Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

My Vintage Wedding Scrapbook

                     vintage wedding scrapbook

My Vintage Wedding Scrap book starts out with few photos.

Twenty-one years ago on this day, French Husband and I were married under a rainstorm. I wore my Grandmother's moth-eaten, paper thin, silk wedding dress. My mother was worried it would fall off of me when I walked down the aisle. 

I didn't care I liked my Grandmother's wedding dress, even if it were shabby and not chic .

 

 

    vintage wedding scrapbbok             

French Husband wore the same wedding tuxedo that his Father wore for his marriage. Which was very chic. It was midnight blue. His mother came to California, from France, for our wedding. But his father could not because he was seriously ill.

We told each other we would write our own marriage vows. The eve before our wedding day French Husband hadn't penned his. I was not pleased. My bride-to-be-nerves kicked in. He told me he was going to say them in French. I cried saying he could be saying anything to me and I wouldn't understand. He told me to look into his eyes that they would speak clearly to me. Horrible as it might sound, I smirked at him. I still feel bad about that.

 

vintage wedding scrapbook

 

 

 

We did not have bridesmaids nor groomsmen… we told everyone gathered that they were our witnesses.
My cousin Julie picked Calli lilies from a garden for my wedding bouquet. I tied an old lace ribbon around them and called it good.

 

 

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My father was horrified that his only daughter was "doing" her wedding like this… Threadbare dress, handmade wedding invitations, no professional photographer, flowers from a garden, no maid of honor…. no wedding register. What would people think of him! I told him it didn't matter because the wedding was exactly as I wanted it to be.

He nearly died when an Aunt called offering to buy me a wedding dress.

 

vintage wedding scrapbook

 

 

French Husband and I were married at ten in the morning in the Catholic church.

 

 

scrapbook

 

 

To say that the last twenty some years have been blissful would not be the truth. To say that it has been easy would be a lie as well. To say we have held on to the good moments and stuck it out in through the rough patches would be honest.

 

scrapbook

 

 

scrapbooking

 

 

Our marriage is a commitment to bear witness to one another's lives.

To stand by one another and love through thick and thin. 

 

 

 

scrapbooking wedding

What were the details of your marriage?

Comments

89 responses to “My Vintage Wedding Scrapbook”

  1. pauline

    Twenty one years of bearing witness to one another’s lives – the two of you have done well, TICA. Thank you for sharing some of your moments. Congratulations and best wishes on your anniversary.

    Reply
  2. Sally

    Beautiful! Happy Anniversary.

    Reply
  3. Gracie

    Happy Anniversary to both of you! And thanks for sharing your memories.

    Reply
  4. Jeanne

    One shoe can change a life
    Cinderella
    and they lived happily ever after.
    I love hearing of your love and your life together and about your marriage.
    Congratulations on your anniversary.
    The only magic I believe in is Love.
    God bless you both with many more enchanted years.
    I love you
    Jeanne ^j^
    Today is my precioius Grandmother’s 94th birthday.
    Your grandmothers wedding dress was good luck~

    Reply
  5. Paris Parfait

    Happy Anniversary, Corey and Yann! A lovely story about your wedding. And how wonderful that you were able to wear your grandmother’s dress!

    Reply
  6. Kim B.

    Happy Anniversary Corey and FH! I love that in a time when “doing your own thing” regarding weddings was not as accepted, you felt strong enough to do so.
    So when FH recited his vows to you, and you looked into his eyes, DID you understand what he was saying??
    Marco and I married in an Italian church here in Paris; the bulk of the ceremony was in Italian, but I told him we had to say our vows in French so I would know what I was signing up for. We had each of our readings done twice — once in English and once in Italian. My parents had a translation of the whole text for the whole ceremony but I didn’t get my act together to make enough copies for everybody. I just went on the theory that everyone knew enough of the standard marriage stuff and enough French and/or Italian to basically follow. Hmmm . . .
    I loved not having bridesmaids as it would have been too hard to chose. I chose two dear friends as the legal witnesses and added my brother as my third witness for the church (he couldn’t legally be a witness at the civil ceremony as he doesn’t speak French! For that matter, neither does my second witness, but she is a linguist and could at least play the game!).
    Happy Anniversary and hope you have a lovely day today. What will you do to celebrate?

    Reply
  7. Jill Flory

    Congratulations! Thanks for sharing about your wedding, it sounds wonderful. I can understand how your dad felt, but isn’t it wonderful that he let you do what you wanted? I need to remind myself of that with my girls. Sometimes I need to step back and let them be their own person. Thanks for the reminder!!!
    Blessings,
    Jill

    Reply
  8. Shannon

    Happy Anniversary!
    I LOVED the sound of your wedding. It was all about you and Yann. Nothing else was in the spotlight, not the dress or the flowers or anything else.
    I like the sound of forever…just my husband and me against the world and coming out together in the end no matter what challenges were thrown our way. That’s the story of my marriage.

