I’m officially 3 days removed from being a wife of a year. This is mind blowing! All at once it seems like we’ve been married just a few days and our whole lives. Our marriage has been such an adventure, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve heard people say that the first year of marriage can be one of the hardest, but I really think it’s been fairly easy, and an adventure that’s had a lot of laughs along the way. I think that means I picked the right person for me. I thought it would be fun to share some of our wedding pictures, as well as some of my thoughts on marriage, now that I’m almost a year into it.

I’m certainly no marriage expert, I’ve only got (almost!) a year under my belt – there’s many years to come and so much more to learn. But, after being a wife for a year, here are my observations:

1. Putting on that pretty white dress felt amazing, but it was nothing compared the feeling I got when I woke up the next morning, lying next to my husband, seeing him wear a ring and a smile that matched mine.

2. Getting married is fun, but being married is THE BEST.

3. I will not hesitate to say that our wedding day was not the best day of my life – that implies that things can only go downhill from there. Instead, I say that our wedding day was the start of the best days of my life – things have only gotten better since we made that commitment to each other.

4. Reflecting on the past year, there have been learning experiences, and even a few times we said things we shouldn’t have, but more than anything, there have been days and nights full of laughter, whispers of love throughout every day, and the growth of a connection so strong that I never knew could exist between two people.