A Long Awaited Wedding by by Kelly of My Twice Baked Potato
A Long Awaited Wedding
by Kelly of My Twice Baked Potato
A wedding between two people in love is not unusual; however, it is unusual for it to take 28 years for the ceremony! Yes… My partner and I waited 28 years before we could be married.
We met at a Christian daycare (ironic, I know) and instantly developed a friendship. I found myself wanting to spend every minute with this person. When I wasn’t with her, I was thinking about when I could see her next. I loved to make her laugh and she understood me more than anyone. Over time, our friendship changed into something that neither of us expected.
In the beginning of our relationship, we were both unsure about where it was going. I left for college and fully expected that my relationship, with my girlfriend back home, would fizzle out. I used to tell my girlfriend, “This is just a phase! I’m not gay! I plan on getting married and having a family!”
You see…back then, I didn’t know that I could be a girl in love with another girl AND have a marriage and a family. I was in love with a caring, smart, generous, wonderful person who happened to be a girl like me. It took us a few years to understand that this love wasn’t going anywhere. We began to build a life together and plan for a future that originally, we didn’t think we deserved.
That was over 20 years ago. Now we have a home, two dogs and a precious 7 years old boy that we adore. Once it became legal for us to marry in our state, we started making plans.
We lined up a gorgeous hotel suite, caterers, a cake decorator, a florist and a photographer to finally have “our” day. Without much encouragement, I could have easily been talked into a flowing chocolate fountain, limousines and a photo booth!
Like other blissful couples planning their special day, we bought new clothes and fancy shoes, purchased rings, carefully planned a menu, and sent out invitations. The only real difference was that we were shopping for two dresses, instead of one!
We started evaluating our appearance and had every intention to get a bit of color on our white legs and to lose those annoying 10 pounds. Thank goodness for “suntan in a bottle” and Spanx because our busy home and work life did not allow for these items to remain high on our priority list!
The original budget was tiny and quickly forgotten as we continued to plan. Initially, I felt guilty but then reminded myself that we had waited a REALLY long time and that this day SHOULD be special!
And special it was…
On April 13th, surrounded by our dearest friends, we exchanged rings and vows. We ate and drank; we enjoyed a beautiful cake, and laughed (and cried) into the wee hours of the night.
A dear friend was ordained so that she could marry us. As I listened to her speak, I looked at my beautiful bride and at the smiling faces in the room. Our friend shared her own thoughts as to why our relationship has stayed the course. She spoke of kindness, respect, our genuine interest in each other and the people we love as the key ingredients for our success.
In the morning, we met friends for breakfast. Over Eggs Benedict and coffee, we reviewed the highlights of the night. It seemed our special moments were felt by everyone and our attempts to ensure a wonderful evening were appreciated.
In every way that matters, we have been married for years. In this marriage, we have experienced wonderful moments and held hands through our struggles. We didn’t need to spend the energy and money to prove our value as a couple, but felt that it was important to be counted and take advantage of rights that should have always been available.
Maybe it’s the decades behind us that allowed our wedding to be about more than just one celebration; but about our life together and our dreams. Had I not waited so long, I might not have understood!
ABOUT KELLY: Kelly is a mother, blogger, writer, and working elementary teacher. She started her blog My Twice Baked Potato as a way of educating others about twice-exceptional children. Although her son doesn’t share all of her interests (entertaining, Twitter, and reality TV), they share a love of games, animals, and fancy hotels.
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This piece was written by Kelly of My Twice Baked Potato exclusively for Bonbon Break Media, LLC.
CONTINUE READING IN THE FAMILY ROOM