    Reply
  9. Billie

    How beautiful and sweet.I feel like I was there.
    We married in a tiny chapel our friends had built themselves, a place to share mass everyday. Inside, the walls & ceiling were handpainted by the owners depicting all the animals, fish and wildlife of the area. Our 4 children were with us. My husband’s friend, a notary, officiated. It was the vernal equinox and we balanced eggs on end at the alter.I wore an antique (fairly tattered) wedding dress and although I had the perfect shoes, I could only find one, so I wore Ked’s sneakers. Who cared? I adore my husband even more, everyday.

    Reply
  10. Beverly

    Happy Anniversary!
    This story is to “Corey”…so sweet and fun!
    Again, Happy Anniversary!

    Reply
  11. Sheala

    Happy Anniversary! I saw one of your wedding photos at Bev’s years ago. Wasn’t Natalie an attendant? I do remember you were a beautiful bride!
    Have a wonderful and special celebration. My love to you and FH.

    Reply
  12. le petit cabinet de curiosites

    Happy anniversary !
    I still don’t have stories to tell about marriage !
    But I hope to be abble to do it some day.
    I’m sure your wedding was just like you, I can imagine it

    Reply
  13. Miz Booshay

    Thank you for sharing this.
    Thank you for telling us it has not always been easy.
    I would love to see a wedding picture. It sounds perfect for you.
    You are a remarkable couple!
    Bless you both as you bless each other and those your love.

    Reply
  14. Karin

    Happy Anniversary, Corey and Yann!! I hope you have a wonderful day. I loved your wedding memories. 🙂
    Mu husband and I were married the day after an ice storm. That morning found my mother and I carefully driving down the street to get the flowers (gladiolas and yes, I had forgotten flowers), that we brought home and my father arranged in a vase with perfection.
    We drove to the church and gasped as the sun came out and made every tree branch, icicle and piece of grass glisten like diamonds. I don’t think I could have asked for a more perfect day. Next month, we celebrate our 27th anniversary on the 27th. Clearly something magical occurred all those years ago. 😉

    Reply
  15. Deirdre

    Your wedding sounds perfect and romantic. Happy Anniversary!
    I’m still planning my wedding, but I’m sure when it’s done I’ll want to tell everyone about it.

    Reply
  16. kim

    Thanks for this post. Any chance for wedding photos or is that too personal? We were married in a Buddhist temple and everyone sat on cushions on the floor. We didn’t have any attendants, either. Because everyone was sitting so close and they surrounded us, it really WAS as if everyone was our groomsmen and bridesmaids.
    Also, we greeted our guests at the door together prior to the ceremony and then we walked into the room together after everyone was seated. No ushers… no walk down the aisle… just simple and lovely.

    Reply
  17. JulieKP

    Happy anniversary! What a beautiful story.
    Everyone’s wedding should be exactly the way they want it. Mine was. I am not a “frou frou” girl but my wedding was. I dreamed of the ultimate princess wedding my whole life where I would marry my prince. Our wedding was magical. Much to the horror of my parents my train was 15 feet long. My mother was my maid of honor. Both of our childhood pastors married us. Friends and family came from 20 states and 4 foreign countries. There were flowers everywhere. Food was fantastic. The band never stopped playing. No one wanted to leave. We just kept going and going. I wouldn’t change a thing. I wish I could do it all over again.
    Now I sit here in my jeans and long sleeve tshirt as unprincess as you can get. Marriage hasn’t been easy but always worth it.
    May you and Yann have many many years of happiness together.

    Reply
  18. Star

    Happy Anniversary! I appreciate what you’ve shared today and will hold it close.

    Reply
  19. anna

    Happy Anniversary, you Love Birds! What a beautiful and inspiring story, and always, so much food for thought. Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Margo

    Your wedding sounds like the wedding I wish I had. My wedding was big, formal and only looks perfect in the photographs. But I can’t complain about the marriage. I found a keeper, and the good times far outweigh the bad after 22 years.
    Looking back, I would choose to elope on St. Barts, barefoot, wearing something gauzy. Our friends and family could come if they bought their own ticket and promised to behave.
    My favorite part of my entire wedding day was when it was just us up on the altar with the minister.

    Reply
  21. martina

    Congratulations and very Happy Anniversary! How about a photo then and now of you two lovebirds?

    Reply
  22. Cindy

    your wedding sounds oh-so-perfect.. wow.. :*)
    again, thank you for sharing corey..

    Reply
  23. caren

    Your wedding sounds so romantic. We will be married 32 years on Jan. 21. We had a big wedding on the only day in January it did not snow. That much snow in our area is rare – there were piles of snow everywhere!

