Pinned Together: It's Been a Year!

Last year on this day, I said I do and I will to a lifelong journey with my best friend. At the time, I didn't think we could get any closer. I didn't think life could speed up anymore than it already had, or that we'd look back and reminisce about this day, in what felt like the blink of an eye. 

Photo by Meredith Perdue & Graham Terhune

But, we have gotten a lot closer, life has been a whirlwind, and our wedding day is never far from our minds...

   

In this year, we traveled all the way to Costa Rica for our honeymoon, made our way up to Philadelphia for a marathon, down to Tennessee for the annual Storytelling festival, Florida for a little R&R, and recently, added Smith Mountain Lake to the list of travels.

We cried through the funerals of two grandfathers, but bared witness to three weddings. We danced through a season of So You Think You Can Dance and sung through a season of Platinum Hit. We clutched each other during the Boardwalk Empire, and recently, read and saw The Hunger Games.

The fourth of July, we watched fireworks at our neighborhood park  - just the two of us. We celebrated our birthdays with Georgetown cupcakes and bottomless brunch menus. We had the most amazing first Christmas, buying a real Christmas tree and showering each other with gifts from REI.

We've made family a real priority and see (all three!) sets of parents at least once a month. We have couples dinners and a group Bible study. We took our first hike in January, ate Indian for the first time in February and well... raw sushi happened just last month.

Mr. Brooch got accepted into one of the Nation's top schools and twice a week, he's in class. I started volunteering and have a new blog coming this summer.

Despite all of this, it really does seem like just yesterday!

And, despite all of this, there are all those countless moments, like this one: 

When you realize... you have many years to go!

***

Happy anniversary, my love. Thank you for supporting me through this blogging adventure; mainly, allowing me to plaster the before and after of our nuptials on the net! Thank you, too, for all your lovely surprises: the chiavari chairs and your song, and, for just being you.

You always know what to say, always know how to make me laugh, and how to love me.

And, well, thank you, Weddingbee , for allowing me to recap and reflect on the day when it all began: 

• We took pictures, rehearsed, and gave out presents.
• We ate snicker's cake and there was a special reunion.
• Wedding morning was finally upon us.
• The bridesmaids dressed in fancy robes.
• I get a makeover.
• My mom and me have some time.
• Meanwhile, the groomsmen hangout and take some pictures.
• My bridal suite and special things await me.
• I get a sweet surprise: chiavari chairs!
• I slip into my gown and become a bride!
• I put on special jewelry, and think of someone special.
• We did a first look and had a special time of bride and groom love.
• I put on the final touches - my veil and bouquet and the ceremony started.
• I have my moment walking down the aisle.
• Our ceremony message is: Hold Onto God, Each Other & Love.
• Mr. Brooch busted out in song and everyone was in a state of sheer joy.
• We had a great mocktail hour and took formals.
• The bridesmaids gathered 'round for pictures.
• We saw our reception space for the first time.
• We had dinner, heard the speeches and cut the cake.  

What did you feel like on your one year anniversary?

Was it surreal?