I'm getting married Tuesday!

[lady raven]

We have been engaged for 3 years and for various reasons kept having to delay our wedding. We conceived twins on what was supposed to be our wedding day in 2007. Now we are finally doing it. Instead of modifying our date so such- and- such can be there, etc. we are eloping! We picked somewhere beautiful and we are taking the kids there next week and finally tying the knot! We have decided to do the family and church thing as a vow renewal on our first anniversary. We have told the family members who matter most (our parents, grandparents, siblings) and there aren't any hard feelings about it. It's FINALLY going to happen.

I'm stressed over preparing for the trip, but so relieved I'm not dealing with WEDDING stress.

I'm FINALLY marrying my best friend, the man I should have married in the first place.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent my excitement!

Raven

[laylah]

1. Congratulations!

May your lives be full of love, joy, happiness, and blessings!

[Callalily]

2. Congratulations!

Life is to be fortified by many friendships.
To love, and to be loved, is the greatest
happiness of existence.
-- Sydney Smith

[Captain Hilts]

3. Other people's weddings are fun. Not your own! So,don't have one! Well done!

[lady raven]

4. Thanks, everybody!

For privacy reasons, I'm not going to give details until after, but we have something really cool and memorable planned. I'll post all about it after the fact

It's not just the wedding that has me excited. I've been married twice before- Both to abusive (#1 was physical, #2 was emotional) guys whom I hadn't known for all that long before we started dating.
While I didn't provoke the abuse, I own the fact that I used poor judgment in the decision to marry them (although I got a wonderful son out of marriage #2, so I don't entirely regret it). This time is different. He's been my best friend for 12 years. We have lived together for 3 and already have kids together. He's raising my 9 year old as his own and he's a fantastic father to all three. I know him well and he treats me wonderfully and is the father I would choose for my kids if asked to choose the perfect dad for them.

This time I KNOW what I'm getting into and there are no qualms. I had cold feet the first two times. NONE this time. My first two husbands held me back- They wouldn't let me work (#1), hang out with friends (both) or family (both), or go to school (#2). My husband to be has given me the courage to go back to school and graduate and he encourages me in everything I do. I try to give him as much as he gives me and I hope that I am.

We have been calling each other husband and wife for a couple of years now. Now I'm so excited that it'll finally be official!

[ThomCat]

5. Congratulations!

[ccharles000]

6. Congratulations

[old mark]

7. That's wonderful. We had a non-ceremony to actually get married,

just the two of us. Her parents gave us a giant reception several months later as a gift. I was more nervous at the reception.

We have lasted over 16 years so far.

All the best for all of you.

mark

[seemunkee]

8. Congratulations

May you have many years of happiness together.

[hippywife]

9. You sound so incredibly happy!

Congratulations. Enjoy your trip.

[handmade34]

10. Congratulations!

[Deja Q]

11. Congrats!!

[Strong Atheist]

12. Congrats!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. Congratulations and best wishes for many more happy years

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Congrats! *hugs*

[fizzgig]

15. congratulations!

i wish you many years of happiness together.

i'm getting married in a few months and am starting to wish we'd just eloped instead

[applegrove]

16. So happy for you!

[proteus_lives]

17. Congrats!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. My dear lady raven!

Oh, I really wish you two all the very best, always!

I think you're making a very wise decision, both in your wedding plans, and in your choice of a life partner...

Blessings on all of you!

Congratulations!

[femmocrat]

19. Congratulations, Raven!

It sounds very romantic! Wishing you all the very best.

[NJmaverick]

20. Congrats

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

21. Sounds marvelous!

Congratulations and good luck to you all.

[Vidar]

22. Congratulations, Hope it goes well.

[mwooldri]

23. Neat! Congratulations!

My parents thought I should have eloped in 1998 but nope, we had a church wedding in 1999 and they were invited... but still... you have involved your family and somehow you're going to do it, if there were family members who really wanted to be there, they'd tag along with you (well separate hotel rooms, etc... but be there as witnesses) but the church blessing a year later with family etc sounds great.

Plus... sounds like to me you were already married anyway in reality... just getting the paperwork and the celebration around it.

Again *bounce* congratulations!

Mark.

[JitterbugPerfume]

24. congratulations

I wish you love and many happy years together

[NewJeffCT]

25. congratulations

best wishes for many years of marital bliss!

[UrbScotty]

26. Good for you! Congratulations!