GUEST BRIDE BLOGGER KAREN {JE #5} I’m Married Now!

Certified Coordinated Bride Karen

Journal Entry #5

I’m Married Now

When people tell you that your wedding day will go by fast believe them! I tried to capture as much of it as could in my memory’s museum. Pictures and video are great but they don’t compare to what the heart and mind capture. The night before my wedding I couldn’t sleep. It was New Year’s Eve all around and the city was celebrating. After being surrounded by family at our annual NYE party, I kissed my sweetheart at midnight and we parted ways. At the hotel, I waited for my MOH’s to arrive and spend the night with me. I was the last one to go to sleep and the first one to wake, it was showtime. Preparation time for everyone else was so slow but when it was time for me to get ready, boy did it speed up! I was definitely determined to be on time and my planner/bridal bestie, Christy, kept time in check.

Wedding Time

I watched my crew walk down ahead of me. And then it was my turn…I was listening for my song to cue but instead, I heard the traditional wedding march. I was not walking down to that! I wanted my song. The error was all my fault due to my communication with my awesome DJ and friend, and he corrected my error quickly. The room was sweating for a moment. I think they thought I had runaway. Lol! But in true Karen fashion, I had to let the anticipation build. Finally it was time. One of the best decisions we made was to have an unplugged wedding. I wanted to see faces, not phones. We wanted everyone’s spirit present in the room and that made all the difference in the world. I joked with my husband during our engagement that if he didn’t cry, I would start over. I did not have to start over, as a matter of fact, I couldn’t even look at him. He bawled as I walked down the aisle. He said, “It felt as if the Holy Spirit himself was joining us together”. I’ll admit, I felt God’s presence. Everyone did. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Party Time

When planning our wedding, the priority for our guest was to eat good and be entertained. We love live music so we had our favorite band, Paul Cannon and the Band, play during dinner. They never disappoint. We could barely sit down to eat. Our DJ, Donte, filled in during the breaks and kept the party going with the Ratchet Hour. We stayed on the dance floor. When I went to change into my second dress, I was in such a hurry to get back because the dance floor was LIT! I surprised Willie when I performed “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” with a few of my bridesmaids. We closed the night with a private dance to Chrisette Michele’s “Is This the Way Love Feels?”. And just like that, we were married.

Post Mortum

The past 10 months have been wonderful. Through our pre counseling, I feel like our church definitely helped us prepare for marriage. Along the way we made friends with 3 other couples and we have built a strong support system for each other. We pray for each other, we talk each other off the ledge when we are upset, and we intervene when needed. I personally haven’t struggled with post wedding blues. I haven’t had time. After my wedding, I immediately went into wedding mode for my best friend and one of my bridesmaids who got married 2 weeks apart. The Franklins have had a busy year. We’ve vowed to dedicate 2017 to us. We’ll vacation more (our honeymoon was Willie’s first vacation) and start our own traditions. As far as starting a family…ask us again next week. Lol!

Que Sera Sera

When I look back over my wedding day, I think about a few things that I would change: I wanted to take more pictures with my girls, I should have draped my venue more, I should have picked a different material for my dress but I think most of that comes with the aesthetics. In my heart, the night was simply perfect. Kinda like the feeling I get when I wake up each morning and look at the man God has blessed me with…simply perfect.