The Wedding
June 1, Josh and I got married. We did the big wedding route... everything was PERFECT, and I'm fortunate enough to say that I actually had my dream wedding. It wasn't cheap.. but we were able to cut down some costs by going the DIY route on everything we could, and by ditching the idea of hiring a costly party planner and I opted to be my own party planner. It wasn't stress-free but it damned was successful. I plan to start a series of blogs soon on how to plan your own wedding, featuring budget-friendly DIY ideas and creative spins to make your special day something to call your own. Anyone who attended our wedding or who even saw pictures can definitely attest to the fact it was one of a kind... which pretty much sums up our relationship. Fun, artsy, outdoorsy, nature lovers- but also non-traditional and non-conventional because we refuse to do things like everyone else. We had to be sure it would be a day and night to remember for all of our family, friends, and most importantly... us. The feedback was outstanding; that it was the best wedding anyone had ever been to, or the nicest, or the most memorable for sure.
The wedding was at Rutgers Gardens in New Brunswick. We wanted to start our marriage where our relationship had been; at Rutgers where we first met and started dating. The ceremony was outside in the Sun and Shade Garden.... we made our own chuppah under the gazebo, with flowering vines down the side of it and the surrounding foliage and blooms to compliment it. Considering the weather-woman said it was one of the top 10 weather days of the year and literally quoted the weather as "picture perfect" we couldn't have been luckier. Sunny, but the perfect 70's range that wasn't too hot nor too cool. Our bridal party consisted of my 6 best friends, and Josh's 7, my girls dressed in an ombre of coordinating dresses creating an entire rainbow from coral to blue, and Josh's "groomspeople" a mix of his best "guy friends" and "girl friends" all in black tuxes and long black gowns (I told you we are a bit non-conventional). The cock-tail hour followed in the nearby log cabin with seating under a pavilion and tent, and then we hit off the reception in an outdoor pavilion. Everyone danced the night away and enjoyed an array of what we were told was "excellent" food under multi-colored lanterns and surrounded by handmade mixed floral arrangements. The whole theme was butterflies and flowers; a perfect fit for the garden atmosphere. Josh and I gave our big day our own personal touches to give our guests a sense of who we are and how are relationship is... we wrote our own vows (mine being a rhyming poem) and even choreographed our own dance routine for "our first dance". A good mix of Jewish customs and traditions such as dancing the hora and a fully orthodox ceremony including me circling Josh 7 times, our mothers breaking a plate together and all of the proper blessings (and of course the breaking of the glass) represented the importance of our Jewish heritage. A whole year of planning into the blur of 6 hours. Everyone warned me it would fly by, so I tried to stop throughout the night and take mental snapshots in my brain. I still wouldn't change a thing.
The night was perfect and so customized to us that I wish we could do it all over again. We didn't have a chance to even eat, but we enjoyed dancing the night away, attempting to catch up with everyone who was there and everyone who was there helped make it perfect. What made it sad was the fact we moved to Florida less than a week afterwards and this was the last time we were seeing most of our family and friends before the move. Our friends and families' toasts and speeches brought tears to our eyes. As the night was coming to a close it only brought the reality closer that we were moving 1000 miles away from everyone we love and this was our first big move on our own. As the move approached, I tried to tone down my emotions and not make my goodbyes seem so final just to avoid bawling when I said bye to my friends. I knew I would be returning to NJ at the end of the month to retrieve the dogs which were staying at my mom's during our honeymoon... this made the move seem more temporary and easier for me. We had to rush to finish last minute packing on top of our movers jerking around our schedule (insisting the only block of time to deliver our stuff was when we would be away on our honeymoon) and stressing us out. Then our marriage license was in limbo for who knows how long, of getting into the wrong hands of the wrong person and getting misplaced. A lot of stress in between the wedding, the move, and an attempt to last minute plan a honeymoon that was to happen a week after the move. Fortunately our accommodations and dive trips were planned, but the little details were never really arranged until we just did it all spontaneously on the fly (not usually my style) but it totally worked.
The Move
We had picked out a moving company months in advance from a friend's recommendation, and if they were actually competent, things would have been planned successfully. After much inconveniences and switching of pick up dates numerous times, they finally got our stuff and we had to settle for it being delivered on a date we probably would be on our honeymoon with the promise that our apartment staff would be there to sign and let the movers in. Thank Hashem, it all worked out in the end.
When it came to packing up my entire life into boxes I was beside myself. Having hoarding tendencies in my blood and an attachment to items I had since I was a baby, packing and scaling down to a 2 bedroom apartment size (in addition to being charged for each square foot of our stuff in mind) was overwhelming. I forced myself to let go of at least half of the things I owned and got my belongings down to a reasonable number of boxes. I went by the whole, "if I haven't used it in a year and really know I won't use it soon then it should go to someone who shops at Goodwill who would want it" and I let go. After all, they are inanimate objects with no feelings. On the other hand, the small items I insisted on keeping that someone else may throw out and say "I can just rebuy it when I get there" I'm SO thankful I kept, because we already spent hundreds on just those rebought items as soon as we moved in. I saved a few hundred more by squishing small "rebuyable" items in between the stuff I already had to have.