    Reply
  24. michele

    O you are such a magical girl.
    you and your man living through the realness of life, together thru thick and thin. yey for you and all that you have accomplished.
    bonne annivarsairre!
    xo
    m

    Reply
  25. Jill

    Best wishes today on your anniversary! Will and I have been married 29 years. Our wedding was outdoors in a garden, at 10:00 in the morning, and our song was “Morning has Broken” by Cat Stevens. There was supposed to be a lovely ocean view, but it was foggy!

    Reply
  26. Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife

    Happy Anniversary!
    We stood in front of a judge at the courthouse with my beloved grandmother as our witness. Thirty years, the same as you…. good and not so good times to be shared together. Relationships mellow and in the end we find what we always knew – we are friends to each other!
    – Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife

    Reply
  27. Cindy

    A love story! Happy Anniversary! My husband and I will be celebrating our 30th in April. Like you, we’ve weathered the rough patches and stuck it out.All in all worth the effort! Our wedding was small with only my mother, our military friends an co-workers. A small military chapel and beer and ham for the reception. We had a blast!

    Reply
  28. Suzanne

    Congratulations Corey. Much happiness on your way.
    Love*

    Reply
  29. Marilyn

    Happy Anniversary!
    Your wedding sounds so perfect for you and just the way you wanted it.
    My wedding was over 44 years ago and yes it has not always been perfect or easy; sometimes pure struggle. But we are still together.
    I made a wedding dress after having major surgery not realizing that I would start returning to my former weight. When the wedding arrived I could almost not put the dress on, it was small. It was a simple wedding, but that was OK. We were young, I was unemployed, and my husband had a minimum paying job. Somehow, it you work hard enough, we survive.

    Reply
  30. shannon in oregon

    my groom looked at me and everyone and everything else melted away. it was like walking down a tunnel, and he was the light at the end of it.

    Reply
  31. missy

    dear corey,
    Blessings on you and yann! My daughter is
    getting married today in a small chapel with
    a justice of the peace. The flowers are in the frig. He will be in uniform and she will be in a blue dress with red shoes. She wanted simple,red-white-and-blue,no bridesmaids….just her parents and brother
    as witnesses. (his family is a thousand miles away) They want to keep it simple so
    we can ‘be focused on each other’.
    Hubby and I have been married almost 30 yrs–I hope they love and learn as much as we have-
    Missy from the bayou

    Reply
  32. Betty @ Country Charm

    Happy Belated Anniversary Wishes….
    My husband and I were married on a Sunday morning (Father’s Day) after morning worship services, in l960….I had been in bed with a bout of appendicitis all week…so I didn’t know if I was headed to the church or to the operating room….thankfully it was the church….on our honeymoon I just really wanted to go home…
    In our almost 49 years of marriage it certainly hasn’t always been sublime but each experience has taught us to be patient, forgiving…I pray that our children and grandchildren have been given the gift of seeing our commitment to each other….
    Blessings to you and Yann….Betty

    Reply
  33. Ulla

    Don’t we get to see a photo of the happy couple in real life??? HAPPY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! And yes, I agree with Yann, eyes can tell everything that words only hope for.
    Miss you my dear!!!

    Reply
  34. Deb

    36 years ago… I wore a gauzy pink halter dress and carried daisies – the groom wore a white suit and sported hair longer than my own and a large handlebar moustache – barefoot – in a lovely garden – with friends we still hold dear. Thanks for the memory prompt Corey and Happy Anniversary to you both! Deb

    Reply
  35. jamie

    Happy Anniversary to you both! Wishing you both 21 more years of wedded bliss… Jamie

    Reply
  36. Kris

    They say “a picture is worth a thousand words” and I believe it. Your pictures tell your story.
    We were married by the Justice of the Peace and only our witnesses, my husband’s best friend and his girlfriend were present for the ceremony which took all of about 5 minutes (I stood their thinking this can’t be all there is”.) I wore a turquoise dress and carried no flowers. That was 38 years ago. To say that we have not lived through “for better or worse” is an understatement and yet at the same time the greatest blessing of all. These are the times we remember as being the “best years” of our marriage. We lived through every nail biting problem and have earned every wrinkle and gray hair in our head and none of these issues took away the love and respect we felt and still feel for each other.
    The memories of your wedding are truly poignant right down to the moth eaten wedding dress of your grandmother, a beautiful story to be passed down to future generations in your family.
    Kris

    Reply
  37. Sonrie

    Happy Anniversary and much happiness and contentment in your future.

    Reply
  38. Alina

    It is natural that you would want to understand declarations of love spoken at the ceremony uniting that love, but the eyes speak volumes, sometimes more than words can say, and the two of you have always known how to speak the language of love as the post you linked to confirms. I remember that post from last year as I re-read it so many times and I cried each time I did.
    Happy Anniversary to you and Yann. Will there be a dinner party wth photos to follow?

