Friendship was at their core.  It was how they had come together, it embraced them with a wide circle of girlfriends, good ‘ol boys, colleagues, cousins, and siblings.  It was in the kind Bishop’s face as he delivered his sermon.  He heard it in the emotional speeches gifted by his two best friends.  It was in the spin of her sister on the dance floor.  It is what drove them to buy a second home, hours away from their daily lives.  The chance to deepen their friendship.  Raising a glass on this pinnacle of days, they looked around and saw they were surrounded by it – friends as far as the eye could see. 

       

   

    

 

 

   

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

The Credits:

Ceremony Venue: Gesu Parish

Reception Venue: Milwaukee Athletic Club

Wedding Planner: Amanda Johnson from Shannon Gail Weddings and Events, Chicago

Florist: Belle Fiori

Cake: Little Slice of Heaven

Band: Velocity

Makeup and Hair: Anton’s Salon & Spa

Bride’s Gown: Augusta Jones

Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August

Groom’s Suit: Vera Wang

Groomsmen Suits: Vera Wang

 

 

“I don’t know if I should care for a man who made life easy; I should want someone who made it interesting.”

-Edith Wharton

 

Today is our sixth wedding anniversary.

Hubby and I like to challenge ourselves with the traditional anniversary gifts and the sixth year is Iron.  (An immediate moratorium on buying a clothes iron was instituted)

It’s meant to symbolize the strength in a marriage.  I think of the idioms for Iron such as “iron-clad”, “all oak and iron bound”, “iron something out”, “an iron fist”, heck, “Iron Man” is the most indestructible of the super-heroes.  It is the main ingredient in steel.  Iron is strength, resilience, steadfastness. I find it so fitting for the sixth year of marriage.

People talk about the first year of marriage being the hardest.  And maybe it is for some.  For us, it was a cakewalk.  The sixth year though – the sixth year was when the world decided to see just how strong we were.  And boy, did we show it.

Iron is at it’s purest, a fairly soft metal.  It is made stronger by the addition of impurities.  When it is exposed to the elements it rusts, flakes off a layer and reveals a new, fresh surface.  If left unattended and un-cared for, it will eventually crumble into a rusty pile. I can’t think of a more appropriate metaphor for a marriage, for our marriage.

I look at that picture, one of my favorites, of us walking away from our wedding.  We didn’t know where the path would lead, but we knew we wanted to walk it together.  We’ve added and subtracted to that soft core of love along the way, always emerging stronger, tougher, tighter clasped to one another.  We’ve weathered challenges, rusted over and flaked off, to charge ahead anew.  We’ve attended to our marriage, protected it and watched over it.

We aren’t just Iron-clad baby, we have an iron core.

I gave Hubby a cast iron heart.  He gave me an iron chain bracelet.  Symbols to remind ourselves what WE are made of.  But I need only look at my husband – at the little “impurities” that have emerged since that day in the picture.  The grey hairs, the tiny wrinkles, the twinkle in his eye, the lilt in his laugh, the crook in his arm where our daughter fits.  Those are the real symbols of this journey, the real source of our iron-ness.

Happy Anniversary Babe,

love your iron-hearted wife.

 

 

It wasn’t until recently, more than a year after officially becoming a Mom, that I embraced the title and felt I owned it.  Maybe it’s because around that time Baby Girl really started intentionally using the word “Momma”.  Maybe until you hear it come out of your own child’s mouth, it isn’t fully real to you.  Maybe it takes them using their own free will to want you – to run to you for a hug and choose you for comfort.  I don’t know.   But I do know that is one of the sweetest things about being a Mom right now.  Hearing her say my name, seeing her face light up when I walk in the door, watching her choose to come sit in my lap, seeing her little arms extended asking to dance with me.  It’s the fact that she wants me around her, that she chooses me, that makes my heart leap.

I think about my own Mom often in those moments.  Wonder if she felt the same way.

And so Mom: now that I’m all grown up, I know it may seem like I don’t need you anymore.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I still want you to talk to, to hang out with, to impart sage advice, to give me a hug, to dance with me.  I may not run around anymore, arms outstretched, yelling “Momma!”, but the need is still just as present.

I want you to know, so often, it’s the time we spend together that is my favorite.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I was flattered and so honored to be invited to be part of Lady Grey’s (aka the fabulous Summer Watkins) “The Grey Collective” on one of my favorite wedding blogs, Grey Likes Weddings.

I love this site for so many reasons – the snappy graphics, the fun and playful ideas, the beautiful weddings they feature, and the incredible editorial taste that ties it all together.  It’s a great wedding inspiration blog.  And it has a bit of a “Kate Spade” style air – which you know I’m a sucker for.

And, I’m happy to announce that m three studio is now officially a member!  You’ll find me under Milwaukee, Chicago and of course, Destination.

They also have this adorable form to fill out and leave a review.  It would seriously make my day if a few of my blog readers hopped on over and did so for me.  Letting future brides who might be looking at my listing know what type of experience you had would be such a gift.  And, you get to dish about your engagement ring too – how fun is that?

Check out all of the Grey Likes Weddings blog for ideas and inspiration!