Exactly one year

ago today, Ethan got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was honestly one of the happiest days of my life. Man how time has flown!!!

Since that beautiful day in Charlotte, NC (the place my ring is named after), a lot has happened. Not only did my last name legally change, but I literally packed up my life and my business and moved across the country. Not to mention we are planning a marriage celebration that is right around the corner. This year, I’ve taken a lot of leaps of faith. There are so many lessons that I have learned about myself, love, faith and life in general, but in the spirit of not making this one if the longest blogs in SSP history, I’ll name the top 3 lessons I’ve learned since embarking on this new journey in my life:

3. Be unapologetically and gracefully YOU.

When it comes to any decisions you make, no matter how big or how small, someone will always have an opinion. They will not hesitate to tell you why they think you’re making the biggest mistake of your life or criticize the way you choose to live your life. Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t listen to wise counsel, however comma, what I AM saying is that not everyone’s counsel is wise. Over the course of this past year, I have had so many opinions and pieces of unsolicited advice come my way.  And while I have listened to my own circle of wise counsel, I’ve also become more comfortable standing up for myself when it counts the most….and I’ve done it with a smile. Not everyone is going to like the decisions I make. Not everyone will understand why Ethan and I make every single decision as a team. And you know what? That’s totally ok. Because they are OUR decisions to make. Don’t ever be afraid to make the decisions that are best for you and your house…even if everyone else doesn’t quite get it.

2. Be able to live after the party.

I may be totally alone in this viewpoint, but as beautiful as they are and as AMAZINGLY unforgettable they are, I’ve always viewed a wedding as something similar to a play. You have your two main characters and the support cast and on the day of the one-night only production, everyone gets into their costumes, follow their cues and say their lines before an audience. Everyone cheers and celebrates at the end and then everyone goes home. But when the curtains go down and everyone goes home, you must be able to LIVE afterwards. As a wedding photographer, I somewhat know how expensive weddings can be. But as a bride?? Chile listen….those numbers can add up. REAL QUICK. Early on in our planning process, Ethan and I decided that even though we want to have a beautiful celebration and enjoy our friends and families, this wedding?? It’s is just a party. And while we will have a really nice party, it is still JUST a party and we need to be able to LIVE after said party is done. When you’re planning, it’s so easy to get caught up in the pomp and circumstance.  A word of advice? DON’T. Plan the day of your dreams and make it everything you want it to be. Just remember, that day will come and go and life will begin.

1. Let go. Let God. 

Whether it is the wedding planning process or just living life day by day, there are going to be times throughout life where things aren’t going to go as planned. Now I don’t know about you, but when things don’t go according to my plan, I stress. I’ve learned over this year in many different situations that when things don’t go my way, that is not the time to stress. It is the time to celebrate because I know my life isn’t in my hands, it’s in His hands and if He’s changing up “the plan,” then He must have something greater in mind. Saying yes to a proposal from the man you love is the easy part. But when you get knee-deep into planning….when you’re spending your days looking a dress, picking vendors and are up to your eyeballs with decorations…it can be stressful. I totally get it. So when you find yourself in those moments where you feel your heart beating out of your chest or you’re simply not being yourself, be still. Know that God is in control. So things aren’t going the way you planned? That’s cool. Don’t stress. Celebrate. It means something better is coming your way. 🙂

Looking back over the past 365 days, I can’t believe all that has happened. It’s been a lot of ups, downs, leaps of faith and an adventure to the say the least. I’m grateful for the growth I’ve experienced and I’m excited to own my truth.  I can’t wait to see where God is going to take us next.

Cheers to Team Harris. 🙂