To my husband, I can’t believe it’s already been one year since I married you – my best friend. It feels like it just happened, but at the same time it also feels like this is just as life has always been. I look back and see so much joy and also a lot of hard days. Both are sure to come, but you’re the one I want to learn and love for the rest of our days.
You are more patient than I could have imagined, more loving, and I am so thankful to be the recipient of your love. To create a home and family with you – to Redeem Hampton alongside you – is my joy. Because Redeeming Hampton is far more about the relationships than the stuff in it.
You are the one that I choose over and over again. On the hard days and the best days, I give my life to you, covenanting to be by your side for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part. I love so much about you, but all of that could change in an instant, so what I will say is that I love you because I love you because I love you. Praising God for his goodness and as we joyfully sang just before we were pronounced husband and wife, babe: All Glory be to Christ.
Truth Be Told
I’m not here to glorify a wedding day or even marriage. I loved being single and I love being married to Mike. We haven’t “made it” and we’ll always be in a season of waiting for the next thing. My husband isn’t perfect and I’m not either. We don’t have a perfect marriage. We’re learning and failing each other each day.
Getting married at 31 and 32, we were so thankful to walk alongside so many of our married friends, as they invited us into the beautiful and hard realities of marriage and in the end really showed us that no marriage is the same – ours is unique too. While it was worth the wait, this is not our hope.
For My Single Buddies
I have a tender space in my heart for my friends who are currently single because that was me for so long. I don’t have advice for “how to find your man,” nor will I say “when you finally feel content, THAT’S when it will happen.” I want to tell you that I know it’s tough a lot of times – and I see you. And I also want to share with you the truth that marriage is tough too. Marriage isn’t our hope, but instead that hope belongs in Jesus – sees you exactly where you are in our mess, loves you perfectly, and is redeeming us. Cry out to Him in your joy and in your pain; our Comforter is near to you and hears your cries. He will continue to prove His faithfulness to you and is worthy of your trust, even when it doesn’t make sense right now. This isn’t some revelation now that I’m married (I promise!) but a truth that was spoken to me then and I continually come back to it. Rest your hope in the One who is worthy.
While wedding days are innately beautiful in what they represent (and let’s be honest, they are a blast), after that extraordinary day, there are many, many ordinary days.
Our Wedding Day
We were graced with the most beautiful September day – mild & sunny with a slight breeze. We spent the day celebrating with our family and friends – committing & covenanting to each other before God. What a joy it was to have everyone under one roof! Perhaps I’ll share more details, but it was really important to us to express the things above before showing you our day. Here are a few of our favorite photos from the day captured by The Brauns:
*Wedding reception at the oh-so-gorgeous venue, The Windamere.
