The Wedding Day: July 20th, 2024

Today's post is short and sweet, yes maybe I am dragging it out a little, BUT, as I write each little entry I get to relive the day over and over again. So it might take me at least two more days to fully tell you the story. For me, it's worth it!

Oh my goodness, it was finally here—July 20th, 2024, the best day of my life thus far! But before I dive into the magic of that day, I need to rewind just a bit to the day before.

My then-fiancé and I said goodbye to his 5-year-old son, who, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen, went about his day as if nothing extraordinary was coming. Yes, we kept it from him! Only a small group of people knew what we were about to do.

With the truck packed and a sense of anticipation buzzing between us, we headed west. Now, I didn't even know exactly where we were going, other than that it was close to Rapid City. We had spent weeks browsing through Airbnbs, looking for the perfect spot to get ready and, later, to spend the night for a mini honeymoon. But my man kept the final decision a secret.

As we drove deeper into the evening, my heart raced. Finally, just as darkness began to settle, we pulled up to a small campground filled with the most unique tiny homes, A-frames, and container houses I’d ever seen. My fiancé had fully surprised me! There it stood—the coolest little house with the most breathtaking view. In that moment, nothing else mattered but the two of us, here together, on the eve of our forever.

We spent the night simply being with each other. No fuss, no stress—just us. We talked until I could barely keep my eyes open, falling asleep in his arms, a sweet calm settling in.

When I woke up that morning, it still hadn't fully hit me that it was my wedding day. It felt like any other day—until it wasn't. My fiancé went on a long bike ride (classic him, right?), while I stayed behind to start getting ready.

I spent the quiet morning working on a little video to capture the moments leading up to the big day and piecing together messages from friends and family. The nerves hadn't quite settled in yet—maybe because I was too busy basking in the sweet, quiet anticipation of the day that had finally come.

To be continued...

This was only the beginning of the most special day, the day that would change everything. But in those precious pre-wedding hours, what mattered most was the stillness and knowing that in just a few short hours, I would walk hand in hand with the man I had waited for my whole life. 💕