Happily Ever After?

Chris and I finally made it down the aisle at the end of May this year. It's been a long time since I've blogged, mainly because I was busy with pre-wedding preparations and then got lazy after the wedding. Here are the pictures in no particular order:

With this ring...

Chris looking suave.

Me looking amused... this was after three glasses of pink champagne. I became so pink the makeup artist had to powder me down.

The back of my dress. My favourite part.

My engagement ring nestled in my wedding bouquet.

Chris had tears in his eyes. He got choked up while saying his vows, which of course set me off as well.

Lighting one candle to symbolise the beginning of our life together as one.

Signing our wedding certificate. We both look relieved.

A photograph of us in the gazebo

In the gardens. I've always pictured myself getting married in the evening. We didn't quite make the sunset, but I thought the candlelight and low lighting made everything even more romantic.

Our wedding cake. It was chocolate mud in white sugar icing.

Us cutting the cake.

And finally, our bridal waltz...

My wedding dress waiting to be worn.

So there you go. All that preparation for one evening that flew by in a blink of an eye. If I had the chance to do it all again, I'd probably stretch it out over a full day rather than squeezing the ceremony and reception into one night. There was no time to relax and enjoy the moment.

It's been over three months since we said 'I do' and I have to say, married life isn't so different from our lives before we took the plunge. I've changed my name because it meant more to Chris than it did to me. I was originally opposed to the idea because I felt it was a way for a husband to claim ownership over his wife, but then again I know that is far from what Chris wants. And we *are* a family now, so it makes sense that we have the same last name.

Is our relationship any different? I think it is; we are more at peace with each other because we know our lives stretch ahead of us, and the little things aren't worth sweating over. Chris has always been the more tolerant one in our relationship, and I think marriage has made him even more so.

I find it amusing that movies usually end with lovers getting married and audiences are supposed to assume that means they lived happily ever after. In reality, the wedding is only the beginning of the hard work that lies ahead for a couple. No wonder so many men and women want to be married - popular culture has led us to believe everything will be fine after a ring is slipped on their finger. Neither Chris nor I believe in divorce, so that's not an option for us. I guess we are commited to working through whatever problems we may face, and have decided to pick our battles wisely. In 50 years' time, would it really matter if he leaves his socks lying around?

Love is such a strange thing. Finding it may be difficult for some, but I think the real challenge is maintaining it. I've been watching a documentary on SBS called Desperately Seeking Sheila, about four outback blokes looking for a woman to move out to rural Australia to live with them. Out of the four blokes, two were complete duds. What does that say about the general population of men?! The other two relationships seemed to work out after the three-week 'experimental' phase, and the couples were revisited a year later to see how things were going. Only one relationship survived the test of time. Very bleak statistics, if you ask me.

I don't know what lies in store for us, but we make each other laugh, we trust each other, and made a promise we are commited to keep. Maybe I should say we're living contentedly ever after.