We FINALLY Got Married!!!!

David and I finally got married on Thursday August 14, 2008. After waiting what seemed like FOREVER and planning and organizing and anticipating it actually really happened. And it was a lot of fun. The entire evening seemed to go by in a blur. I remember things clearly but I felt like I was floating through it all. I think I finally snapped out of it at the end of the night and felt like “Woah. Is it over already?” I hardly tasted (or even saw for that matter) the food, but I heard it was yummy. I only noticed the flowers because the videographer’s sound guy was trying to put the microphone near the chuppah and one of the arrangements fell as I was on my way to David. Fortunately my reaction was to chuckle instead of getting upset. The Chuppah itself passed so quickly and felt like it wasn’t even happening. David kept smiling at me so I kept smiling at him and all I wanted to do was talk to him (which I did as much as I could). When it was all over and we were being danced to the Yichud room I felt like I was experiencing an outer body experience. I didn’t really feel like I was walking away from my chuppah…I was just floating and hoping that none of our friends would accidentally dance backward into a wall or a door or something.

In the Yichud room, away from all of the music and people, I finally came back to myself. I cried with relief and happiness. After almost 3 years together of a ridiculous relationship that still now we ask ourselves if we were out of our minds to try to make it work we FINALLY REALLY ACTUALLY got married. It was such a wonderful feeling when it hit me that my “struggle” to really get to spend the rest of my life with him was over. I had him. He was mine and I was his and we could really start OUR life together. It’s almost making me cry as I write this thinking about how good it all feels.

The dancing was wonderful. I only remember the fact that I danced so hard I could barely breathe most of the night. Fortunately I had good friends to bring me lots of water and a chair to sit on when I thought I was going to fall over. I didn’t dance with David as much as I had anticipated but it’s ok, I was so caught up in what was going on and whirling around me that I almost didn’t notice.

I also have wonderful, amazing friends. I had a complete entire table of friends that I had grown up with in the states who came to Israel to be at my wedding. Aside from the fact that it was wonderful to see them all again and together, it made me feel so loved that they all made the effort to be with me. It made the night so much more special. I had friends prepare a song for us and perform it in front of everyone. They are both in the army and it must have taken a lot of effort to find time to rehearse and plan. David’s friends performed “The Dance” that started as a wedding tradition for his high school class, then his yeshiva class, and then David introduced it to his unit. There were guys from all three places in David’s life dancing their hearts out for us. It was amazing.

The night was magical. I can’t describe it any other way. Nothing seemed to go wrong and at the end I was married so nothing else mattered.

To top it all off, we had a Shabbat Sheva Brachot with all of our family at the hotel right after the wedding. That was really the cherry on top. To see all sides of our families spending a Shabbat together and really getting to know each other and sit and chat was really beautiful. Even though it was two completely different families coming together probably for this weekend only, the harmony and happiness was tangible. We are so lucky to be blessed with such loving families and really enjoyed all of our time with them.

I am going to post some pictures but they are NOT the official photographer’s because I don’t have them yet. Hope this will give a taste of what it was like. There are also a ton on facebook and a few snapfish albums. Email me if you want more!