Three years ago today Drew and I got married in a beautiful garden in Central Park. It rained continually for a week leading up to the big day, as well as the hours before the ceremony, and just when I thought we might have to move things indoors, the skies cleared, the sun came out, and we were blessed with a gorgeous wedding day. Even the temperature was delightfully cool for a late July morning in NYC, but ‘lest our crankier guests have nothing to complain about, we did make them stand for the duration of the 20-minute ceremony. We aim to please!
What I remember about that weekend is the evening before the wedding, having drinks with my out-of-town friends at the Edison hotel and knowing I could get married in a parking garage and I’d still be happy to have my favorite people all in one place. I remember sleeping in my sister’s hotel room and eating breakfast with her in the dining hall, thinking, “Today is my wedding day!” I remember my dad hailing a yellow cab and the two of us climbing in to ride to the park together, me clutching my self-made bouquet, as a group of tourists passed by, smiled and exclaimed, “Look! She’s getting married!”
I remember saying my vows and catching my breath for a second, my eyes filling with tears, as I thought, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.” I remember the rabbi wrapping Drew and me in Drew’s bar mitzvah talis as the cantor sang and the world spun around us and all I could focus on was him.
I remember the string trio playing “New York, New York” as Drew and I clasped hands and walked through the garden, past our family and friends, as husband and wife. And I remember the ride in our rented bus from the park to the lunch reception, looking out the window on Manhattan passing by and thinking how excited my younger self would be by all this.
After the reception, Drew and I walked the half mile back to our apartment, still in our wedding clothes, me still holding my bouquet. Cars honked, people cheered. The rain continued to hold off.
That night we had a party at our place, friends we’d known for decades and some just a few months piled into our one-bedroom apartment and spilled onto our rooftop (don’t tell our old landlord). We ate food catered by a good friend of ours and drank champagne for hours. I know it was fun because I woke up the next morning splayed on the couch in my cocktail dress with my contacts stuck to my eyeballs, which is how I usually gauge whether the previous evening was a success or not.
Here’s to many more anniversaries and many more memories. Much love to my Drew.
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soulja July 24, 2012, 1:04 pm
Cheers, Wendy!
Budj July 24, 2012, 1:06 pm
Awesome picture. Congrats.
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 3:29 pm
I predicted you’d say something along those lines. (We are practically soulmates when you think about it. It’s crazy.)
ktfran July 24, 2012, 1:06 pm
Congrats!
And can I just say adorable! Your picture and your wedding, from what you’ve written.
Clare July 24, 2012, 1:09 pm
Happy Anniversary!
Taylor July 24, 2012, 1:11 pm
Yay!! Happy story, happy picture!
Dont’ forget, for the 3rd wedding anniversary, the traditional gift is leather =)
katie July 24, 2012, 1:15 pm
aww yay!! love it.
XanderTaylor July 24, 2012, 1:22 pm
Congratulations! Many more!
Diablo July 24, 2012, 1:31 pm
Congrats, Wendy! In case you think it can’t get any better, it will!
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 2:11 pm
Unless it doesn’t. Dun dun dunnnnn.
[I dunno.]
Diablo July 24, 2012, 3:11 pm
Trust me, when it’s for real and for keeps, it keeps getting better.
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 3:30 pm
Man, now I want a lover.
Diablo July 24, 2012, 4:08 pm
“That” might not be the “it” that I meant. Not all of it, anyhow.
bethany July 24, 2012, 1:32 pm
Happy Anniversary! I hope you guys have a wonderful day!
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 1:37 pm
Happy Anniversary. Your personal stories are so appreciated – they really make the site for me.
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 2:08 pm
I thought the inappropriate tangents made the site? I’m hurt.
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 2:13 pm
Aereolas make the site. And you discussing your lunch everyday make the site. What did you have today?
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 2:16 pm
Two bowls of spaghetti, the second one I dumped in two spoonfuls of spicy humus and stirred it in the sauce and it was really good so I thought about getting a third bowl but thought, nah, I’ll just eat a salad of brie and cucumbers and tomatoes and crackers and to show my willpower I will walk past the cheesecake and cookies and take just one of each.
FML.
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 2:24 pm
Wow you’re having a really good day! Except spagetti is gross. And quit talking about hummus because I don’t know what that is. Is it cheese? Or a vegetable? I don’t know what brie is either. Am I missing out?