    Reply
  39. Barbara

    1965…we were going to school in two different states…didn’t like that…decided to marry on Christmas vacation…called the guest on the phone…bought my MINI wedding dress off the rank {on sale}…had cake and champagne at home…42 years later we are still in love and now are each others best friend…we have survived the very worse and lived to tell the tale!
    bv wishes you two the very best forever!

    Reply
  40. Lemon Tree Tami

    Happy Anniversary!!! I love when people admit that marriage isn’t always blissful and perfect, but that it does have beautiful moments of shared life. My grandmother always tells me that marriage isn’t an easy thing but very worth it. Six years into it and I can wholeheartedly agree with her.
    My husband and I were married outside surrounded by lots of green in the Malibu mountains. We held the reception in a large room that had a wall of glass with white lights and a waterfall effect. It was all very beautiful but mostly I remember having a huge smile on my face the whole day. 🙂

    Reply
  41. Carole

    Kim B wrote, “So when FH recited his vows to you, and you looked into his eyes, DID you understand what he was saying??” I’d love to know as well.
    Happy Anniversary!

    Reply
  42. Sandy

    Happy Anniversary Corey!

    Reply
  43. Jeni

    Happy Anniversary Corey and FH! 21 years is a testament of your love and commitment.
    Rob and I got married in my parent’s courtyard garden by a pool in Ar. I had always dreamed of a barefoot beach wedding in Ca., but this was a close as I could get. My Dad, who loved to work, had Rob repainting the porches because he thought they needed it before the wedding. Rob’s Mom said she would just die if he married me. Although she’s still alive and well 27 years later.
    I wore a simple off the shoulder dress with a sun hat, and Rob wore a grey tux.
    I had 3 bridesmaids that wore daffodil-yellow dresses with hats. The whole outfit causes Morganne to cringe. Rob had 3 groomsmen, one who was his brother, and was a no show. Rob’s mom refused to start the wedding without him, but we went on with it anyway. I’m waiting in the house this whole time wondering?? Rob got a friend to fill in as best man(awkward)but he couldn’t quite fill the space when it came to the giant ill fitting tux–sorry Bobby. Rob’s dad was also the preacher and performed the ceromony. Rob’s mom didn’t want the family photos if she had to be with Rob’s dad, (they were divorced) It seemed like everyone else was controlling our day.
    The wedding happened, the reception was actually fun, and Rob
    was thrown in the pool, which was a great mood lifter, but I drew the line when they grabbed for me!
    Looking back 27 years later, we can laugh at all the silly little things that were imposed on us, and how important they seemed at the time. At the end of the day, it is the commentment to your love, and hanging in through the rough times, cherishing each other that matters.
    My kids say after hearing these stories, “keep it simple”. Will they? (“YES!” Morganne says) I love that you wore your Grandmothers dress, and held flowers from the garden!
    I hope you have a special day celebrating your 21 years of love!

    Reply
  44. Jeni

    Happy Anniversary Corey and FH! 21 years is a testament of your love and commitment.
    Rob and I got married in my parent’s courtyard garden by a pool in Ar. I had always dreamed of a barefoot beach wedding in Ca., but this was a close as I could get. My Dad, who loved to work, had Rob repainting the porches because he thought they needed it before the wedding. Rob’s Mom said she would just die if he married me. Although she’s still alive and well 27 years later.
    I wore a simple off the shoulder dress with a sun hat, and Rob wore a grey tux.
    I had 3 bridesmaids that wore daffodil-yellow dresses with hats. The whole outfit causes Morganne to cringe. Rob had 3 groomsmen, one who was his brother, and was a no show. Rob’s mom refused to start the wedding without him, but we went on with it anyway. I’m waiting in the house this whole time wondering?? Rob got a friend to fill in as best man(awkward)but he couldn’t quite fill the space when it came to the giant ill fitting tux–sorry Bobby. Rob’s dad was also the preacher and performed the ceromony. Rob’s mom didn’t want the family photos if she had to be with Rob’s dad, (they were divorced) It seemed like everyone else was controlling our day.
    The wedding happened, the reception was actually fun, and Rob
    was thrown in the pool, which was a great mood lifter, but I drew the line when they grabbed for me!
    Looking back 27 years later, we can laugh at all the silly little things that were imposed on us, and how important they seemed at the time. At the end of the day, it is the commentment to your love, and hanging in through the rough times, cherishing each other that matters.
    My kids say after hearing these stories, “keep it simple”. Will they? (“YES!” Morganne says) I love that you wore your Grandmothers dress, and held flowers from the garden!
    I hope you have a special day celebrating your 21 years of love!

