Marissa Rubino for 7 days and counting
That's right... it's been 1 week since the wedding! It was such a whirlwind, tiring week of traveling and celebrating, but it was so great!!!
The drive to upstate New York was long. Like, questioning why I did that to everyone long haha. But once we made it (got to the hotel at 1 in the morning), it was all worth it. The area around Palmyra is one of my favorite (non-city) places I've ever traveled to. The countryside is beautiful. I'm a tree person, and they have plenty. Unfortunately, we were just a few weeks too early to see fall leaves, but still... it's gorgeous there.
Our first stop on Monday morning was to get our marriage license. That certainly made things feel real! The rest of Monday and some of Tuesday was spent sightseeing, picking up people from the airport, and getting the final preparations done.
I didn't get a lot of sleep on Tuesday night due to the tiny little bit of excitement I was feeling. Imagine that, right? My mom and I woke up early to go to the salon. I'm so glad we found a good salon close to the hotel since we weren't familiar with the area. It was a little stressful to entrust my head to an unknown person on the most important day of my life. However, everything turned out even better than expected with my hair and makeup.
At the salon, I slipped into my first dress of the day (more on that later), and we headed back to the hotel to pick up other family and drive to the temple.
I drove to the temple with David and his parents- we decided not to bother with doing the whole not seeing each other until the ceremony thing. Everyone kept asking us if we were nervous, but nope! Not at all. I felt anticipation and excitement, but not nerves.
My memories of the actual ceremony were just feeling extremely happy and peaceful. Also, at one point I kind of wanted the officiator to move it along because I didn't want to start crying ;) ;)
It was so great to be surrounded by a small group of our loved ones and to have them witness our wedding! It felt so surreal when it was done and we were actually married after knowing each other and dating for 2.5 years. Nothing but good feelings on this day!
Right afterwards I changed into my monstrously and amazingly poofy dress for pictures. The pictures went on for a while getting all of the different combinations of the group and a ton of just David and I. We took a lot outside of the temple and some at the Joseph Smith farm, which I'm excited to see!
After changing again into my evening gown (no way that other dress was fitting in a car- that's a good test to know if a dress is up to my poof standards), everyone headed to a restaurant in Rochester for a celebratory lunch.
I should mention those who made the big effort to come to our New York wedding, because they were all awesome for doing so. My parents and David's parents (their first time in America!), my Houdek grandparents and Bishop grandparents (so great to have all 4 of my grandparents there!), Jenna and Cabren (who missed several days at her new job and his new school, thanks guys <3 ), the Gionets (a Canadian couple who took 3 flights to make it there- they served a mission in France and actually witnessed the first day me and David met!), and the Salways (another missionary couple that David was close to).
We had a nice lunch, and then me and David were on our own. The rest of the crew started the trek back to Wisconsin (or to the airport). We drove about 1.5 hours to get to Niagara Falls for the night. You can't stay somewhere lame on such a big day! It was a nice, huge, fancy hotel (and casino, although we didn't indulge in that). We wished we could have stayed longer, but the next morning we had to get started on the 11 hour drive to get home for the reception.
Before starting the drive, we had to make a stop here. I guess that was our first official sightseeing as a married couple.
It was another lonnnng day of travel. We made it home to Germantown at just past 11 at night. My friend Olimpia had been sending me suspicious texts all day insisting to meet me in the hotel lobby before going to bed. Despite being exhausted, when your best friend flies in from across the country, you don't say no to such a thing. Also, she said she had a surprise for me and I'm really terrible at waiting for surprises.
She was in the lobby when we got there, and talked to us normally for a few minutes until all of a sudden Elvera came bounding around the corner in her nightgown and Hello Kitty slippers. She knows how to make an entrance. Elvera moved to Africa last February, and her original plan was to stay for a year. She somehow conveniently forgot to mention to me that she changed her plans and moved back just days before my wedding. It was an excellent surprise that made the week even more fun!
On Friday morning it was time to get glammed up again after a little hang out time with the bridesmaids. Before I knew it we were on our way to the reception. It was amazing to see the decorations and all of the details I'd been working on since last April come together in the beautiful Waukesha Rotunda.
By the time the reception was over, I couldn't even decide whether the wedding day or the reception day was the best of my life. The wedding day was more of a calm and peaceful happiness, and the reception day was all joy, fun, and celebration.
I have pretty much hated dancing at dances since I was in middle school, but I guess because I was so happy and with so many people I liked, I danced pretty much the whole night!
What else? The food and cake were delicious, the French-American-themed photo booth was fun, wearing my dress(es) again was awesome, talking to so many friends and family was great... basically it was a perfect night.
On Saturday we had some people over while we opened gifts, had a lunch with the family, and did some sightseeing with Olimpia, Elvera, and the Rubinos. After a little trip to Holy Hill on Sunday, it was time to finish packing and head to the airport. We made it to France on Monday night. See what I mean about a whirlwind?
