My husband and I had two weddings, three years aside.
We married at Metropolis Corridor in New York Metropolis. Then we had the marriage of our desires in Cambridge, UK.
On the time, I felt a bit self-conscious about having two weddings. However I would do it over again.
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I have been married for near seven years, however it’s been virtually 4 years since my wedding ceremony day.
My husband and I married at Metropolis Corridor in New York Metropolis in October 2016, then had our wedding ceremony in Cambridge, UK, in July 2019.
It is not that we did not need a wedding ceremony sooner. We could not afford to have an enormous celebration with all of our household and mates on the time, and we needed to get married in 2016. We additionally wanted to adjust to the phrases of my visa. I would lately moved to the US from the UK, and we needed to marry inside 90 days of me coming into the nation (romantic, I do know).
I would lived in New York for years earlier than and had to return to the UK when my visa expired. At that time, we would been relationship for 2 years and residing collectively for one.
Regardless of listening to that lengthy distance does not work, we made it work. We noticed one another twice in particular person — the airfare was too costly — and watched TV over FaceTime after we ran out of issues to speak about (with out shared experiences, it occurs). And we poured ourselves into work; I acquired a brand new job in London, and he began his first job out of legislation faculty.
Then, when he visited for New 12 months’s, we went to Paris, the place he proposed. I stated sure, and months later we had been married. I would by no means been happier.
However later, as we deliberate our 2019 wedding ceremony, I felt a bit self-conscious about how individuals may understand us having two celebrations. A part of me apprehensive they’d make assumptions about our relationship (thanks, “90-Day Fiancé,” for perpetuating stereotypes), however trying again I would not change a factor.
Don’t fret, the taxi was at a pink mild.
Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider
Our Metropolis Corridor wedding ceremony was low-key, however good for us
I could not wait to get married, even when a courthouse wedding ceremony wasn’t precisely what I envisioned. For my husband, an lawyer, it was becoming. In addition to, Carrie Bradshaw made it look modern and I deliberate on doing the identical — on a finances. We might already spent a bunch on my visa and needed to save lots of for a bigger wedding ceremony.
So as an alternative of a robe at Kleinfeld’s, I stated sure to a £17.50 costume from ASOS. As a substitute of invites, we despatched a gaggle e-mail. As a substitute of a venue, we booked a desk at a Tribeca restaurant. I did my very own make-up, and acquired my hair achieved at Drybar. I picked up a bouquet from a florist downtown. And it wasn’t till days earlier than we acquired married that we even thought of a cake. (Shout-out to my maid of honor who braved the Cronut line at Dominique Ansel Bakery to choose it up.)
Our shut kin flew in from Malta, the UK, the Netherlands, and Austin, Texas, for the event. My in-laws drove down from upstate New York. We additionally invited a few mates, the roommates my husband and I had after we met as neighbors residing throughout the corridor.
We waited in step with different {couples} being funneled by way of safety. It felt like going by way of TSA, having our purses inspected and strolling by way of a steel detector. Then we acquired a ticket, such as you would to choose up a sandwich at Katz’s, and waited for our quantity to pop up on a display.
Our fortunate quantity.
Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider
When it was time, we walked right into a small room and had a ceremony that lasted about 30 seconds. It was so quick, our officiant informed friends to get their telephones out to take photos initially of the ceremony as a result of “it will be fast” — phrases I am used to listening to earlier than a bikini wax.
We weren’t requested to repeat something after him, and stated “I do.”
It was a primary room and there have been no fancy phrases, however it did not matter. My coronary heart was racing all the identical.
As we left, our friends threw biodegradable confetti at us earlier than we walked by way of Metropolis Corridor Park to have our photos taken (my dad was our photographer). Then we had lunch, minimize our cake, and acquired the subway to the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork, the place we watched the solar set over drinks on the rooftop. It was an ideal, very New York day.
My husband’s aunt hosted a stunning brunch for us the following day at her condo and gifted us matching “Partner A” and “Partner B” T-shirts from the Metropolis Corridor retailer. Naturally, I acquired Partner A.
We acquired a marriage cake from Dominique Ansel Bakery.
Chloé Pantazi-Wolber/Insider
Our UK wedding ceremony was well worth the wait
It is probably not standard to plan a marriage together with your partner, however that is what we did.
We saved up, and with some assist from our households, put down a deposit at a fantastic venue: Downing Faculty, on the College of Cambridge. We booked an officiant for our vow renewal; we could not legally have a wedding ceremony, since we had been already married.
We invited 100 friends, and booked a band (Soul Patrol), photographer (Alice the Digicam), videographer (McGill Sister Movies), and florist (Riverside Rose). This time, I had a make-up artist (Make-up by Mary) and hairstylist (Glenda Mooney Hair) and ordered a customized cake (Compton & Kennedy).
There have been British, American, and Greek touches, to honor our dwelling international locations and my Greek-Cypriot heritage. We had Pimm’s cups and fish and chips in newspaper cones; a peanut-butter-and-chocolate tier in our cake and “Candy Caroline” on the playlist; plus Greek dancing and almond-cookie favors from a Greek-Cypriot bakery.
A glimpse of our venue, Downing Faculty.
Courtesy of Alice the Digicam
As a lot as I liked wedding ceremony planning, I discovered myself downplaying it in sure methods
Fearful individuals may assume we had been useless to have a second celebration, I discovered myself making an attempt to cut back something that felt like “an excessive amount of.” I selected to not put on a veil, however now want I had, and opted for easier hair.
However when the day got here, none of that mattered.
I felt like 1,000,000 bucks in my Pronovias costume, and strolling down the aisle to my husband felt particular over again. Being married additionally took the stress off. The one fear I had was whether or not I would be capable of pull off the steps to our first dance in my practice. (Nearly!)
We danced the evening away with our friends, and had the time of our lives. The night culminated with the music from “Soiled Dancing,” and sure we did the raise!
Our first dance included one other raise!
Courtesy of Alice the Digicam
They had been the very best days of my life
Quickly after our 2019 celebration, a great deal of {couples} rescheduled or tailored their weddings in the course of the pandemic — and lots of had a couple of. It confirmed me that weddings aren’t one dimension suits all, and made me want I hadn’t let the concern of judgment get the very best of me.
I really feel fortunate to have had our two weddings now, particularly since we would thought of ready for 2020 to save lots of extra for our huge celebration. Had we achieved that, we would not have been in a position to collect our household and mates in a single place — for us, an important half.
Wanting again, having two weddings was a method to rejoice our love in my two houses, the US and the UK. They had been the 2 greatest days of my life.