    Reply
  45. Tamara Giselle

    Happy Anniversary to a genuinely beautiful couple!
    I have a wedding garden and used to do flowers for weddings, and have helped with many family wedding “PRODUCTIONS”, so I feel experienced enough to render an opinion that your WEDDING WAS PERFECT. I have a saying that as long as the bride and groom are there, the rest is just FLUFF. Don’t get me wrong, I do like fluff, and from reading your blog I can tell we like the same kind of fluff. But weddings anymore are more like productions than two people committing themselves to each other through thick and thin, wrapping themselves together in a coating of love to forge themselves together for the tough times that life brings. (That was a bit sappy. 🙂
    Your wedding appeals to me more than any Platinum wedding I have ever seen. Genuine is the word that comes to my mind.
    God bless.

    Reply
  46. Denese

    Our first wedding was a fiasco, not to mention that we married for a job that fell through, and his father was not speaking to my soon to be husband or the best man (his brother). The second wedding was just like I wanted it: vintage dress (when “vintage” wasn’t “in”), wrote our own vows, my father was the photographer, and my best friend arranged the flowers.
    I wrote a post on it on my blog, entitled A Tale of Two Weddings: Or How I Married into a Family that Eats Road Kill
    http://dlouisianat.blogspot.com/2008/09/tale-of-two-ashbaugh-vlosky-weddings.html
    No – marriage hasn’t been easy. It’s been great, so-so and downright awful. But, we are both glad we’ve stuck it out for 25 years.

    Reply
  47. kas

    ‘Oh, happy, happy anniversary Corey & Yann! JS & I eloped because our families could not decide to get along. There was too much tension and stress and we just wanted to love each other and always to be able to remember our special day with joy. I wore my best friend’s dark blue sailor dress and he wore a sports coat. We had a one night honeymoon spent in a neighboring town because JS had already promised to help a local farmer put up hay the next day. ‘Oh the thrill of love’s committment!

    Reply
  48. Erin

    happy anniversary
    our wedding anniversary was 18 years ago this christmas eve past. we wed in a simple ceremony overlooking lake tahoe. the sky was bright blue, there was a foot or two of snow and it was a little brisk outside. i carried a dozen pink tiffany roses and wore an off white givenchy suit and ferragamo shoes. no family attended (both my parents deceased) and husband’s could not make it from east coast. so we exchanged vows, had a lovely christmas eve dinner together, changed clothes after a photograph session(needed to document the momentous event)and then off to the casino to play some 21 at the tables.
    simple and memorable.
    next day we left for a few days in san francisco and then headed back to southern california.

    Reply
  49. Eunice

    Happy Anniversary, Corey and Yann.
    My wedding to Michael was similar to yours. The cake was baked by a co-worker and a friend in collaboration. They even bought the topper. The flowers were done by another friend, and yet another sang the wedding song, accompanied by his guitar. My children from a first disastrous marriage stood up as bridesmaids and ushers. (They have since all been adopted by Michael). My dress was given to me by my mother. And, it was perfect!
    We’ve been married 23 years, and like any relationship we’ve had our ups and downs, but the best part is that we remain each other’s best friend through it all. And Michael says that he prayed for someone to love, and God gave him 5 someones to love.

    Reply
  50. Jeannie

    Happy Anniversary! Our wedding was much like yours. No attendants, married in the country church of my ancestors, immediate family,my great grams sixpence in my shoe for luck,flowers from the garden, and the two of us. We then had a party at the grange for all the extended family and friends. People were aghast at the simplicity, but it was as we wanted and cherish that day 22 years ago. Cheers.

    Reply
  51. kelly

    My husband and I were pen pals for a year and a half. For my 21st birthday all I wanted was to spend Christmas with him. He was in Los Angeles. I was in Boston. So, I begged my parents to buy a plane ticket for me as my present. (Dad was law enforcement at the time, so I swear he ran a check on David. LOL) Long story short, I stepped off the plane and was enveloped by two strong arms (seriously, that’s all I remember about getting off the plane). We spent the afternoon exchanging presents and reading each other’s journals. 7 hours after I stepped off the plane, he proposed on the Santa Monica Pier. A week later we were married in a little chapel. No one there but us, the priest and a witness from the chapel. It was exactly what we wanted. We just celebrated our 13 year anniversary on New Years Eve. Our son will be 12 next month.
    We’re still very much in love.
    Happy, HAPPY Anniversary!!!!!

    Reply
  52. Christy Spear

    My husband and I married in a simple homespun type ceremony. We married in the modest church where his mother and father married in the smallest of towns. We married at 6:30 in the evening (the half hour past was the suggestion of my grandmother who said, “You want time to be looking up when you marry.” Only family attended.
    We pitched a white circus like tent in the front yard of his parents’ home: his father nearly had a heart attack when he saw the length of the stakes and asked, “How many are there?” Flickering candles lit the snaking path to tent’s entrance. It looked like we’d put fireflies inside of mason jars!
    We ate simple fare and relished every bite of our three tiered apple cake. The wedding was personal and intimate. Despite the normal sort of ups and downs, it’s only getting better. Maybe it’s because time is looking up for us!

