I’ve been thinking about the importance of a wedding day for my brides, and it has made me think about my own wedding day almost 2 years ago. It’s easy as a wedding vendor to go through the motions of a routine wedding day. So many of the actions are the same.

You put on your dress. You walk down the aisle. Both of you say I do. And then you dance.

But that was so different from my wedding day. I didn’t think about the day as a series of events happening, business as usual. No.

It was not just a dress. It was THE dress that, even to this day, makes me feel like a princess. Every twirl was accompanied with a smile. And when it swooshed, I giggled. Even writing the word “giggled” sounds so child-like, but it’s true. My childhood dreams of becoming a princess, marrying my prince charming, and living out my own fairy tale were coming true.  Not to mention my very favorite pair of blue boots added just enough flair to fit my personality. Cinderella couldn’t even keep up. 😉

And I didn’t just walk down the aisle. My dad walked me down the aisle. Only after he calmed me down from my momentary freak out. He told me he loved me as he kissed me on the cheek and handed me over to the next best person (after him, of course) to take care of me. He’s not here now, so this memory has become even more precious than before.

And we did not just say “I do.” We said our vows to each other. Vows that we had written ourselves because we wanted to say words no one else had heard before. “I will follow you anywhere, for you are my home.”  Professing our commitment, the commitment of forever, in front of our friends and family made it that much more sacred.

And then, you know what? I did dance. I danced allllll night long. I did have on my dancing boots…

Specifically during the reception, I remember one slow song that my new husband and I were dancing to in the middle of the floor. My grandparents were dancing behind me. My parents and in-laws were dancing to the left and right. My bridesmaids were dancing with their boyfriends on the side. And then my aunts were dancing with their husbands and kids right in front of me. There were all of these different stages of love from 50 years of marriage down to dating for a few months, both couples and families. Never in my life had I felt surrounded by so much love. If I could sum up my reception in one word, it would be family. There was no way I could have escaped the overpowering feeling of having the most supportive family celebrating this new chapter of my life with me. And finally, at that point, I got it.

I finally understood the meaning of a wedding. This was my ah-ha moment.

So…even though it may be the same actions over and over again (dress, aisle, “I do”, and dance), it will feel anything but routine to you.

The wedding day holds so many heavy moments. They may not be the same moments as mine, but you will have your own moments that instantly come to mind as you glance over your wedding photos, years from now. Moments that you hope you will never forget.

Good thing you’ll never have to. 

xoxo