Well, I did it. I got married.

Cue the violins....

NOPE. Cut them. It isn't that kind of wedding, or that kind of marriage. I got to my father's house, the site of the wedding, the day before. It felt exactly the same as it always had. Not like it was a sacred site, or that my life was going to morph into another life the next day. It felt exactly the same.

I woke up on the morning of my wedding with no voice whatsoever... a leftover present from my nephew, who had a cold. I laughed at myself. My family members started to show up at the house to help with the setup, and my friend Mary came soon after to help. Still no voice. I called Scott. He was en route.

I put on my makeup and did my hair. Scott was finally there, but with limited availability. He couldn't see me in my dress, it's bad luck. But after seeing his face, and holding his hand, I felt like the whole thing was already over and we were married. Honestly, I had felt married to him for months. This day was just another day on my agenda, getting me closer to making a Thanksgiving turkey or buying a really awesome Christmas present. I was already in the life I had chosen for myself. There was no transformation to be had.

This is the one thing I can say to brides-to-be: there is no new life together. There is no starting point. You continue on from the place you are. If that place is a happy place, then you are doing the right thing. For me, it was the place I had wanted to be my whole life, and I could have gotten there without a wedding. Eloping was just fine. I love him, by golly. He's mine, and I'm his. That's the gist of the vows.

So then we were married and everything was just fine and beautiful. I still didn't have a voice, but who cares! We were on the east coast and I could only whisper the things I was thinking, which is pretty romantic at times. It took me a good 2 weeks to reclaim my voice and now here I am, back in action. Waiting to tell you all how being married really is. Wait breathlessly.