We took our separate cars, also packed fully with stuff, and took a night stop at my best friend Kelly's house in SC. It helped make the trip bearable for each of us on our own, with the exception of my AC breaking right when we crossed the Florida state line where the heat immediately became the hottest. I had to transfer my amphibious pets into Josh's car just so they wouldn't melt, and then I literally felt like I was melting myself. Once arriving at our new apartment (finally!) I couldn't have been happier... it is perfect. Goodwill and craigslist furniture findings (I'll have to make a separate blog on this!) furnished our apartment for under $250 (not including the bed) and everything looks perfect.
The Honeymoon
We originally preferred the keys but with it being so far and my reptile children in mind, I wanted to be somewhere closer to home, also to be prepared if we had issues with our movers coming when we weren't there or anything else so we divided our trip into two. Our first half was in Venice Island, FL, where we stayed with my Aunt Bunny and finished our scuba certification and got to go on 3 fossil hunting dives. We found a good number of shark teeth including a nice fragment of a megaladon tooth!
We then stayed a night at home to unpack all our stuff/finish furniture shopping (leaving less to do when the honeymoon was fully over.. and actually got most of it done). Our second half was in Homosassa Springs and Crystal River where we swam with wild manatees! We spent 3 nights and 4 days exploring the wildlife parks, state parks, forests, rivers and springs where we saw wild manatees and other exciting wildlife. We checked out Rainbow Springs on our way back, another beautiful spring with a butterfly garden and waterfalls. I'll be sure to blog soon about some of the exciting places to visit in Florida individually.
So overall, we had an eventful month but productively got a ton done and really enjoyed ourselves doing it all too! For those that feel stressed during event planning or overwhelmed during life changes.... just remember what's most important and that it's all about is sharing the moments with the people you love. Embrace every moment.. stressful or not, tears and laughs, joy and frustration.. because once you get married you have a whole life ahead of you of all that so you may as well start enjoying it now! And no, having it all happen within a month did not make anything less special or meaningful.. every second was enjoyable and doing it all at once just made it even more exciting. We do miss home but we love where we are and going on a honeymoon nearby made us realize some of the awesome things for us to do in Florida! Can't wait to check out even more!
The Move
We had picked out a moving company months in advance from a friend's recommendation, and if they were actually competent, things would have been planned successfully. After much inconveniences and switching of pick up dates numerous times, they finally got our stuff and we had to settle for it being delivered on a date we probably would be on our honeymoon with the promise that our apartment staff would be there to sign and let the movers in. Thank Hashem, it all worked out in the end.
When it came to packing up my entire life into boxes I was beside myself. Having hoarding tendencies in my blood and an attachment to items I had since I was a baby, packing and scaling down to a 2 bedroom apartment size (in addition to being charged for each square foot of our stuff in mind) was overwhelming. I forced myself to let go of at least half of the things I owned and got my belongings down to a reasonable number of boxes. I went by the whole, "if I haven't used it in a year and really know I won't use it soon then it should go to someone who shops at Goodwill who would want it" and I let go. After all, they are inanimate objects with no feelings. On the other hand, the small items I insisted on keeping that someone else may throw out and say "I can just rebuy it when I get there" I'm SO thankful I kept, because we already spent hundreds on just those rebought items as soon as we moved in. I saved a few hundred more by squishing small "rebuyable" items in between the stuff I already had to have.
We took our separate cars, also packed fully with stuff, and took a night stop at my best friend Kelly's house in SC. It helped make the trip bearable for each of us on our own, with the exception of my AC breaking right when we crossed the Florida state line where the heat immediately became the hottest. I had to transfer my amphibious pets into Josh's car just so they wouldn't melt, and then I literally felt like I was melting myself. Once arriving at our new apartment (finally!) I couldn't have been happier... it is perfect. Goodwill and craigslist furniture findings (I'll have to make a separate blog on this!) furnished our apartment for under $250 (not including the bed) and everything looks perfect.
The Honeymoon
We originally preferred the keys but with it being so far and my reptile children in mind, I wanted to be somewhere closer to home, also to be prepared if we had issues with our movers coming when we weren't there or anything else so we divided our trip into two. Our first half was in Venice Island, FL, where we stayed with my Aunt Bunny and finished our scuba certification and got to go on 3 fossil hunting dives. We found a good number of shark teeth including a nice fragment of a megaladon tooth!
We then stayed a night at home to unpack all our stuff/finish furniture shopping (leaving less to do when the honeymoon was fully over.. and actually got most of it done). Our second half was in Homosassa Springs and Crystal River where we swam with wild manatees! We spent 3 nights and 4 days exploring the wildlife parks, state parks, forests, rivers and springs where we saw wild manatees and other exciting wildlife. We checked out Rainbow Springs on our way back, another beautiful spring with a butterfly garden and waterfalls. I'll be sure to blog soon about some of the exciting places to visit in Florida individually.
So overall, we had an eventful month but productively got a ton done and really enjoyed ourselves doing it all too! For those that feel stressed during event planning or overwhelmed during life changes.... just remember what's most important and that it's all about is sharing the moments with the people you love. Embrace every moment.. stressful or not, tears and laughs, joy and frustration.. because once you get married you have a whole life ahead of you of all that so you may as well start enjoying it now! And no, having it all happen within a month did not make anything less special or meaningful.. every second was enjoyable and doing it all at once just made it even more exciting. We do miss home but we love where we are and going on a honeymoon nearby made us realize some of the awesome things for us to do in Florida! Can't wait to check out even more!
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