I know we’ve talked about this before but make your own salad is the SHIT! I always get equal proportions of lettuce and cucumbers as a base. Then top it with cherry tomatoes, cheese, chicken, ranch, and onions. Mmmmmm.
katie July 24, 2012, 2:52 pm
hummus is ground up chickpeas and whatever other flavors you want, ground to a smooth paste. think kind of gritty peanut butter, but not sweet.
katie July 24, 2012, 2:53 pm
and brie is a soft rinded cheese from france. and, according to one of my french chefs, the french keep all the awesome brie for themselves and they export all the shitty brie. so. theres that.
MissDre July 24, 2012, 2:56 pm
I LOVE brie cheese. Oh man it’s SOOOOOO good!
katie July 24, 2012, 2:59 pm
well apparently if you go to france you would love it even more! haha
i love the creme de brie. have you had that? i think its just the inside part of the brie. yum. you see, i hate cheese rinds.. so all i eat is the inside part anyway lol
tbrucemom July 24, 2012, 3:16 pm
I hate the cheese rind too and I’ve bought stuff that says creme de brie and it still had the rind, bummer. Anyway, my daughter has French foreign exchange students here for a visit and I bought brie and whatever brand I bought they loved and then we saw that it was made in France so I guess they really do make the best but thankfully you can get it here!
katie July 24, 2012, 3:24 pm
aw. the stuff that i got was in like a plastic container (shaped in a triangle like an actual peice of brie! ha!) and it was like a spread almost…
and im pretty sure my chef was just a pretentious french chef who thought everything in france was better. lol. im glad the exchange student you knew wasnt like that!
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 3:35 pm
i love brie. cold, warm. by itself, stuffed in something. on a plate, off the counter – fuck it, off the floor. i like it in the morning, at night. once i ate it while i was going potty and i thought i may have crossed the line. may have.
katie July 24, 2012, 3:38 pm
its ok, i dont think the brie knows how it gets consumed. i think its just happy its being eaten. or, maybe it wants to live? maybe eating it on the potty added insult to an already sad death?
i dunno.
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 3:41 pm
I’ve drank water while peeing before. I thought I was the only one. I think I was hungover.
Kristen July 24, 2012, 3:44 pm
Baked brie and wine is amazing. Especially for breakfast 😉
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 3:43 pm
I probably wouldn’t like brie then. Or hummus. I’m weird about textures. It sounds like guac – which I can’t eat because of the grainy-ness.
katie July 24, 2012, 3:45 pm
well, i always think you should try everything once. but yea, the texture is something that is a con for me as well.. and then the chickpea taste. even though its a background taste (whatever it is flavored with will come through a lot stronger), i still taste it and i dont like chickpeas, so. i dont like hummus. ive tried, i just dont. lol
why wouldnt you like brie? do you not like cheese?
MissDre July 24, 2012, 3:54 pm
I love hummus too. And tabbouleh. I think I need to hit up the shawarma place on my way home from work now.
painted_lady July 24, 2012, 1:46 pm
What a happy story! Happy anniversary, Wendy and Drew! Also, that picture is the sweetest.
cporoski July 24, 2012, 1:51 pm
This was lovely writing
chicotia July 24, 2012, 1:56 pm
Happy anniversary Wendy and Drew! I remember reading about your engagement and wedding back on your old site 🙂
Wendy July 24, 2012, 2:34 pm
Thanks! I’m always happy to find a former City Wendy reader.
Lianne July 24, 2012, 2:05 pm
What a wonderfully worded description of such a beautiful-sounding day. Happy Anniversary!
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 2:09 pm
Happy anniversary, Wew! (That’s your new celebrity couple name.)
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 2:13 pm
What about Drendy? Kinda like trendy. Way better.
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 2:19 pm
Stop smoking crack. Wew is way better.
Christy July 24, 2012, 8:30 pm
Remember when Jackson was Baby Wendrew? I still like that one.
Leroy July 24, 2012, 10:58 pm
Wendrew is better – sorry Addie.
If they were WASPS, or show dogs, I’d go with Drewdy Wendell Atte boy Jackson
McLovin July 25, 2012, 1:32 pm
How about, *Drew-Nizzle-whose-girl-is-the-Shizzle?* I mean, it rhymes, and I’m pretty sure Snoop Dogg hasn’t used that phrase yet so it’s still available.
landygirl July 24, 2012, 2:19 pm
Bon Anniversare!!!
MissDre July 24, 2012, 2:25 pm
Awww I nearly cried.
GatorGirl July 24, 2012, 2:30 pm
Beautiful Wendy. Wishing you many many more happy years.
Tracey July 24, 2012, 2:52 pm
Happy anniversary and much love to you and the family. Cheers!
LolaBeans July 24, 2012, 2:57 pm
Happy Anniversary wendy and drew!!!
