This past Thursday was my and J’s four year anniversary.

The best day:

and party:

of my life. (p.s. this picture makes the dance floor look so empty – I swear, J and I weren’t the only ones dancing!)

It’s always so hard to put that day and moment into words. I can’t even tell you how perfect it was.

So we celebrated on Saturday with dinner at one of our favorite Cleveland restaurants.

It was nice to treat ourselves and have an adult night out!

We ate AMAZING food, drank great wine (and beer!), and even headed over to our other favorite Cleveland restaurant for a nightcap (something we rarely ever get a chance to do).

It wasn’t quite the party it was four years ago, but we still drank too much (well, maybe just I did? ), enjoyed each other’s company, and remembered why we married each other in the first place.

It’s nice to take a step back from the crazy sometimes and just simply enjoy each other – it’s funny how we so easily get caught up in a routine. It’s too bad I thrive on crazy – otherwise we might just make this a habit.

How do you celebrate your anniversary? Do you go all out, have a nice night in, have any traditions, etc??

Thank you so much for all the nice comments on yesterday’s post! I was going to give you a brief intermission from all the lovey dovey posts today, but I started browsing through the pictures and couldn’t help wanting to share more!

When we left off I was about to walk down the aisle.

We had roughly 65 people at our wedding. It was held in the same room as the reception and our guests sat at the tables they would be eating at. It was perfect.

The ceremony was short and sweet – J and I actually wrote the whole thing ourselves. I received so many compliments on the ceremony and how personal it was. Just what I was going for.

I especially love this picture of the 3 of us right after:

Doesn’t C look so sweet?

We took a few posed pictures, but nothing specific. Out goal was for the pictures to be more “raw”, more “us” I guess. Here are a few of my favorites:

First up after pictures? Cake. Anyone who knows me knows I take my cake seriously. And this was seriously delicious. We let C pick the flavors, and he picked well! The bottom layer was strawberry with buttercream, the middle layer was lemon with lemon curd, and the top (for us to take home) was chocolate with peanut butter filling. It was amazing. I know this because I ate that night. I was not one of those brides “too busy to eat”. NO WAY! I’m gonna eat and enjoy the food just like everyone else.

We had the obligatory first dance, but everything else about our wedding was pretty non-traditional. I didn’t want any posed photos or mandatory dances – just fun, fun, fun!!!

And that is what we had.

Go big, right? Hehe.

I ain’t gonna lie, the party was pretty EPIC (and I hate that word!).

This was seriously the fastest night of my life. Before I knew it, the shuttles to go back to the hotel were leaving!

If our wedding night was any indicator of how the rest our life together is going to be (full of love, laughter, and fun), then we are in for an amazing ride.

Here’s to millions more!!

If you’re married, tell me about your wedding. Was it traditional? Big? Small? If you’re not married, do you know what you want your wedding to be like?

Dear J,

I’d ask where the past 2 years have gone, but I know where. These past 2 years have been filled with love, tears, joy, and heartache. But most of all love. I still remember that day so clearly.

Waking up with my best friends and being so excited to start the day.

I remember how happy and excited C was with you.

But how nervous he was when we were getting dressed.

I remember thinking right then and there what a great stepdad you were going to be. And how lucky C was to be gaining another dad. Your present to me that day pretty much summed up how you felt, too.

I remember getting dressed and feeling the most beautiful I have ever felt.

I knew you would look great, but I had no idea you were going to look this handsome (that’s a compliment, hon).

I remember getting so anxious that I tried to take a peak at what was going on and getting shooed back inside.

Until they let us come together for a “touch, but don’t look” photo only.

I remember my dad being a rock for me that day, more than he had ever been my entire life.

And my best friends holding my hands through the waiting.

Little did I know that this was going to be the fastest (and most fun!) night of my life.

When it was time, the girls left me and my dad to wait our turn. I had to take a minute to calm my nerves and put the tears away.

Then the door opened.

And we were about to officially become a family………

Part II Coming This Week!