Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge and my husband are celebrating 10, YES 10 years of marriage today!!

I must say that I am humbled by this because, lets face it, facing life in these interesting times is not easy!

But, when we find a partner in life that we want to have by our side to face “all that life” out there, it sure makes it more fun. Ok, I admit I could insert many more colorful adjectives here too.

But that’s the point. No matter what has come our way, no matter how we have changed and grown as a couple and individually, the love we celebrated fresh and new 10 years ago still remains and endures. Is it always filled with passion and always fabulous? NO! BUT there is a deep sense of peace in knowing that, with all we have been through, “For better, for worse, in sickness and in health”, we are still deeply in love, respect each other and hope to enjoy many more milestones together.

When my parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2007. I reflected on this in a post. My husband’s parents were married for close to 75 years. Entire lifetimes!

A Wedding, at it’s heart, is the event that celebrates “the marriage.” That is what all the flowers, all the food, all the entertainment, cake and that “perfect” gown is prepared and planned for; “The Wedding”, not “the marriage”. Without the marriage, it’s just a big party.

That is what we all come together for. Hearing our sister, brother, son, daughter, grandchild, niece, nephew and friends say these vows elevates and transforms us, as part of and witness to this marriage ritual, to a shared state of joy and happiness with the bride and groom. Our shared hope and faith in the power of lasting, enduring love is palpable; filled with energy. No wonder we want to rejoice and have fun! Nothing could be more wonderful in life than a newlywed couple and their families sharing their joy with loved ones in beautiful celebration with delicious food, drink and music!

But…you can’t have a wedding without a marriage. However, you can certainly have a marriage without a wedding. The couple who seal their vows with a ring in front of only a judge as witness share the same odds of experiencing long lasting, enduring love as the couple who celebrates the same ritual with 250 guests and a half-million dollar wedding budget.

I’m not “dissing” the wedding business here, lets be clear! I LOVE experiencing them and planning them. I am just being honest about what is ultimately important.

I remember what the Rabbi who married my husband said after reading aloud the Jewish marriage document, the “ketubah”. “This document is a reminder of how to treat one another as man and wife. Put it in a prominent place in your home so you can look at it every day. Read it aloud with glad hearts every year on your anniversary to fully understand and remember your covenant to each other, to celebrate and thank G-d for blessing and sustaining you and allowing you to see this day together.” Pretty powerful if you ask me.

And I hope to do this very thing today with my husband of ten years. Our story has been one of overcoming challenges to be together from the beginning. Love and perseverance on both our parts made it a reality. Today, my love, we celebrate that love and perseverance and the next 10 years with hopeful and joyous hearts because we are facing it together.

My darling, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! “I LOVE YOU ALL WAYS, FOR ALWAYS”

Your wife,

Tracey