Wedded, Bliss.
When creating our wedding ceremony, I started with a prototype—a sample ceremony, one of eight provided by the judge. I added things here, subtracted things there, and rearranged entire sections. One of the first things I dispensed with was a line about the day of one’s marriage being “the happiest day of your life.” I cringed when I read it, and crossed it out with a flourish.
First of all, it was a cliché. Second of all, I was three days away from my wedding, and barely sleeping—if I was this nervous merely anticipating the event, surely the day itself would be too nerve-wracking, too emotionally strenuous, to be “the happiest day of my life.” Exhilarating? Sure. Ultimately joyful? Of course. But “the happiest day?” It seemed unlikely that my happiest day would involve girdles and Ativan.
As it turned out, however, I could have left that line in.
Well, probably not. It was a pretty bad line, and it is still a cliché, after all. But in my case it turned out to be true: May 26th, 2007, was the best day I have had in all my twenty-seven years of days. And even though I have been back from my (idyllic, wonderful) honeymoon long enough now to have emptied a litter box, discovered an unpaid bill that had fallen behind a dresser, confronted a beetle the size of my palm, and been woken by a cat stepping on my hair, I still feel goofily, grinningly happy. I don’t know how long this feeling will last, but I am enjoying it while it does.
Scott (formerly known as the Actually) and I were touched to return to the world of Internet access to find so many of you wishing us well. I hope to have pictures to post soon. I haven’t seen any yet myself, but I can predict that all show me smiling—especially the ones taken outdoors, in the city park across the street from the venue.
The benches were populated with vagrants, who alternately urged me to hold up my dress to keep it from dragging along the ground and quarreled amongst themselves. During a particularly loving and sun-dappled moment, my new husband and I stood under a tree with our arms around one another. We smiled into the camera, and in the background someone screamed: “FUCK YOU, MICHAEL!”
I don’t know who Michael is, but he will always be a part of our special day.


21 Comments
My wedding day also ranks way way up there on my happiest days list. I’m so glad you had such a great time. Totally looking forward to the pics.
Michael cracked me up.
I have a huge smile on my face right now, thanks for sharing your happiness!
Aawww.
Welcome back. I can’t wait to see the pictures!
Aw, Alexa, I’m so glad to hear this. Hope the glow lasts a long, long time.
Heh, heh, (shakes head) Michael was at it again, eh? So glad someone put him in his place! Oh yeah and the good day and all that too (and we’ll get pictuers?!).
i’m glad you had such a fabulous time! welcome back!
Fantastically fabulous! I can’t wait to see the pictures and hear more about it.
Congratulations, Alexa!
Im glad the cliché of the happiest day of your life came to pass! wedding bliss is a great feeling that lasts a very long. congrats
Oh, good for Michael. He’d be thrilled to know he’s made it into your memory book for all time.
And yay for you and Scott! Congratulations again. And yes, on the pictures. YES.
Glad you are back safe and sound! Congrats again to you and Scott=)
My coworker had that same goofy smile for like a solid six weeks after her wedding. It was actually quite charming.
Congratulations, Alexa
Congratulations Alexa! I am so happy that it was a wonderful day for you, as it should be for every bride. Can’t wait to see pictures - I know you were gorgeous.
And I hope you gorged yourself on mashed potatoes.
There is something tactile about having a marriage. It is an actual thing. Congratulations, and that guy was right: Michael is a douchebag. Cheers.
Congratulations. Too funny about Michael. During our ceremony, someone poked their head in the church and yelled “Don’t do it!” It was pretty funny and the whole church cracked up laughing.
Can’t wait to see pictures of you and the dress.
This post has me smiling from ear to ear! You sound as blissfully happy in your words as you must be in real life. Congratulations, and I can’t wait to see pictures!
Congrats you guys! Glad you had a happy day!
Sarge and I have been married nearly five years and we both still feel goofyily and grinningly in love. I hope you and Scott have many, many more years of feeling exactly the same as you do now. I’m so happy for both of you!
Though not for Michael, it being a rough day for him and all.
Congratulations!
I’m glad the wedding was delightful and you’re still feeling utter bliss.
Oh Alexa, I am so happy for you.
And of course, I had somewhat of a guilty chuckle at the Michael bit. I can’t help it.
Congrats! I think the best man at my wedding said it best in his toast: “I know that today is not the happiest day of your life because I know the two of you have a lifetime of even happier days ahead of you.” (He put it a bit more eloquently than that.)
Oh, Michael … that crazy bastard.
I couldn’t believe that weddings were all that they were cracked up to be, either. And I certainly couldn’t believe that all the craziness was really going to be worth it. Isn’t it nice to be pleasantly surprised? Congrats, congrats, congrats!
Please accept my very tardy felicitations. Congratulations!