We’ve been saying it since July, or maybe even June, Marshall and I— “Can you believe we’ve been married almost a year?!”

No. We can’t.

But we have! This Sunday will be one year since September 26^th, 2020, the day when we made a covenant with each other and God to love each other for the rest of our lives. It still blows me away.

There are so many things that flash through my mind thinking about the one-year mark… all the hard and beautiful days leading up to the wedding, our magical honeymoon in South Carolina (magical in spite of the exhaustion/relief that hit after four of the most stressful months of our lives), our year of adjustments and building a house and the unpredictable mix of tears and laughter that it was.

I couldn’t decide how to structure this post—should I just walk through the day and talk about the “high points”? There are too many to count, and I don’t want to bore you. So, I decided maybe I’ll just give you three (the magic blog post point number, in case you haven’t caught on) of our favorite things from that favorite day.

The peopleeee

The people the people the people. I can’t possibly emphasize them enough, I don’t think. The reality of seeing nearly ALL our best people, the ones from our childhoods, the ones we currently were doing life with, and the ones that had counseled us and loved us through every stage. Seeing them all together doing so much for us was mind-blowing. That was the one moment Marshall cried, that day—when he got up to the front and looked out over all those people. Jesus has given us so many good ones. The fact that they all came together for us feels too good to be true.

Our first look

Seeing each other for the first time that day was very much a surreal moment for me. One of my biggest fears, always, is losing the people I love—even the morning of the wedding I prayed that Marshall would drive safely there. I know I am not promised tomorrow, ever. But the reality of hugging him and knowing we wouldn’t ever again have to go through any more goodbyes late at night or months apart from each other, Lord willing, brought so much joy.

The sky, the flowers, the lights

Notice how I slipped three into the last one?;) I guess I just mean the whole atmosphere was our favorite. The Central Valley skies were clear of smoke that day for the first time in a while (although just enough rolled in at the end to make a poufy, fiery sunset). The flowers from Kelley Flower Farm were perfect for the warm end of September, all bright and fall-ish and breaktaking. There were palm trees up front. Olive branches on the tables. String lights over the reception. The people all laughing around. The singers. It all came together and made an evening that was happier than I hoped.

I’m never quite sure how to talk about significant days like this. On the one hand, our wedding day is one of the most significant days I have lived through. On the other hand—our lives are full of significant days, and most of them slip by without being given as much attention as a wedding. Some of us will never get married—does that mean we never get to enjoy pivotal moments?

I guess remembering my wedding makes me realize that yes, weddings have a certain kind of special significance. A covenant is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly but should be celebrated. But also—normal life should be too. “Everything is sacred when you take time to notice.” God pours out goodness on his kids, and weddings are just a shadow (can you believe it? It’s hard for me to comprehend) of the love God has for us.

Mind blown.

So go celebrate, friends. God is a good, good God—and has dear people and sweet relief and flowers and lights and magic waiting for you, in this life and in the life to come.