Fabelle July 24, 2012, 2:57 pm
Aw, I love, love, love that picture. Happy anniversary 🙂
mandalee July 24, 2012, 3:05 pm
Happy Anniversary Wendy and Drew!! Your wedding sounded amazing, and your personal take, as usual, really tugs at the heart strings!
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 3:08 pm
They go by Wew. Help me get that started.
mandalee July 24, 2012, 5:17 pm
Whoops, I mean Wew! lol
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 5:21 pm
Stop trying to make “fetch” happen. It’s not happening.
ktfran July 24, 2012, 5:43 pm
I love that movie.
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 6:53 pm
me too!
ktfran July 24, 2012, 4:07 pm
Right? The way Wendy described her wedding is exactly what I want some day, if I ever meet “the one.” A lovely, sweet ceremony followed by an awesome party with the people you love.
mandalee July 24, 2012, 5:19 pm
Take it from someone who did the big, family too involved wedding, Wendy’s not only sounds better, it IS better. I love it so much I wish I could go back and do something similar.
Caris July 24, 2012, 3:24 pm
Happy Anniversary 😀 !!!
I can’t believe it’s already been 3 years?! That means I’ve been reading DW for more than 3 years ! :O
Shell July 24, 2012, 3:24 pm
Happy anniversary Wendy! Love this picture and your memory!
Kristen July 24, 2012, 3:31 pm
Happy anniversary! I hope you have a beautiful day. I just got married on the 14th, and I’m looking forward to it getting sweeter every year.
Addie Pray July 24, 2012, 6:55 pm
Congrats, Kristen! Gosh, it seems like just yesterday you were talking about how you had been dating your boyfriend forever, then a few hours later you were engaged, and a few seconds later (now) you’re married! Time flies … when you’re on this end of the internet watching. I’m sure for you it felt like for.ever.
Kristen July 25, 2012, 12:01 am
It did feel like forever! And crazy fast all at the same time. If that even makes sense, haha. Four-month engagements are not for the faint-hearted 😉
rachel July 24, 2012, 7:03 pm
Congratulations Kristen! I saw that you had changed your icon earlier and was going to say something, but then got paranoid that there was like, a different Kristen or something.
Kristen July 25, 2012, 12:00 am
Thanks, guys!! I’m so glad all the hectic planning is over so I can get back to posting on DW again 🙂
jlyfsh July 25, 2012, 7:57 am
how was your honeymoon??? did you love charleston??
jlyfsh July 25, 2012, 7:58 am
and congrats! 🙂
Wendy July 24, 2012, 2:35 pm
Thanks, everyone!
rachel July 24, 2012, 3:47 pm
Happy anniversary! Beautiful writing (and picture) as always!
Kristina July 24, 2012, 3:57 pm
Aww, I love Love.
Moneypenny July 24, 2012, 4:40 pm
Happy Anniversary! I love your writing! And super cute photo of you two!
Marta July 24, 2012, 5:06 pm
Happy Anniversary! I hope Drew makes a “Good Luck, Everyone” to mark the occasion! 🙂 Your memories are so sweet and sent me down my own rabbit hole of wedding day memories. Enough to make this pregnant (again) lady shed a tear or two. I love your personal writings – miss the old blog!
Eljay July 24, 2012, 5:08 pm
I’m so late to the party, but just had to say happy anniversary! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us all. It makes me hopeful that true love really does exist! What a beautiful family.
Desiree July 24, 2012, 5:24 pm
Happy anniversary!!! That is such a great picture, and you are a beautiful bride.
jlyfsh July 24, 2012, 5:44 pm
Happy Anniversary, Wendy and Drew! Lovely picture and lovely couple. Wish you many more happy years to come!!
iwannatalktosampson July 24, 2012, 6:24 pm
P.S. Wendy – how do you manage to achieve that sun kissed glowing look as opposed to sweaty and disgusting. I have never figured out how to master that.
Wendy July 24, 2012, 6:31 pm
Easy! I don’t post the pictures where I look sweaty and disgusting.
ReginaRey July 24, 2012, 8:27 pm
Happy Anniversary, Wendy and Drew!! There are a select few couples who really inspire me when it comes to marriage, and you two are definitely one of them. I hope one day I can have something as awesome and strong as you guys seem to have!
McLovin July 24, 2012, 10:34 pm
Congrats. So, did Drew keep the beard or what?
Wendy July 25, 2012, 9:14 am
It’s still around. He bought a beard trimmer and keeps it short.
McLovin July 25, 2012, 7:36 pm
Right on! My man, Drew-beard-ski.
Amanda July 25, 2012, 10:43 am
Happy Anniversary Wendy and Drew! I am getting married in 10 days and I hope that my wedding is half as lovely as yours. Congratulations!