Celebration

Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure upon which two people can embark on together. No ceremony can create a marriage, it can only be created through love and patience, through dedication and perseverance, through talking and listening, through helping, supporting and believing in each other.

In China, couples usually have a traditional wedding because that’s what their parents want, but I wanted something different and more casual. I always dreamed of a summer wedding by the beach, probably because I was influenced by movies, it sounded very romantic. Due to the pandemic we had to delay our wedding for two years. Even though the pandemic is not quite over we decided to tie the knot on August 28th, 2022. It was unfortunate because my family couldn’t be here for the ceremony, however we were happy to have our son present as we exchanged vows. The ceremony was hosted in our uncle’s house by the ocean, so my dream wedding did come true!

A perfect wedding takes a lot of time, energy and money. We went over our budget, the more we thought about the big day the more things we actually needed. We prepared everything by ourselves including the decorations, drinks, and the food. Luckily, we had help from family, it made everything go smoothly. I chose white and baby blue as the color theme. I ordered a bunch of baby’s breaths to hang up by the windows. My father-in-law made us an arch with cherry wood, so I had it decorated with white drapes and white roses.

At 12:30 pm, I was wearing my wedding dress and flower crown, my father-in-law walked me through the house to the backyard, and there I stood under the arch with my love. It was a sunny day, wind blowing at the drapes and I could smell the ocean. “Will you share your life with him, love him and respect him?” The marriage commissioner asked. “I do,” I said it out loud. With a kiss to seal our vows, now we are husband and wife!

Marriage is a way to create a new family and begin a new chapter. We will always be friends, partners, and lovers, we will build our home together and be a place of comfort and peace for one another. “I do” is a big promise for life.