Thirteen, THIRTEEN YEARS. Isn’t it amazing when you look back and realize how far you have come in ten years, let alone thirteen. Yes there have been hard times but there have been a lot of GREAT times.
I know you can’t go back and change things and you grow and change as you get older, but I couldn’t help look back at elements within our wedding that I would change because of my interests nowadays.
What are we Mennonite? Why didn’t we get close? Darn photographer!
Let’s start with the dress…
Then: Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVED my dress. I loved the embroidery and jewel embellishments. Full dresses were all the rage in 2006. The more princessy the better.
Now: I think I would have gone straight line dress and flowy at the bottom for the train. I would have kept the embellishments too. I would have gone with a fascinator (because of my love for the style in the UK) and slight veil attached. I would have done a low chignon with some curls and beading in my hair or a sweet clip. I wouldn’t have changed my shoes. I had strappy with a slight heel.
Put a ring on it…
Then: I love my ring. It’s a Hearts On Fire, princess cut solitaire diamond in a tulip setting in yellow gold. I went with yellow gold because everyone was going with silver. I also went solitaire I wanted to be different. Everyone was getting the past, present, future settings with three diamonds. I hadn’t worn much jewelry or rings and was afraid of the shock of wearing too much bling at once.
Now: If I would have gone with that many carats I probably would want one big diamond. I also liked the marquis cut back then and still do. It’s a vintage style which fits my style now. I still would go with a yellow gold. My wedding band is a yellow band with milligrain etching. My husband’s matched. That has since worn away from construction work. I would have still gone with a regular band but with a filigree style. I honestly wouldn’t mind an anniversary band with that. Maybe with a few tiny diamonds and sapphires. I love filigree because it has a vintage vibe going on.
My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are it…
Then: We had a ridiculous amount of people in our wedding. at least I think so. Don’t take this the wrong way if you had more than five on each side. I blame my husband. He had too many close guy friends. Haha. I felt the need to have the same amount and I did have a prerequisite. We couldn’t have ever gotten in a fight.
Now: I would have only had one person stand up with me.
Pick your color…
Then: Our color was mainly a Navyish blue. There was a hot/fuchsia pink thrown in there.
Now: I would have done something with a grey and the guys would have worn grey or navy. I love my husband in a nice grey or navy suit. So I might have had turquoise or navy with it.
Going to the chapel…
Then: We got married in the church that my husband grew up in because the church I grew up in was very small. We had a Unity Candle and I thought I’d use it in my decorating. Nope it got boring. I think I still have the tapers somewhere though to use at some point for a candlelit dinner maybe in our 50s or 60s.
Now: I would have loved to have gotten married outside (I know you are taking a gamble doing that because of the weather depending on your locale) at the famous Star Barn (although that would have been pricey) my grandfather worked in as a boy. However, back when we got married that was not even an option or a place to get married. They just recently reconstructed it and made it into a venue. I think a vineyard wedding would have been neat as well. I would have done a unity sand vase or something to that effect. I saw that done after we got married.
Please sign here…
Then: Our guestbook was a framed mat that everyone signed with our engagement picture. It’s nice and I should hang it up again.
Now: It became popular to do other things and I think I would do something with wood that I could incorporate into our decor more easily. Like a wooden letter ‘H’, or a bunch of river rock that you put in a vase, or a tree and have wooden leaves to add to the tree.
Stop and smell the flowers…
Then: I had a bouquet (which I still have and want to figure out how to flatten it and put it in a domed shadow box) that is full of different flowers including Gerbera Daisies and Delphinium.
Now: I would have simply done hydrangeas.
The getaway car…
Then: My mom had the neat idea that since we weren’t getting married in Hershey, where I grew up and couldn’t use the Hershey Trolley (which I don’t know if that’s even an option for weddings) we would use the Lancaster Red Rose Trolley, which now is owned by Elite Travel. It was fun and our whole wedding party could join us even my brother who was eight at the time rode with us.
Now: I would have liked to have used a vintage car like a Studebaker. I heard this when listen to a recent audio book and loved the idea! My grandfather even drove one back in the day.
Let’s Party…
Then: We had our reception outside in a pavilion at my husband’s family’s golf course, Foxchase Golf Club. This was a wise option for us. They really made it into a neat outdoor wedding venue since then.
Now: I would have loved to have had it in a cool barn venue or even in a vineyard.
Can I have this dance?
Then: As much as I love our song- Steven Curtis Chapman’s ‘I Will Be Here’, I would have picked…
Now: Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’. I know this came out after we were married several years but I just love this song.
Let’s eat…
Then: We had a normal meal of, well I don’t even remember what, probably meat and potatoes…
Now: I would have done a buffet style meal and included ice cream, one of our favorites! I might have even had a barista for custom coffee drinks and just had cupcakes!
Take a picture, it lasts longer…
Then: We used a family friend of my husband’s as our photographer. He did a good job but I like the photo journalist pictures now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for my pictures but they are lacking drama, if you know what I mean?
Now: I would have spent a little more for a photographer who made sure I got all the pictures I wanted and had the idea I was going for.
Take me away…
Then: We used my in law’s timeshare. We could have gone to Ireland but I thought it would cost too much with airfare. Unfortunately, we waited too long to book and instead of Saint Lucia, we had to go with Mazatlan, Mexico, on the west coast. It was all fun and games until we ran out of cash and I couldn’t use my credit card. The beaches weren’t really great for sitting on or walking along. It was a nice getaway though.
Now: I’d want to go to Scotland or Riviera Maya or even Napa Valley.
Don’t get me wrong, through the ups and downs, I won’t trade him for anything. I love our kids too and without us, they wouldn’t exist. It’s just thinks it’s fun to look back and see what you would do differently.
What about you? Is there anything you would change about your wedding style?
