close out 2010...and we have high aspirations for 2011. Thanks to those that have allowed us to be apart of your big day!
