April 25, 2025 • 36 mins
Send me a message or any questions!
Part two of what should be called "A Few Drinks In", Amanda reflects on her wedding day eight years later, sharing intimate details and offering wisdom for couples on maintaining their connection through life's challenges.
• The ceremony and vows were the most special moments, creating an intimate connection while being surrounded by loved ones
• The unity box included a private note for their daughter, creating a meaningful connection between their wedding and their child's future
• Using her parents' wedding song for the father-daughter dance created a profound connection with Amanda's late father
• DIY elements and personal touches reflected both families' cultures and personalities
• Family support was evident as both sides had already bonded through their daughter before the wedding
• Staying present and intentional about observing special moments helped create lasting memories
• Regular date nights are essential for maintaining connection after children, careers, and other responsibilities
• Tito's advice: "Continue to water your tree of marriage - even if the tree gives you fruit, you still need to water it"
Thank you for sharing the podcast with others who may enjoy it! Share your funny wedding stories with me at theweddingwherepodcast@gmail.com. Any links referenced are on linktree.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amanda (00:04):
Welcome to the Wedding Where with officiating by Amanda
.
Welcome back to the Weddingwhere we are picking up with the
(00:33):
interview with my bride, Amanda, and all of her insights from
the wedding.
This is part two, so if youmissed part one, go back and
listen to that.
You'll also want to listen tothe wedding where I cried for
some additional context and I'mvery pleased to say that the
next few episodes are also basedon this wedding, so let's get
into it.
So here I'll let you get alittle more sip of drink.
(00:54):
So we're going to transitioninto the wedding world.
Perfect, put your head eightyears back the day.
I don't know if my audio fileautomatically triggers out
gulping, but I'll have to changethat.
Little cheers of the Helen'smelon.
Yeah, oh, I love it.
By the way, it's delicious.
(01:15):
It really does give me vibesback to like the 90s childhood,
and you'll know this.
The cucumber melon bath andbody works.
Cucumber melon bath and bodyworks.
It feels it.
Yep, that was top notch, righton par.
So, looking back on your weddingday, what stands out as your
favorite part?
Oh, I mean hands down, theceremony and the vows.
(01:38):
Hands down, I mean, that wasjust I.
I mean the.
The rest of it was just icingon the cake, but that was, hands
down, so special, so intimate,just the fondest.
You know, I look back with thefondest memories of that just
standing and I mean looking outand seeing everybody there to
(02:02):
support us.
And looking out and seeingeverybody there to support us,
and you know, you're looking,you see all of these people come
together for us and yet, likeit's just, it felt like the two
of us at the same time.
You know what I mean and I don'tknow if you have it for a
little bit later on, but I'll,with your unity box, yep, that
you guys had the note for yourdaughter in there and what I
(02:23):
love was that that was somethingso personal and private.
You didn't read that out, no,just in my heart of hearts,
knowing that that note exists,yeah, and that it's there for
her, yes, oh, yeah, that thatwas glorious.
I felt like I'm in on thisinside, yes, inside little thing
, yeah, but the end, I knownothing, right, right, you guys
(02:45):
know, yeah, and that I alwaysrecommend for couples to try and
find something.
Whether it's an inside joke,yes, sneak in.
Whether it's a special pin, alook and anything that, because
there's so much of the day thatyou are sharing with everybody
else.
Yes, so to have something thatreally truly is not for public
(03:06):
consumption and it's just for us, just for you, yes, and for you
guys.
I loved that.
That was the note for yourdaughter yes, yep, that was so
special and hopefully I didn'tsteal it.
But what's the one smallerpersonal touch you included that
means the most to you, becauseI share what means the most to
me.
Right, right, right, right, no,and and that I mean absolutely
(03:27):
is is up there.
I think for me and I don't knowif you remember the details to
this, but, as you know, a bigpart of our wedding was wanting
to include the ones that havepassed on, I mean, especially,
you know, my dad being that hewasn't there to walk me down the
aisle, and so we had decided ona father-daughter dance, and I
(03:50):
don't know if you remember, butthe actual song was my mom and
dad's wedding song.
I didn't know that.
Yes, so that was their weddingsong, and so we used that as the
father-daughter dance and Ijust got to sit down, and that
was my choice.
I decided that I wanted to sitdown and I wanted to watch.
You know the dads, your husbanddance with your daughter yes,
(04:13):
my husband dance with mydaughter, and all the other
fathers dancing with theirdaughters.
And I just sat and I watchedand I took it all in and I cried
and it was just so special.
We all cried, we all did Many,many times.
Not a dry eye, yeah, at yourwedding, yes, yeah, and the
episodes out and everything,yeah.
So the wedding where I criedit's all yours, all yours.
(04:37):
I love it.
If you could relive five minuteswithin your wedding day, when
would you?
When would would you go to?
I would just go back to the endof the aisle looking into tito's
eyes and he was sweatingbuckets.
Yes, he was sweating bullets,so nervous and, like I said,
(04:58):
just feeling like it was justthe two of us.
Here we go well, and we hadtalked.
Yeah for recording us.
You guys have a unique storywhere, in outside of your first
couple months of being togetheras a couple right, it wasn't
ever the two of you, so the factthat in that moment it was out
bits of the ceremony, you couldget that it's just the two of us
(05:18):
, because it hasn't been beforeexactly, and I think back on
that often, just just standingand looking into each other's
eyes and, like you know, likeyou said, just for the five
minutes, it was just the two ofus and you know everybody was
was there and everybody wassupporting us, but but it was
just the two of us.
