5 years wedding day celebration

     This July 12th marked the date of our 5 year wedding anniversary for my hubby and I.

      We met in Los Angeles, almost 7 years ago and got married after 2 years of dating. It's crazy how time flies by. I still remember saying I "do" and reading my vows to him in front of our 30 guests. We definitely had a California wedding; laid back, elegant and beach themed.

      It was a simple but elegant non-drama wedding with only close guests invited. I always wanted a beach or beach view wedding and at the time we were both living in California. We initially thought of getting married in Malibu but prices were outrageous, especially for what you were getting. So we decided to look south, in Orange County. We started exploring beach location possibilities and thought of Laguna beach, which is a more exquisite beach than Malibu, although more secluded and out of the way.

      We stumbled upon Dana Point and found our dream location. The Marriott hotel there was overlooking the beach and had breathtaking views while being reasonable priced. The hotel was bordered by a lush park where we eventually held our ceremony overlooking the ocean. Guests then walked to the hotel for the reception.

       Fast forward 5 years and here we are in Manhattan celebrating the anniversary. I never in a million years would have thought I would end up here. It was definitely an aspiration but packing up your entire life and venturing into the unknown is definitely scary and a lot of work and investment. For our special day, we kept it pretty simple and fun. We went to a French bakery in the morning located in Times Square and walked to SoHo to a romantic Lebanese restaurant. We then went over to Central Park for a romantic stroll and discovery of Belvedere Castle and ended the day with home made Alaskan rolls.

       New York was definitely the dream location to celebrate this small but meaningful stage.

       But going back to wedding talk, time goes by fast and my biggest advice to future newlyweds planning their wedding is to not overstress and obsess over details for the big day. The actual wedding day will go by so fast that you will regret not having enjoyed the process and spending so much time on an aspect that guests will not necessarily notice. It is about you the bride yes, but it is also about the groom, and love of course. I have personally seen couples break up a few days before the wedding because of a complete obsession with perfection. This only ended in a bitter separation and 60,000 dollars of debt. But even if you don't break up, you don't want to bring any negativity and tension into the new marriage along with crazy amount of the credit card debt for one day.

Do you have any wedding 'horror' or gone wrong story to share?

First Day in the big city

        I've always wanted to come to New York City, not just as a tourist but as a future local and proud New Yorker.

          There's just something about the famous concrete jungle that makes you feel special. As you look up towards what seems to be never ending sky scrapers, you can't help but feel incredibly small yet incredibly powerful. You're here, you've already accomplished a little something.

                                                      I'm a big city girl, definitely.

           When I first moved from France to the US, I had already lived in Montreal, Canada for a year and then relocated to Los Angeles, where I lived for 7 years.

           But I got burned out on the city of Angels and was seeking meaning and something different. So I moved to Tallahassee, FL for 1 year to pursue my Master's degree and try something new.

           I wanted to try to live in a smaller Southern city and experience the homeliness and warmth of the South. While there were many things I enjoyed about living there, I couldn't help feeling that it wasn't who I was and who I could be. I'm a big city kind of girl.

            Don't get me wrong, there are many perks of living in a smaller city like the little traffic, genuine nice people, cost of living, housing and affordability in general. I still can't believe that I paid $850 per month for a 4 bedroom townhouse!!!!

              In NY, $850 would not even get you a utility room. I don't even want to know what a town home would cost here! But a big city also means opportunities, choices, and selection. It feels like possibilities are endless on every level: shopping, dining, jobs, traveling, commuting, hobbies etc...

              And the fashion!!! So much possibility. You don't have to be afraid of who you want to be, whether you're stuck in the 80s, goth, rocker, into Harajuku, casual, business like etc... It doesn't matter, the city is full of unique characters and nothing seems to be too odd or out of the norms here.

              Did I mention I saw Minnie and Mickey holding hands and walking into a bar?? Yep. Both in character costumes to entertain tourists and an actual couple I n their time off, true to the cartoons we all love. Oh why, didn't I take a picture?????

In the end, on my first day here I couldn't help but hum:

"Start spreadin' the news, I'm leavin' today, I want to be a part of it
New York, New York
[...]
If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere
It's up to you, New York..New York"

Zei

How about you? Are you a big city or small city kind of person. Why?