    Reply
  53. Denise

    My husband and I kind of eloped. We had intended to be married sometime in June.
    We began discussing things around the Christmas season in a little restaurant, and decided, for a number of reasons, that we had no reason to wait that long. We got married three weeks later. January 14, 1983. On our wedding day,it snowed all day, and night, it was beautiful. Snow was beautiful, once we got to our motel room,it was best not to go outdoors. But, we didn’t care, of course…We were happy just where we were….Together.
    Denise

    Reply
  54. Ed in Willows

    Corey – To me, your wedding sounded perfect. I like the simple things in life. Too many people plan their wedding to impress others. They forget that the wedding is all about the two people getting married. Congratulations on 21 years……you’re just getting started. You will find as the kids start lives of their own, you and FH will have more time together. Below is a link to our wedding picture:
    http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z34/fasteddies42/Eds%20Photos/?action=view&current=21.jpg

    Reply
  55. Julie Ann

    Many congrats on your Wedding Anniversary Corey. Do you have any pics of your special day ? Ours was the hottest day in August just as I wanted, a beautiful country Church, peonies, a great hotel with a relaxed vibe, my Goddaughter Irish dancing, tearjerking speeches & an Elvis impersonator ! Jx

    Reply
  56. Vicki

    Congrats Corey & FH on 21 years!!! Your wedding sounds wonderful…I like the simplicity of your wedding…they are a major production now!!! I have been married for 32 year not always happily but a work in progess with love. Our wedding was very traditional and I cried all the way through my vows (emotional person that I am) but it was a beautiful day. The funny thing is I would change so much about my wedding if I were to do it now. Again enjoy your lives together and post some pictures!!!!

    Reply
  57. carol

    A very happy anniversary to you both. Our wedding was a small, but joyful event. No big do for us either. Life and marriage is what you make it. We too have had our ups and downs (in a down patch right now) but we love each other, respect each other and honor our marriage vows. The ups will come again – sooner rather than later I hope!

    Reply
  58. Ann Voskamp @ Holy Experience

    I loved this post, Corey.
    Your personality shaped your wedding… like who you are now shapes this blog. And I like coming here!
    The most blessed of anniversaries, friend.
    The two become one and it’s good.
    All’s grace,
    Ann

    Reply
  59. julie holvik

    Corey and Yann, Happy Anniversary! I had it on my calendar, so I thought of you both today. You know My story started because your parents were a great part of it. Doug was friends with your dad, I with your mom. Every New Years Eve for about 3 years in a row we would go out with them. Then one new years eve, doug couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to go out, so your parents got another friend Bill. When it came down to going out, bill showed up as well as DOUG! I now had to dates, which to choose?? I chose DOUG and this August 9th will be our 40th wedding anniversary. I was 20 years old and Doug was 19, we hadn’t been very many places yet in our lives, quiet country girl that I was and Doug just out of college. Our wedding day was very hot, you can say it was the tradional wedding all the way.Well, to make the story short, our first night was spent in his 1969 chevy parked by Lake Tahoe. Nothing else need to be said, except it had bucket seats too. That is my wedding memory.

    Reply
  60. Evelyn

    Happy Anniversary to Corey and French Husband! May you have many more years of together filled with love and happiness.
    My husband and I just celebrated our 4th year anniversary on the 3rd. We were married in our home by a minister, and my son and his girlfriend were in attendance. Then the 4 of us piled into the car and went to Atlantic City for 3 days. Very low key and fun.

    Reply
  61. Angela

    Happy Anniversary! This post defines marriage. 26 years and counting. They said it wouldn’t last. Jobs, babies, money, houses, school, forgetting to buy ketchup for weeks on end. That’s marriage. A lifetime commitment!! Those words have never frightened us. Everything else did. But we are in it together. Blessings to you and yours.

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  62. frenchgardenhouse

    Dear Corey,
    Congratulations. For some reason your post brought tears to my eyes. I’ve been married for over 32 years, and your words couldn’t be more true for me {the blissful & hard parts, not the threadbare dress part!} Knowing what little I do about your “story” it surprises me that your sweet Dad didn’t know to expect a wedding on your own terms from you.:) Commitment. It’s a word not taken as seriously these days. It’s a beautiful word, sweet Corey. Wishing you another whole lifetime of years with your French Husband.
    xo Lidy

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  63. Ellen Cassilly

    Happy snowy anniversary.
    We are five years and counting. We were married outside along a mountain lake. My friends got flowers from the farmers’ market and made lots of bouquets and center pieces. The best part was that Frank’s parents were healthy enough to join in our celebration. They will celebrate their 67th anniversary this year! Love and hugs.