In conclusion, a big MERCI to my parents for making my DREAM, TLC-worthy wedding come true, to David's parents for making the long trek to the New World (he's so close to them and it was so special to have them there), to all of those that traveled, to everyone that made things so memorable and fun, for all of the generous gifts that will help us start our lives together, and to David for not thinking I was too annoying to put a ring on it ;)
The drive to upstate New York was long. Like, questioning why I did that to everyone long haha. But once we made it (got to the hotel at 1 in the morning), it was all worth it. The area around Palmyra is one of my favorite (non-city) places I've ever traveled to. The countryside is beautiful. I'm a tree person, and they have plenty. Unfortunately, we were just a few weeks too early to see fall leaves, but still... it's gorgeous there.
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| You know my dad is in a really good mood when antics like this are happening haha |
I didn't get a lot of sleep on Tuesday night due to the tiny little bit of excitement I was feeling. Imagine that, right? My mom and I woke up early to go to the salon. I'm so glad we found a good salon close to the hotel since we weren't familiar with the area. It was a little stressful to entrust my head to an unknown person on the most important day of my life. However, everything turned out even better than expected with my hair and makeup.
At the salon, I slipped into my first dress of the day (more on that later), and we headed back to the hotel to pick up other family and drive to the temple.
I drove to the temple with David and his parents- we decided not to bother with doing the whole not seeing each other until the ceremony thing. Everyone kept asking us if we were nervous, but nope! Not at all. I felt anticipation and excitement, but not nerves.
My memories of the actual ceremony were just feeling extremely happy and peaceful. Also, at one point I kind of wanted the officiator to move it along because I didn't want to start crying ;) ;)
It was so great to be surrounded by a small group of our loved ones and to have them witness our wedding! It felt so surreal when it was done and we were actually married after knowing each other and dating for 2.5 years. Nothing but good feelings on this day!
Right afterwards I changed into my monstrously and amazingly poofy dress for pictures. The pictures went on for a while getting all of the different combinations of the group and a ton of just David and I. We took a lot outside of the temple and some at the Joseph Smith farm, which I'm excited to see!
I should mention those who made the big effort to come to our New York wedding, because they were all awesome for doing so. My parents and David's parents (their first time in America!), my Houdek grandparents and Bishop grandparents (so great to have all 4 of my grandparents there!), Jenna and Cabren (who missed several days at her new job and his new school, thanks guys <3 ), the Gionets (a Canadian couple who took 3 flights to make it there- they served a mission in France and actually witnessed the first day me and David met!), and the Salways (another missionary couple that David was close to).
Before starting the drive, we had to make a stop here. I guess that was our first official sightseeing as a married couple.
It was another lonnnng day of travel. We made it home to Germantown at just past 11 at night. My friend Olimpia had been sending me suspicious texts all day insisting to meet me in the hotel lobby before going to bed. Despite being exhausted, when your best friend flies in from across the country, you don't say no to such a thing. Also, she said she had a surprise for me and I'm really terrible at waiting for surprises.
She was in the lobby when we got there, and talked to us normally for a few minutes until all of a sudden Elvera came bounding around the corner in her nightgown and Hello Kitty slippers. She knows how to make an entrance. Elvera moved to Africa last February, and her original plan was to stay for a year. She somehow conveniently forgot to mention to me that she changed her plans and moved back just days before my wedding. It was an excellent surprise that made the week even more fun!
On Friday morning it was time to get glammed up again after a little hang out time with the bridesmaids. Before I knew it we were on our way to the reception. It was amazing to see the decorations and all of the details I'd been working on since last April come together in the beautiful Waukesha Rotunda.
By the time the reception was over, I couldn't even decide whether the wedding day or the reception day was the best of my life. The wedding day was more of a calm and peaceful happiness, and the reception day was all joy, fun, and celebration.
I have pretty much hated dancing at dances since I was in middle school, but I guess because I was so happy and with so many people I liked, I danced pretty much the whole night!
What else? The food and cake were delicious, the French-American-themed photo booth was fun, wearing my dress(es) again was awesome, talking to so many friends and family was great... basically it was a perfect night.
On Saturday we had some people over while we opened gifts, had a lunch with the family, and did some sightseeing with Olimpia, Elvera, and the Rubinos. After a little trip to Holy Hill on Sunday, it was time to finish packing and head to the airport. We made it to France on Monday night. See what I mean about a whirlwind?
In conclusion, a big MERCI to my parents for making my DREAM, TLC-worthy wedding come true, to David's parents for making the long trek to the New World (he's so close to them and it was so special to have them there), to all of those that traveled, to everyone that made things so memorable and fun, for all of the generous gifts that will help us start our lives together, and to David for not thinking I was too annoying to put a ring on it ;)
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