Inspiration

I've noticed that a good chunk of the posts on wedding blogs (including this one) focus on inspiration for the wedding, from color-coordinated idea boards to photos of other ceremonies to awesome vendor discoveries. That's a big part of what planning a wedding is all about, and it's so much fun to share all that.

But I haven't seen very many posts focused on inspiration for the marriage, so I thought I would write a post about mine.

My parents are high school sweethearts. They got married in 1966, when my mom was just 19 and my dad had just been drafted into the Vietnam War. During the 43 years they've been married, I don't doubt that they've put every single one of their vows to the test - good times and bad times, richer and poorer, sickness and health - but they've passed all those tests together.

I hope with all my heart that in 43 years The Backyard Groom and I can say the same thing. And in the meantime, I'll keep feeling grateful for my parents' example.

Remember their four-decade-old cake topper that I mentioned in the last post? Here is a photo my mom snapped of it with her cell phone.

I can't wait to use it.