    Reply
  64. ~Kim

    Happy anniversary, Corey!
    Our anniversaries are exactly a week apart! (We celebrated 16 years on the 2nd) I love the story of your wedding. And I would love to see pictures of you and your husband on your wedding day! 🙂

    Reply
  65. Heather

    After that beautiful description we can almost see your special day in our minds eye, but please post a photo! sounds so lovely.

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  66. Ariane Cagle

    Happy Anniversary! It sounds like you had a lovely wedding just the way YOU wanted it.
    My first wedding was held in a meeting room at the local library by a justice of the peace. We couldn’t find a minister to marry us because my first husband was agnostic. My minister flatly refused because he said the marriage wouldn’t last and I remember we actually had a discussion on what would stop my first husband from leaving me for someone else. Maybe I should have taken that as a sign from above because that’s exactly what happened 9 yrs into the marriage.
    My 2nd husband and I feel like we are soul mates. It’s funny but for most of our lives we have always lived within 5 miles of each. Our parents even shopped at the same stores, we played on the same playgrounds, etc. (although we didn’t go to the same schools). I’ve often wondered how many times our paths actually crossed at various points in our lives. I finally met him in my 30s when we both went back to college as older students. We were in the same class together and for one of our assignments he choose my name to write a personality profile about me. I later joked with the professor that little did he know that he was actually playing matchmaker with that assignment. Life was such that we were just friends for 5 years until we both finally admitted we had feelings for each other. We had a small family, church wedding and our reception was at a local restaurant. Next month we’ll celebrate our 10th anniversary.

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  67. Dawn

    Happy Anniversary sweet girl….I love how French husband hugged the man that needed it so ~ wishing you many more years of love and togetherness….xxoo, Dawn

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  68. Amy Jewell

    What a beautiful story. So honest and poignant. My fiance and I will be married next August. I am so grateful to have this wonderful man in my life and hope that we are as blessed as you to be together for so long. Happy Anniversary!

    Reply
  69. Elaine L.

    Happy Anniversary! The wedding sounds very you.
    We have been married for 35 years. It was an elopement. We spent our honeymoon camping in a pup tent through Canada.
    Please post wedding pics some time. I would love to see the dress.
    ~elaine~

    Reply
  70. sheila

    Congratulations Corey and Yann..!
    I had a wedding that was ‘unapproved’ too, we will have been together 41 years in March. Through good times and bad we knew it would last, because despite everything else there was love.
    We were never engaged, married within a year of meeting, and had no money for a honeymoon.There were nine people at the civil ceremony, his parents would not attend, the best man did not show up, and there was a major ice storm that night.
    I wouldn’t change a thing..it’s all about the marriage, not the wedding.
    May you have many more years together..xox

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  71. sheila

    Congratulations Corey and Yann..!
    I had a wedding that was ‘unapproved’, we will have been together 41 years in March. Through good times and bad we knew it would last, because despite everything else there was love.
    We were never engaged, married within a year of meeting, and had no money for a honeymoon.There were nine people at the civil ceremony, his parents would not attend, the best man did not show up, and there was a major ice storm that night.
    I wouldn’t change a thing..it’s all about the marriage, not the wedding.
    May you have many more years together..xox

    Reply
  72. Cindy

    Happy Anniversary Corey,
    We were married in the backyard of a Justice of the Peace 25 years ago. There were 2 witnesses, my in-laws and my mum. It was sunny, warm and very windy.
    We all went to a hotel after for supper. My husband and I stayed in the hotel that night. The next day we loaded up our brand new pick-up with everything we owned and drove 3000 miles to Boston for my husbands schooling.
    I remember being out on the highway 10 minutes and we both started crying. We were leaving home for the first time. I asked my husband if he wanted to pull over but he said no, and just kept driving.
    I can’t imagine being with any other man. He is my best friend.
    Thanks for a wonderful post.

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  73. Rosemary

    Happy Anniversary Corey!
    What a wonderful and romantic story.
    I will tell you mine sometime.
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Rosemary

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  74. Kirsten

    27 years ago in a small chapel in central Oregon. I was unprepared as my husband began to recite the vows we had agreed to read; I remember focusing on his face and every single word, so that I would remember every line. It worked. Our reception was a pot luck at a nearby hall. The wedding cake was the creation of another good friend: two tiers, creamy white and adorned with mini rosebuds from her garden. Our big splurge: $300.00 for champagne and other $300.00 for a local country swing/rock band. Family members joined us from Germany and California. We ate, we danced, we smiled, we loved. And so it continues…

