This time 3 years ago,

 

I was on the farm inking in signs to direct traffic to our wedding at just about this time.  My girls were there, Drew's friends were catching up on some zzzzs in Asheville and the sky was gorgeous and blue.  There was a little bit of mud on my pants because Nelle's vintage Mercedes wasn't really equipped for life in Madison County and so the bridesmaids were first seen in the morning pushing a beautiful, heavy two door Mercedes up our driveway with Nelle in the drivers seat and all of us ladies lined up against the front hood, throwing a little shoulder into it.  We did girly things and while my hair was getting wrapped up with white orchids the girls found beautiful old handkerchiefs, one for each of us, and fittingly mine was embroidered with small blue flowers.  I couldn't quite catch my breath all day, but I wouldn't say I was feeling nervous either–we ate strawberries and drank champagne and the clock alternately raced and crept by.  On the farm, everyone was piling up flowers, hanging lanterns, driving in torches, setting up tables, and generally adding to the already gorgeous setting, and doing the hard work that makes weddings happen.  We got dressed in my cousin's blue house (a bomb of women appeared to have gone off, Justin still gets the patience award for letting us overrun every aspect of his life that weekend) and then…just like that, we walked, we spoke, we promised, and Drew and I were married.  

I think that a lot of times people think about anniversaries only in the present tense–where are we now, what is it like today, what are we giving each other now–but I like thinking back to that day.  Since our wedding, when we've had friends that have gotten married, I've thought about how essential it is that people start talking to brides (and grooms of course, but brides in particular) about putting as much effort into thinking about all of the days after that first day as they do in planning the wedding day itself.  It's a ridiculous request (though I do love the idea of life as a well planned and executed party) but one that stands.  I love reminiscing about the first day of our marriage, but the subsequent 1,095 days are the ones that count.