Next year will be the year 2018. A year of many new things.
Next year I will marry the love of my life. I am currently preparing for
the adventure of a lifetime. If you would have asked me a year ago, where I
would be today I would not have been able to imagine it. Even as a little
girl, I dreamed of marrying a wonderful man, settling down, and
starting a family. I suppose most little girls have this dream. Maybe even more
than dreaming of marriage, most little girls dream of their wedding day.
They dream of walking down the aisle in a beautiful white
gown, shiny jewelry, a veil or maybe a tiara. They dream of the colors and the
flowers, of the meal and of the cake, and of the people that will be there to
celebrate with them. And not to mention, dreaming of the man who will share
that day with them. As that little girl
grows older, the pressures of social media helping to solidify an idea of how
their wedding day has to go. Pinterest boards grow as teenagers pin pictures of
dresses and hairdos, and maybe even engagement rings that they like. Pins of
flowers, gowns, wedding parties, tables, DIY decorations, and foods begin to
pile up and compile a 'fairytale wedding'.
I will not lie and say I do not have a Pinterest board. That
I don't have pictures of bridesmaid dresses, flowers, and table settings. Or even that I am not excited to go pick out
a wedding gown and find the perfect hair style. Because I am. But more than
that I am excited to spend hours with my fiancé pouring over ideas together. I
am excited to make home cooked meals that we will eat while looking over our
song and guest list. To sit by his side and dream of our special day and make
plans together that will soon become a reality.
I cannot wait for the day that I walk down the aisle, with
my father by my side, looking up at the man that I will spend the rest of my
life with. I am excited to worship
alongside of him and everyone that is there to celebrate our special day
together. I am excited to say "I do" and exchange our vows-not to
mention share our first kiss as a married couple. I dream of the moment we will
get to dance to our song; the song that I feel was written just for us and is
able to perfectly say what is always on my mind. I also know that the
flowers and table settings and food will be wonderful, and that we will enjoy
seeing everyone that we love....
But more than any of the wedding planning and the actual wedding
day, there is something else that I am looking forward to next year. Because as
beautiful as a wedding is and as much as I appreciate the symbolism and
declaration-it is just one day. One crazy day that people often get so caught
up in, that they do not think past that day. Next year what I am most excited
for is growing with my best friend. Not just when we get married, but each
moment leading up to it and after it.
Life is made up of little moments that make memories. Each
little moment is an opportunity to grow whether for the worst or the best and
in the case of a relationship, whether closer together or farther apart. The
year 2018 is a special year because I get to say "I do" to my best
friend. Each moment before our wedding will be dearly cherished, as I already
am cherishing each moment. I will continue to cherish each moment after we
exchange our vows. It does not end there...living together and waking up with
his face next to mine. Continue to cook meals together, listening to each other
share about work, and taking care of our home together.
There will be laughter and mushy moments, but there will
also be tears and frustrating moments. I look forward to the hard times just as
much as the fun and easy moments. Because it is in these moments that God will
challenge us and help us to grow. We will continue to learn how to disagree and
compromise, and how to forgive and unconditionally (agape) love each other. It
is during next year that my soon to be
husband and I will continue to build up the foundation that God has laid before
us. The foundation that we will build the rest of our lives upon. 2018 will be
a year to remember because I am looking forward to doing life with my other
half.
All photographs taken by: Danielle Trista Photography