    Reply
  75. Lynne Stevens

    Corey, Best Wishes and Congratulations, Yann, 21 years c’est pas mal, ca! We will have been married 37 years come March. I remember a line spoken by Katherine Hepburn as she is sprawled on the floor in A Lion in Winter as Peter O’tool storms out the door. “Every family has it’s ups and downs.” Ours started out on a down note as my husband was hospitalized about three months after we met after being hit by a car. He lost part of his left leg then and we got the “sickness” part out of the way at the beginning. The richer and poorer comes and goes. The children are grown yet ones concerns for them are no less. What a journey! We love your part of the world and hope to visit again when we’re richer. Stop by to see us in Berkeley on your motercycle ride across the states. I’ll bake a cake. xoxoLynne

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  76. Kimberly

    Many blessings to you both. May the adventure continue for another 21 years! Blessings, Kimberly

    Reply
  77. amylia

    Happy anniversary, Corey & FH! Thank you for sharing so much of yourself, your thoughts, and your life/lives with us all so freely and generously.
    I’m not yet married, but a simple wedding with a simple silk wedding dress from gma and garden-picked calla lilies hand-tied in ribbon sounds just about right to me!

    Reply
  78. Nancy

    Happy Anniversary to you both! I hope you will be sharing a photo of your wedding day with us! We will be married 20 years. It was a simple outdoor wedding in beautiful Balboa Park in San Diego.
    We stood in front of a wishing well covered in white roses. I will never forget that day. Here are 2 links which show the location.
    http://www.sandiegohistory.org/bpbuildings/images3/pa114-20e.jpg
    http://www.sandiegohistory.org/bpbuildings/images3/7934-25.jpg

    Reply
  79. linda

    My husband and I were married in January too. Almost 23 years ago. We had all kinds of weather that day. It was sunny during the day, rained that evening, and turned to snow. The funniest part was my dad had arrived late to pick me up to take me to the church. John was sure I wasn’t going to show up. Everyone was in place except for me, and my dad. When we finally got there, my brother-in-law gave me his opinion on my tardiness. Then I walked down the isle to meet my man, before the wedding started the priest gave me a lecture too. John was just happy I showed up! It was a good day.

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  80. ModernGearTVTamara

    Happy anniversary!

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  81. Isabel ~ Maison Douce

    Happy anniversary, Corey and Yann!!! Sounds like my kind of wedding, simple and unpretentious!!!! We had 35 people at our wedding, food was buffet style with no tables (more like a party), and I wore a mid calf pink dress that I ordered through a catalog for $200… Our big splurge was a 1950’s band that kept us all dancing all night and even allowed me to serenade my husband with “Love me Tender”. It was the best day ever!!

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  82. Stephanie

    Beautiful post! Beautiful thoughts! Happy anniversary to you both!
    Big TX Hugs,
    Stephanie
    Angelic Accents

    Reply
  83. Delilah

    Very beautiful! Happy anniversary!

    Reply
  84. maria

    hi corey,
    dear husband and i will celebrate 21 years on may the first. funny that i dreamed of my wedding dress last night before i read any of your posts: it was wrinkled and i choose to wear something new to wherever it was we were going–speaks to me of shedding of the old and renewal of our marriage. Congrats to you and husband!
    -maria

    Reply
  85. alette siri ane Lyssand Thorsnes

    We met and after 3 monthes we married.I went to Paris to buy my wedding dress with my mother.But I found 2 wonderfull paintings and bought them instead.Do not regret to this day.I borrowed my aunts dress (it ripped in the feast afterwards,but we had pins!All was ok.34 years ago.We got to know each other along the way.

    Reply
  86. Mesutherland

    Dear Corey,
    I read your blog and it brought back the memories of your wedding. . . 21 years ago? How far we have come, how much we have changed and how far away it all seems. The stories you wrote don’t tell about what a great day it was that was filled with love and inspiration and hope. You and Yann both had the look of expectant futures on your faces.
    At my wedding to Kevin in 1994 I felt in the moment, very present, and like I was exactly where I should be and doing exactly what I should be doing. You helped with that. You gave generous and heartfelt suggestions and your cousin provided beautiful flowers for the whole wedding party. You were not able to be there, but it seemed like your spirit was with me the whole day. I carried the flowers that your cousin had prepared and that was my connection to you on that day. It was my families way of seeing you there in the church. I will always be grateful for that memory.
    XOXO and blessings to you on the great anniversary. You are an inspiration.
    M

    Reply
  87. Morgan

    Happy Anniversary!
    That was the cutest little blog, I really enjoyed reading it!!!

    Reply
  88. Riley Gerbrandt

    We got married (Serena and I) nearly 4 months ago on Sept 13, 2008. It was amazing!!!

    Reply
  89. qualcosa di bello

    i will post some details on our anniversary in may…but for now, i am forwarding this post to my oldest daughter, who is not (yet!) in a serious relationship but will sigh romantically as she reads it (just like i did!)

    Reply

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