My Second Anniversary

On July 14, 2012, Alexander and I eloped. Since that time, we started dreaming of our big white wedding, and, honestly, I don't think either one of us thought it was ever going to happen. After two years, three trans-world moves, and countless e-mails to reception venues, photographers, and churches, Alexander and I finally had our Blessing of Marriage. And it was simply perfect.

Planning a wedding/blessing from another country is quite a challenge, but we managed to do it. We decided to have our blessing in the church where Alexander was baptized. This made a great sentimental connection, although the location was a challenge for some of our friends and family. Regardless, we had friends and family come from all over the world. It was a great show of where we've been, but also a huge testament to the bonds we've created with people.

The night before the blessing, we had a joint bachelor/ette party. It was the World Cup final, so we reserved a pub where we could watch the final and cheer for Argentina (well, Alex was cheering for Deutschland). We learned the hard way why you shouldn't have these kinds of parties the night before your big day. My "Man of Honor" was almost incapable of getting out of bed the next day and I had to layer on the concealer to cover the bags under my eyes. There were a few other casualties of this night due to an American from Wisconsin who decided to take shots with half our party. It was still a lot of fun and I'm glad we got to do it.

The morning of the blessing, I was grateful that the ceremony wasn't until 4 o'clock. This gave plenty of time to sleep off the hangover and start to feel somewhat human (I even managed to keep down a light lunch). When the photographer arrived, I started doing my hair and make-up. I've never been much of a girly girl, so I was kind of nervous about doing these things myself, but I think I managed. Once I had the hair and make-up done, I had my brother and a friend help me into my dress. It was actually quite an event to get into it, and I was quite proud of them for being able to lace up the bodice. I was made-up, dressed-up and ready to go when I got a call from Alexander. He hadn't left for the church yet.

The plan was for him to get to the church first. The plan was for him to call when he was going to the church so he would get there first. The plan was for him to be there when I arrived. As they say, the best laid plans. When I arrived at the church Alex wasn't there yet. So I patiently waited...for quite some time. When he finally did arrive, we were able to have a few moments alone before the ceremony. It was a really special time for us. From the entire day, I think that was possible the only time we had for just the two of us. We then had the ceremony, which went beautifully, and after the ceremony was the reception dinner and, of course, the dancing. We had an amazing time, and I wouldn't change anything about the day.

Exactly two years after saying, "I do", we got to renew our vows before God with our loved ones. After two years of laughing, crying, traveling, arguing, being healthy, being sick, all the good and all the bad, I know I wouldn't want to share my life with any one else. And I fall more in love everyday.

I love you, Alexander.

Jacque in Jakarta: My Anniversary

On July 14, my husband and I will be celebrating our first year of marriage. We'll be going to Yogyakarta, the cultural capital of Java, and we'll get to see Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. I'm super excited about both of those experiences, but above all I'm excited about celebrating our anniversary. Especially since I didn't dream that day would come.

I guess you could say my husband and I have the traditional story with a slight twist. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, they live in denial, they confess their love, they get married. But to add our twist it was more like: British boy meets American girl, they fall in love in Germany, they live in denial on opposite sides of the Atlantic, they confess their love over a Skype call, they get married in England on Bastille Day. That part of our story is complicated enough, but there were a few added complications.

To be honest, we didn't have the money to get married. Well, we didn't have the money to have a wedding. Logically, if you don't have money, you shouldn't get married. However, I don't think logic has ever been in a trans-Atlantic relationship. For those of you who have suffered long distance, you know it's just not an option for the long run. So we decided to get married without money, which means we eloped.

Our grand idea was that we would just elope and then eventually save the money for a big wedding. Of course, that didn't make everyone happy. There were family members who were hurt that they couldn't sit with us in the tiny registry office to watch us exchange rings and vows. And I'll admit, we were a bit deluded. We kept saying, "it's only the legal bit, the big celebration for family will be later." We had in our mind that our love was too special, too big for that tiny registry office and we wanted to celebrate with the whole world...when we had the money.

Looking back, I realize that hindsight really is 20/20. It may have been a mistake to bar people from that legal ceremony. Even with the best of intentions, we ended up unwittingly hurting people we love, which is not something either of us would ever want to do.

That being said, even though there may be some things that I regret, the most important thing I don't regret. I don't regret marrying the man that I love. I feel so privileged and proud that I get to call Alexander Paul Ayton my husband. I never dreamed that I would find such a perfect match for me and I thank God every day for giving me such a wonderful husband. He's not perfect, but neither am I. And our imperfections compliment each other completely.

I love you, Alexander.