Magically Falling into Place; Soak It In!
Ah, getting married. It really is one of the most magical times in your life. But if you’re like me, it also can be one of the most stressful. You see all these pictures on social media, the perfect wedding dress on Instagram, the best caterer on Facebook; your friend had the most amazing Pinterest-perfect wedding.
Woah, girlfriend! Pump the brakes. It’s all going to be okay; I promise.
It was my 30th birthday and my boyfriend, Daryl, asked me to take a couple of days off work so we could go on a little getaway, destination unknown to me. It was the beginning of June, and it was hot. I packed summer clothes, thinking we were going to Nashville for CMA Fest and to visit one of my best friends. When we were locking up the house, Daryl said, “You might want to pack a coat.” Um, what?! If I needed a coat, then my whole summer wardrobe I packed definitely wasn’t going to work. Oh, well. I grabbed a “coat” and we were off.
A little bit into the drive, as we continued to head west, I knew Nashville wasn’t happening. Where were we going? Colorado Springs, Colorado. I had never seen the mountains until then, and Daryl knew it. He threw me off with other birthday gifts, clothes, a fancy camera and, in my head, when I saw each wrapped gift, I just knew there’d be no ring. He had already spent way too much money, I thought. Halfway through our trip, we drove up Pikes Peak and it was incredible. It was freezing at the summit, hence needing the coat. As I clicked away, taking picture after picture with my new camera, unbeknownst to me, Daryl had found someone to take our picture, secretly recording video. He got down on one knee and popped the question. After saying “shut up” in disbelief, I said “yes” over and over again.
When we got back home, the wedding planning got intense. Wedding dress shopping, oy vey. I always heard people say, “You’ll know when it’s the right one.” Sister, I did not “know” right away. In fact, the bridal shop finally had to tell me I absolutely had to decide or the dress wouldn’t be here in time. On top of it, I wanted all the little details to be perfect. I had to find a cute way to ask my matron of honor, bridesmaids, flower girl, while my fiancé said, “Just ask them.” Picking out flowers for bouquets, the dinner tables, boutonnieres, bathroom, you think you know what you want and then lo and behold, wham, there’s a new post on Instagram with the dreamiest flowers. There are so many details! And on top of it all, as of April, two months from our wedding day, the venue was still not finished being built! We also found out my mom needed to have surgery the day after the wedding. Heaven help us!
But on June 10, 2018, somehow everything seemed to magically fall into place. I say magically but really, it’s my mom who’s the magician and made it all work out. Just hours before I was supposed to walk down the aisle, she was putting wreaths together for the doors of the Stone House, where we got married. She was making sure the ferns were in the right spot, the table linens were ironed, the groomsmen were accounted for and so on. The only thing that didn’t completely cooperate was the weather. (Thanks, Zach Paul.) We got married outside, and I’m pretty sure it was a million degrees that day. Other than that, it was perfect. My mom walked me down the aisle and there I met my best friend, the man who, in just a matter of minutes, would be
my husband.
We did little things to personalize the day. My brother-in-law, Ryan, became an ordained minister so he could marry us. Our nephew, Parker, and our cousin, Garrett, spoke during the ceremony. My husband works in construction, so the groom’s cake was a hard hat with stickers adorning it for our our dog, Daryl’s love of music and KCRG. Our first dance was Ray LaMontagne’s “You are the Best Thing,” and we ended the night with sparklers and a wish lantern. One of my girlfriends gave me the best advice: “Take a moment, just the two of you, and let the magic of the day soak in,” and that’s exactly what Daryl and I did.
I know wedding planning can get hectic and trying at times, but remember, at the end of the day it’s about the love you and your partner share and, no matter what happens, it will be perfectly imperfect and that’s what makes it so special. ■
Written by KRCG13 News Anchor: Meghan Lane
Meghan Lane is the evening anchor at KRCG 13. She is the longest-tenured female on-air talent at the station and has worn many hats at the station including morning anchor and interim news director. She has recently begun a series called Mom to Mom in which she focuses on the stories and challenges motherhood brings. She actively volunteers in the community through Big Brothers Big Sisters and several local nonprofits. Meghan is married to husband Daryl and is a new mom to her beautiful baby girl, Evelyn.
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