First Comes the Wedding…Then Comes the Marriage: It’s Different

For all my newly-wives (and wives-to-be), I’ve created this series (original post) for the After Wedding aka Marriage. If you have a fear that once you put your Wedding Planning Binder away, you will feel naked and without a sense of direction, never fear, your to-do list still awaits you.

It’s been a really fun, insightful week with this series. And I hope I’ve made you think or helped your situation AND made you laugh.

Today is just a little food for thought. After the Wedding…you are married (duh). And it is different. Of course it is, you may say, that’s is the point of being married. Yes, but there are going to be times where the stark difference between your dating/engaged life and you married life hit you all of a sudden. Sometime with fond remembrance and sometimes with a unexplained sadness. And sometimes…well…I can’t put it in any better terms…It’s different.

Take for one, your social friendships. I was the very first (21 years old) of my close group of high school friends to get married and have children. This put a great distance, figuratively, in our relationship. While I was balancing nursing, doctor’s appointments and the weekly diaper budget, they were still binge drinking in their 3rd, 4th and 5th years of college. While they were distraught over their flavor of the week’s inability to call them back, I was hoping to stay awake for at least a half an hour after the baby went to bed to even speak to my husband.

There will be many, many other instances where it will be very obvious your lives have changed. And I hope for the better (but let’s not forget the worse part of those vows).

Sometimes being a new bride can cause a surge of emotions as if you were constantly in a state of PMS but have faith my darlings. It will all work out in the end.

I consciously choose not to go into every little detail of my newlywed life to offer suggestions for hypothetical situations that may come up in your own life. However, the creators of TheKnot.com has a newlywed site call, TheNest.com. Here you can find newlywed brides like yourself and a community of support, advice, fun and products. Try it out.

Complete Series

Sunday: Kick Off

Monday: Post Wedding-Wrap Up

Tuesday: To Change or Not to Change Your Name & How

Wednesday: Holidays

Thursday: Your 1^st Anniversary

Friday: Awkward Questions, Awesome Answers

Saturday: It’s Different

Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what Post-Wedding topics interest YOU.

First Comes the Wedding…Then Comes the Marriage: Your 1st Anniversary

For all my newly-wives (and wives-to-be), I’ve created this series (original post) for the After Wedding aka Marriage. If you have a fear that once you put your Wedding Planning Binder away, you will feel naked and without a sense of direction, never fear, your to-do list still awaits you.

Traditionally, your First Wedding Anniversary is celebrated with the gift of Paper.

Here are a few simple and traditional suggestions: Books, a framed ketubah (Jewish), Tickets, Money (that’s a plus), a scrapbook, a letter/card (husbands beware if going this route make this ONE of her gifts), stationery, paper fan or parasol.

A more contemporary first anniversary gifts are clocks: wall clocks, cuckoo clocks, watches, pocket watches, alarm clocks or antique clocks.

Traditionally, the some women (or shall I say at least me, in my perfect little world) put a lot of significance on this anniversary. So ladies, if you are expecting a big to-do and your hubby is not known to make a big to-do over anything, help the guy out and give him a clue. Either directly or indirectly through trusted friend or family member.

Are you stumped on exactly HOW to celebrate your first anniversary? Check out these suggestions.

Many bakers now offer their wedding clients a Free 1st Anniversary cake.

On our First Anniversary, the DigitalPharaoh and I spent it at home, I believe (oh that’s so bad). I’m not quite sure what we did all day long. I was a new mother, our first daughter was 7 weeks old. The winter of 2000 was a cold and snowy one. We may have gone out during the day for a quick bite to eat, with the baby. We may have rented some movies…(uh..”Hun, what did we do for our 1st anniversary?” DP: “Uh…”) Hmmm…

Nevertheless…enjoy your first anniversary (and if you don’t do anything spectacular…remember, there will be many more, God willing).

Next up in our series: Awkward Questions, Awesome Answers

Complete Series

Sunday: Kick Off

Monday: Post Wedding-Wrap Up

Tuesday: To Change or Not to Change Your Name & How

Wednesday: Holidays

Thursday: Your 1^st Anniversary

Friday: Awkward Questions, Awesome Answers

Saturday: It’s Different

Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what Post-Wedding topics interest YOU.

First Comes the Wedding…Then Comes the Marriage

Eventually, the planning will come to an end (and oh it makes me so sad not to hear from each and every one of my brides as often after the wedding).

Eventually, the wedding will be over (yes, a year or so of planning is quenched in 4-6 hours).

Eventually, the marriage will begin (the most important part).

But does that mean that mean all things Simply Beautiful will come to an end?????

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

For all my newly-wives (and wives-to-be), I’ve created this series for the After Wedding aka Marriage. If you have a fear that once you put your Wedding Planning Binder away, you will feel naked and without a sense of direction, never fear, your to-do list still awaits you.

Starting tomorrow, and every day for the rest of the week you can peruse these topics:

Monday: Post Wedding-Wrap Up

Tuesday: To Change or Not to Change Your Name & How

Wednesday: Holidays

Thursday: Your 1^st Anniversary

Friday: Awkward Questions, Awesome Answers

Saturday: It’s Different

Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what Post-Wedding topics interest YOU.