Daily Newsie

I’m sitting quietly in the living room, watching Food Network and waiting for my husband to return home with cheese, crackers, and shrimp — a lovely dinner to pair with the gigantic bottle of champagne his parents gave us for Wedding #2. We re-tied the knot earlier today on what was supposed to be our wedding date (but you all know how that turned out), and now I understand why people elope. Even our tiny little 30-person shindig would have sent me through the roof if not for the emotional and financial support of my family and my very best friend in the entire world, who stayed with me for a week before the big day to help get things done.

The wedding itself was about seven minutes long and was very simple and lovely. There were a few tears and a few laughs — like when Beloved jumped the gun and said “I do” before he was supposed to — followed by lots of pictures and a great lunch at a local restaurant. Afterward I toured my family around town and the campus, and then we all took turns Wii bowling, thanks to another great friend who decided we needed another excuse never to do anything except sit in front of the TV.

It was quite hectic having everyone piled into our one-bathroom apartment — the quiet now is delicious, by the way — but it was so much fun to see everyone and know that I am able to be a successful hostess even if I feel as though my head could come off at any minute. My nieces got along with my nephew wonderfully, my father finally got to see where I’ve been hanging out for the past three years, and our families met and mingled over subs and beers. The weather, naturally, was Hades-esque, but bottled water was never in short supply and we spent lots of time darting between air-conditioned buildings as we toured the college on the hill.

What I kept coming back to over the entire weekend is how lucky I really am to have two families who love me and who support our marriage and lives together, and how lost I would be without my best friend. Everything classy and beautiful about this weekend was owed to her, as is the fact that I didn’t lose my cool at every turn. There were very few bumps in the road, everyone seemed to have a great time, and we finally feel as if we’re actually married even though we’ve been wearing these rings for nearly two months now.

I really think this is going to be one fantastic life.