[Stung]

Thanks so much those of you who offered your support/congratulations.

S4S, I could have written much of your last post myself, in fact it was a bit eerie. I am a writer/editor IRL and purposely chose NOT to write the vows because due to my profession people were commenting on how thoughtful and meaningful my vows were sure to be, like I needed that extra pressure . This little wedding was just too important/nerve-wracking for me already for me to be worried about writing critics on top of everything else. I found a couple of websites that had a repertoire of several civil ceremonies both traditional and modern, picked four that I liked, and spent a couple evenings hacking them apart, cobbling them together and then whittling out all the padding, until I had achieved a relatively simple but meaningful civil ceremony and vows that we both liked, including references to both our children and a moment where I gave a sterling and sapphire charm bracelet to my stepdaughter to symbolize our union as family. Everybody complimented us on the ceremony, although I suppose it's not like they could reasonably comment on how much they thought it sucked.

Anyway, it's done. Phew. It does feel different to be married, I think, although I know some would disagree, and after a few years of living together/raising kids/owning property it's not exactly like we had a big lifestyle change. All that matters though is that we're happy. The wedding didn't go perfectly, but it went well, and everybody was shining. The weather was mild and clear and the outdoor location was wild and beautiful and there was a crapload of really good cheesecake and champagne, and I still keep stealing glances at my hand because I look so damn married now. We had a great few days in our cabins and finally got some alone-time when the grandparents took the kids out hiking, and are eagerly anticipating our overseas honeymoon in the spring.

Reality was a bit of a harsh comedown when we got back to a sick cat and a big pile of work but I haven't let go of the bridal buzz yet completely.

I haven't talked to my friend yet either but I'm gearing up to it. I want to think out all my points and try to be as fair as possible before I write her a letter.