The Adventures of Getting Hitched (pt. 1)

“I love you, and that is the beginning and end of everything.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

When we first started seeing each other it was anyone’s guess whether we would ever get married again, both being freshly divorced.

However, we both knew that we’d always be together -that we were each other’s forever and that in itself was more than enough.

After 3 years together, we had the most magical (completely unexpected to me) engagement at our annual spot on the beach.

But proceeded relaxed with no real idea of when, where, how… we just basked in fiancé land with future wedding plans tbd!

Over the next couple of years we were in no hurry, we did visit conversation periodically as we tinkered with ideas of where, when and who we also just waited for the answers to show themselves to us when it was time.

At one time we had decided on a place, then a different place, then we had a timeframe and then we had an actual date and a place... but we were still keeping that information private.

Then, some time passed and I spent a week with my best friends and their family. Their little girl, whom I cherished as my niece Emma, wasn’t doing well and I felt I needed to be there to help in anyway I could. Nothing could help knowing your child is at her end of this life on earth, but as we were all together in her beginning -we all showed up for her in a last week long sleep over.

I will always talk about how every moment with Emma was such a gift, and honestly, one I never felt deserving of. All of heaven knows I didn’t expect one of the last gifts her in presence would give me, and that was while sitting there surrounded by her family I overheard that her daddy, Kory, was ordained. It was a conversation in another room as Kory was set to be doing a wedding soon that they were then anticipating he’d be unable to do.

This information just went in and sat itself down for later without me even recognizing.

Some time passed of being back home after Emma’s funeral, and suddenly that moment clicked and I looked to Josh to tell him “hey! Kory is ordained…….”

We both knew in that moment we would ask Kory to marry us.

The wait was a bit excruciating for me but this had to be done in person so we waited for their visit to Tennessee and as I stood with them in my kitchen, we were ever so over the moon when he said yes!

It was going to be kind of like a family vacation, them and us, to Florida fall of 2022.

Then a couple more months passed and suddenly, it was just time and we were just ready.

So the date changed, and the place, added a few people but one thing remained -Kory, Mickayla and Maddie with Kory officiating would still be in attendance!

We had the new date, with only two months notice, and we still weren’t yet sure on the place -only that we would figure out some where back in Illinois where we started.

October 23rd seemed like the best Saturday option and just as we said it I remembered that my grandparents always used BGH23 for things, so I asked Nana to remind me what the 23 was and she said it was Papa’s patrol car number. Well, what another fun surprise of life linked in the details.

The only plan we had was that Josh and I used to spend a lot of time just driving together and talking for hours, windshield time was a lot of our beginning so aside from knowing the date was we were going to revisit our drives and special places.

Only, another plot twist… we had both already thought of the same place, only neither of us had verbalized it thus far.

We had a whole weekend planned for this excursion of finding a ceremony location. Turns out, no driving required!

We knew that the best place, was going to be our place! A place right there back home in Illinois, a place we own, we love and where a lot of our beginning existed.

This gave us 3 weekends at every other weekend to do some cleanup and put a plan together.

We already had a three tiered spot built up with railroad ties and gravel for a fire pit area that overlooked open fields and a direct line of sight to all the evening sunsets framed by trees, this would make the perfect ceremony spot.

But standing room only? What would that look like? Fancy white chairs would stand out, plus be an added cost to rent and the old metal chairs we owned were just a no, cold and impersonal.

As I was taking a break and sitting down, I realized the bench I was sitting on was made of railroad ties simply on concrete blocks. All of which were items we had right there at the range and would be perfect to maintain the organic esthetic of our place.

Sidebar 1: Because, while we began our work, Sam began to explore and stumbled on some lovely quartz crystals housed right there in the rock wall we were surrounded by. Not only was our place perfect as is, you’re telling me I will be surrounded by never before touched by human hands quartz crystals?!

After almost 2.5 years of being engaged-

We had the date,

We had the place,

We had the set up planned,

And we invited our people -our children, their families, our parents and our chosen family the McGovern’s.

Soon we found our perfect wedding bands, the most simple linen dress for me, burlap for the seating, lanterns to hang by each bench. It was looking to be more beautiful than I could have ever anticipated.

Sidebar 2: I’d looked at salt and pepper diamond rings over the last couple of years, not knowing what exactly I wanted but I did understand I would just know when I saw it. With wedding planning full steam ahead, I started looking again.

There was a shop I came across with a listing that I instantly knew was going to be my next ring. I messaged the shop to inquire for more images and video of available stones to pick from, as it’s a (design your own) set up. About a day later I was working through emails when I saw an email where the Sender Name was -Emma.

I about shit in my knickers.

Upon opening the email I was met with images and videos of salt and pepper diamonds, the ones I’d inquired about -the shop owner’s name is Emma!

I doubly about shit (with a side of golden goose) in my knickers!

Although to keep everything as low budget as possible, I did decide to wait on the new ring because the most important thing and all I want at this point, is to marry this man. But I sit here knowing I have it picked out all the same and I have the knowing that the perfect ring that grabbed me is being made by a woman named Emma.

And while I was on my journey searching for that, I came across another shop that was able to make a rosary from the flowers at Emma's services so that I could add her in our day.

Everything just kept falling together, I kept saying as if it was planning itself. This is what love in life is, nothing forced but all a gift when you're ready to receive.

To be continued…

Take good care and travel safe,

Sami

Clean up had begun!

Benches in place, I love this view so much!

The addition of burlap and lanterns just took my breath away, this is US!