We served THIS at our wedding...

And I still love it. Twelve years ago, we got married. Twelve.Years.Twelve years is a lot of life! Drew proposed the weekend I graduated from college and we started planning our big day. And when I think back to that time leading up to our wedding, I smile because, boy, were we sure non-traditional. [image] Life was busy, we were starting our careers, paying off student loans, and figuring out life as 22 year olds. We were also planning our wedding from afar – in the city we now live. (We never imagined that!) We didn’t do a food tasting, never tried a bite of cake, never met with a florist, never did a second dress fitting, never did a hair or make up trial, never went bridesmaid dress shopping, never had a bachelorette party, never met our photographers (I know, what?!) and never planned a grand exit … It wasn’t really about that stuff – and, frankly, we didn’t have the time for it. I was stockpiling every precious day of vacation I could get from my corporate job, so I had to make sacrifices. I’ll never forget all the things that went wrong on our wedding day … The unity candle blew out – thanks to an oscillating fan. Our cake tipped over … not once, but twice. The photo slideshow we meticulously crafted crashed the computer. I was so exhausted I chugged a Red Bull at our reception to wake up. We served pizza to our guests and had pizza boxes stacked to the heavens in the hallway. And yet … IT WAS PERFECT. Because I realize now what I might not have had words for then: We were planning a marriage more beautiful than any wedding. Twelve years into our married life and I’m glad we did it our way (and still do!). It was a way that let the details be thoughtful but not consuming. A way that celebrated the vows spoken more than the way things looked. A day that FELT beautiful, even when things didn’t always LOOK pretty (ahem, sorry cake!). It’s wild that we’re at the stage of life where we’ve officially known one another longer than we didn’t. I don’t think our 18 year old selves could predict how beautiful and full our lives have become – beyond our greatest dreams. I feel lucky to be able to say that. Sure, we are FAR from perfect. I bread-crumb the house with my dirty socks, and he might have a teensy-weensy obsession with vacuuming. But you know what? We’ve committed to continue learning about who we are and who we’re becoming, while also honoring each other and the fact that we’re always growing and evolving (and yes, sometimes there ARE growing pains!). I won't lie, there have been moments when I questioned our sanity (and googled the nearest escape route to a tropical island!). But at the end of the day I wouldn’t have it any other way. This beautiful, chaotic, life that we’ve built is one worth celebrating. And the good news is we STILL love and eat the exact same pizza we served at our wedding 12 years ago. So cheers to marriage, cheers to pizza, cheers to imperfections, and cheers to doing it your way. Thanks for being here – whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or you’re brand new, thank you for being a part of it all. I wish I could serve you up a pizza slice and laugh over the crumbled cake, Jenna [Unsubscribe]( Jenna Kutcher 440 N Barranca Ave #4227 Covina, California 91723 United States