Thoughts Of A Bride Who Never Thought She'd Be One

I have been working with the amazing Quill & Fox for our wedding invitations and this image is a working piece of our invitation's main header. Reserving our reception venue and talking to our ministers was one thing, but actually seeing the invitations we are about to mail out to our guests within the next month or so is another story. Seeing the date of our wedding on paper seems to make it even more real than it already is, and I can't help but be amazed at how life moves in such unexpected ways.

You see, I never thought I would end up getting married. Sure, as a young girl, I had fantasized about walking down the aisle to the sounds of a string quartet, wearing a white dress, clutching a bouquet of pink roses... but I never really aimed for such a scenario in my own life; they were just silly visions that kept my mind playful and creative.

As I neared adulthood, I shied away from the idea altogether and thought how absurd the entire institution of marriage was, how it was all such a waste of time, energy, and money, and how idiotic it was to overreact (and overspend) over a piece of paper. But these days, as I plan for my own big day and spend more time with my now ex-boyfriend turned fiance, I can't help but be (pleasantly) surprised at how I've been proven wrong once again.

I once thought I knew exactly what this image meant. I mean, it's obvious what it's trying to say, but I see it differently now. I still believe in it, but in a completely different way.

I was telling my fiance how happy I was that I was finally settling down with that one person I could picture myself spending the rest of my life with, under one roof, perhaps with a couple of kids and even more dogs, bills to pay and taxes to do together. No more dating, no more checking off the "Single" box in documents, no more empty left ring finger. No more games. Game over. And I don't mind that at all.

Three years ago, I was a completely different person. I would've retched a little just thinking about these things, this sort of commitment, this sort of permanence. But now, I understand and embrace what this all means.

Some people would probably argue that you can still do all these things and experience the same kind of happiness even without that piece of paper. You can simply live together and probably fare better than most married couples these days. But to me, marriage just makes it all the more meaningful.

You might find this rather silly but I found the words that would help express my belief in marriage while I was watching Downton Abbey (best show ever). My favorite characters in the series, Anna and Bates, fell in love within rather difficult circumstances, which inspired Anna to marry him and not wait any longer. She says,

Mr. Bates, if we have to face this, then we will face it as husband and wife. I will not be moved to the sidelines to watch how you fare from a distance with no right even to be kept informed! I will be your next of kin. You will not deny me that.

I love that term, next of kin. I think it eloquently describes in just three tiny words my faith in the institution of marriage. I know that this term is a simple legal term that helps prevent certain legal inconveniences, and you can call me a romantic all you want, but I think it overflows with such deep meaning.

To officially welcome a person who was once, literally, a complete stranger, into your life as kin, as family, is a beautiful and quite incomparable gift. And I'm the happiest girl in the world that I get to open this gift in a few months, and call it my own, not just for that special day, but for the rest of my life.

Vlogged: Giving My Inner Tribute A High Five!

I finished the Hunger Games Trilogy today, and now I don't know what to do with my life... aside from vlogging about it that is.

I first saw the following Hunger Games tag from Joey Graceffa and Alex Carpenter's channels, and decided that it would be a fun thing to vlog myself.

I'm tagging anyone and everyone who loves the Hunger Games. It doesn't matter if you just saw the movie, or read one book or all three of them. I would still love to hear your thoughts on this amazing series. Leave a comment or post a video response to join the tag!

Enjoy and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Questions:

1. What is your favorite book from the trilogy?
2. How long would you last in the Hunger Games?
3. What's the strangest thing you thought would happen in the books but didn't?
4. How were you introduced to the Hunger Games?
5. Favorite moment that happens in the trilogy?
6. Who is your favorite character?
7. What district would you live in?
8. What was the most emotional moment in the books?
9. What item from home would you take in the arena as a token?
10. What was the most evil plan someone made in the books?
11. What are you looking forward to most in the film?
12. Who is your favorite villain in the trilogy?

Engagement Update: My Precious

A lot of my friends have been bugging me about showing them "the rock" since the day we announced our engagement. I'm not one to brag about material possessions on my blog or Facebook, but I felt like the ring Christopher chose for me was so unique and meaningful that perhaps my family and friends should know more about it.

Christopher and I were never the conventional type of couple. Sure, we can be as old-fashioned as they come when it comes to family values, dealing with other people and all that stuff, but the way we both work, our chemistry, and our interests, are far from ordinary. When Christopher asked my mom for her blessing, my mom said that he was the only guy I ever dated who truly brought out the "me", the daughter that she truly knew and loved, and that "me" was quirky and, sometimes, weird. And in the sweetest way possible, she said that Christopher and I were both weird, and that was what she really loved about us.

Christopher and I celebrate this weirdness everyday, which I'd rather call our uniqueness. And I think that is precisely one of the things my engagement ring truly represents.

The engagement ring is opal, and is surrounded by diamonds. The first thing Christopher told me to do with it was to go outside and look at it under the sun, because the internal structure of opal makes this beautiful stone diffract light, taking on many colors. It's the nerdiest, most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

But perhaps the most meaningful thing about this ring is its history, as it belonged to Christopher's mom when she was younger. He specifically asked for this ring because it was the most memorable one for him, and he remembers admiring it as a young boy.

I was telling him that I've always dreamed of being with a man who would give me something of his mom's, because family is so important to me. It speaks loudly of a man's relationship with his mother, and how it also translates to the honor he would someday give his wife.

On a lighter note, I also felt like Kate Middleton when Prince William proposed to her. Well, okay, I guess in some ways, I can't help but also feel like Bella Swan. Hehe.

I had imagined countless times how both my proposal and engagement ring would be like, and I never thought I'd be given something way beyond my wildest dreams.