Young love

It is hard to believe, but fourteen years ago I got married. I was so young and clueless. The one thing I knew and was right about was marrying Sarah. I want to tell you about that day fourteen years ago.

Leading up to our January 4th wedding date, Sarah and I had lived 400 miles apart. She had moved with her parents to Chicago in August and I lived in Minneapolis. She moved up the week prior to the wedding which was good because we didn't have much ready for the big day. I don't remember much of the details of that week, but I remember everything was red and white. It was beautiful.

Sarah had friends and family come in from all over the Midwest. I had my immediate family and my aunt and uncle, the rest of my family didn't come. The day of the wedding a blizzard hit Minnesota and shut down highways and completely closed off North Dakota. We arrived at the church a couple of hours before the wedding and began to get ready. We tried to observe the ritual of not seeing each other before the ceremony, but we had stuff to take care of and weren't completely able.

When it was time, I stood at the front of the chapel with my two groomsmen. I remember when Sarah came in, she was so beautiful. She was also so young and the wedding dress only served to accentuate her youth. I felt like a kid playing house, and I was. Sarah and I were both teenagers, she had just turned 18 four months ago. The only thing I remember from being on the platform was standing before her dad as he was conducting the ceremony and I locked my knees. The blood rushed out of my head and I swooned. I whispered to Sarah, "I think I am going to pass out." To which she lovingly said, "If you do I will kill you." The next thing I knew I was kissing the bride.

We had a very small reception and cake cutting at the church. After that we went to a local restaurant and had a family reception. Two things were memorable about this part to me. First, my uncle was upset that it was a cash bar. And secondly, the stuffed mushrooms were awesome! Following this get-together we left for our honeymoon. Which for teenagers with a child was one night in a fancy hotel. It was great though!

Our wedding was about as ghetto hoopty as you could imagine, but it was ours. It wasn't about fairy tales or princesses, it was about our love and the beginning of our life together. Whereas time has washed away the vividness of the day, it has only served to enhance the love that I feel for Sarah. I love you baby and I always will.