So why, other than I'm woefully over due on posts, did I want to do this specific entry a few weeks ago? Well, Mr. Crazy Cat Dude and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary! Yup, 18 yrs ago I said I do to my one true love. (There may be another, but only 'til death us do part, hoping that's a long time from now!)
So 18 yrs ago, at the tender age of 23, Mr and I tied the proverbial knot that bound us together in this little adventure called matrimony. Where do I start in this story? I can say, it was not love at first sight. No, definitely not. Good thing we were both open minded and willing to look past those first impressions. Oh, the memories. I guess I should start there then. Turn back the time clock to 2nd year University. Living with a friend in an apartment just outside the university gates, another friend, from whom I was subletting, also lived in the building. After an afternoon at work, I step onto the elevator with my roommate, just as the doors were about to close this tall skinny dude with long wild, dark hair jumps on the elevator. He was wearing a Metallica baseball cap, a jean jacket with this strange hand painting of this green alien thing, and some other heavy metal bands plus scrappy cut off jeans. (It was the summer between classes, I was taking one course so I didn't have to move back home!) He got off at the first floor...my roomie and I laughed our asses off the rest of the way up to our 8th floor apartment. He was pretty funny looking!
This is the funny looking green alien:
When I got to my room, I checked my phone and had a message from the friend that lived in the building. He mentioned that a friend was coming in from out of town and they were going to go out clubbing that night and wanted to know if I wanted to go along. I called him back and said sure! I changed my clothes, fixed my hair and make up an was chatting with the roomie when there was a knock at the door. A quick look through the peep hole and who should I see? My friend and the guy from the elevator (Mr. Crazy Cat Dude). A few pre-club drinks, some chatting and we realized that first impressions are not always lasting ones. We talked the whole weekend, hung out more than he and the friend did. It was pretty cool and definitely the beginning of a life long friendship. Since this is supposed to be a post about our wedding, I won't go into further details about how it all started, although I do think it's a pretty good story.
We met in August, wrote letters (of the snail mail variety) for a while. In October, I got a call from our mutual friend letting me know that Mr. was heading this way again, so we hung out again. That weekend, we were again inseparable and we had our first kiss. New Year's we became an official couple and exchanged the L word (no we didn't share a lesbian, we said "Love", and no, sorry I don't have a lesbian sharing story...although roomie did turn out to be one.) By May we were engaged and by the following winter we moved in together. That also comes with a story. My parents weren't too happy with the whole living in sin thing. They temporarily cut ties...mostly the financial kind. I was still a student when began co-habitating, and Mr. had only just started working in the real world. It was tough. We started planning the wedding, the guest list, with family alone was creeping towards 200. We were living in the big, big city and the moment you said the word wedding when contacting facilities the price suddenly skyrocketed. It was stressful, and Mr. and I argued mostly about the wedding and nothing else. One sunny afternoon, as we walked along the Danforth, we reflected on how one of our friends was actually getting married as we spoke at the city hall. Mr. turned to me and said, "Maybe they have the right idea." So an idea was born. We nearly eloped, but given the already strained relationship with my parents, we decided to keep it small and simple.
There was one catch, well two really, I guess three...I was still in school. I had to plan around tests and assignments. Secondly, I had always dreamed of sewing my own gown. Thirdly, it was fall and peoples schedules were getting busy. But we jumped into action. We announced it to our families and everyone was thrilled. Dates were negotiated, tests were postponed and I sewed my little heart out. Mom and Dad came through with a generous gift of money for the material for the dress and I headed down to the fashion district to pick out the pattern and everything I needed. Within 8 weeks of that discussion, we had a wedding.
It was a wonderful day. We had 18 guests. My brothers were my men of honour, and of course the best men included the friend that first introduced us. Other than the best men and our minister who was a close family friend, everyone else was family. I finished sewing my dress that morning, and even held the door open at the apartment building in my wedding gown for some guys that were just moving in! (A lady came along and scolded them for having me hold the door, but honestly, I was happy to help, I was just waiting for the car to pull up).
No regrets for not doing the big show. Quiet and simple describes us perfectly, and it was really the perfect way to start our life together. I don't have many electronic pictures of the day. Remember, 18 yrs ago digital cameras were not common place. But here we are with my parents (who did forgive me wholly and fully once that ring was on my finger!)
And here we are at the reception. Best Damn desert I ever ate! ;)
18 yrs, and still on our honeymoon!
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