I know it felt like fiveminutes to you, but I think you
(05:39):
actually had closer to a 20minute ceremony and then I
realized that that there were,you know, a hundred people
sitting there watching us, butbut no it, yeah, just for a
couple of minutes, it was justthe two of us.
Was there any moment duringyour wedding day?
That took you by surprise?
Good, bad, or just like, oh,that wasn't the plan, so not
(06:03):
really to be honest with you,and so not really to be honest
with you, and not that I I meannot that this came as a surprise
to me, but it just.
It was not a surprise, but itwas just to see, to see
(06:23):
everybody coming together.
It was just like, wow, you knowwhat I mean, we do have so much
support, and to see it all inone place, I think was just like
, again, not a shock, but it wasjust like a pleasant surprise
and the fact that there was nodrama at the wedding.
You know what I mean.
I don't know what I expected.
I don't think I expected thereto be drama, but usually at
(06:46):
least behind the scenes there'sa little bit of drama.
I mean, there was no drama, itwas just all fun, it was all you
know, it was all love andsupport.
And you know, part I guess partof me was just like wow, that
was so much easier than Ithought it would have been.
You know what I mean.
And especially when you'd had,you know, so much in the
(07:07):
planning, I'm like, oh, we haveto get to that guest list.
So from being able to bringforward the name on a list that
made a cut, made a decision, toan actual manifestation of a
human yeah, it's like I knewthey were coming, I knew I
wanted them here, I invited them, I knew that they were, they
said they were coming, but toactually physically see them
(07:28):
here, holy cow, exactly, it'sthat it finally all comes in a
circle.
Yes, exactly, yep, if you couldchange one thing about the
wedding and again, it doesn'thave to be because something
went wrong about it, but justchange one thing yeah, what
would you change?
So I would have definitelytaken ibuprofen?
I did.
(07:50):
This is not a sponsored video,right, I did.
You know, when we were gettingready, up in the loft, I did
have a glass of wine or two onan empty stomach and I think I
just I should.
You know what I mean.
I should have had a littlesomething in my stomach.
The nurse in you now thinksthat you should have, yes, yes,
(08:11):
been a little more pro-active,but that was that's pretty much
the only thing I mean.
Looking back, I ended the nightwith like a killer headache.
You know, I ended your weddingwith a killer headache.
I think there were quite a fewheadaches that we had Jolly
rancher on tap, exactly.
That's all we have to say aboutthat.
But yeah, just being a littlemore proactive about taking care
(08:36):
of things beforehand, but thephysical wedding itself, I
wouldn't have changed a thing.
I make it a rule that you arenot allowed to say me so what
was your favorite vendor orservice and why would you
recommend them?
Well, there goes my answer.
Sorry, amanda Wall.
No, so honestly, we didn't havevendors.
(09:00):
Our wedding was Hair and makeup.
You had people.
We did.
We did Exactly.
We had people.
We did right.
We, we did exactly.
We had people we had one of ourclose friends doing hair and
makeup.
We had the venue itself catered, so we had half of the food
catered by them and then theother half was brought in by our
family, which was so sweet.
(09:22):
Other than that, though, I'm,we really didn't have.
Maybe, looking back, maybe wewould have added like a you know
what I mean, like a littlecoffee truck or something like
that, but you guys again,walking in, and maybe this is a
testament to the venue, it looksseamless, like you never would
(09:42):
have been able to convince methat it was.
You know, oh, hey, we just havea couple of, you know, friends
provided this, or people werecalled upon to do this, because
and that's really what it was,you really again, it was
beautifully executed, thank you,you wouldn't have known, thank
you.
I appreciate that and seriously, that speaks to, I mean, the
kind of support that we have andthe kind of friends and family
(10:04):
that we have, because, truly, Imean, they set up, we did all of
the decorations ourselves.
You know the venue took care ofthe catering.
You know what I mean, and Imean so, really, I even liked
when they closed the bar.
So I didn't like when theyclosed the bar, right, but from
(10:26):
a, I'm already three jollyranchers in and we need to save
some for the rest of us.
Plus, food will be served soon.
Right, it was very, very smart.
Yes, they did a really good job, I think.
And just, I don't know if theylike tapped you throughout and
said, hey, you know, we seekyour permission, we're gonna do
this.
Or they just were like, we'redoing, like it's done, it set,
don't you worry about it.
Yeah, no, I think that was moreso.
(10:47):
I think they just sort of, yeah, exactly, and I know some
brides absolutely love that Like, let go and let God, like let
the venue do what I'm paying youfor, yes, and there's others
who are like like, ooh, I reallywant my hand in this, I want to
(11:07):
be consulted, I want to be likejust checked in with.
So there's always that little.
Where does it play in?
Right?
I'm sort of like, you know, Ileave it up to the people that
know what they're doing, becauseI certainly didn't know what I
was doing and I had full trustin you and the venue, and you
know, like you said, and thevenue, and you know, like you
(11:28):
said, I think everything waspretty seamless and I mean,
everybody just came together anddid their little part and it
just, yeah, it really did cometogether.
Yours was one of the firstweddings, if not the first, that
I did a blessing for thereception.
Yes, all the more that there'sa future episode you should
listen on on why you should notfly your ministers with alcohol
(11:51):
and then throw blessings at them.
But because a lot of times, ifpeople are asking for blessings
yeah, a reception they've gonewith a more religious ceremony
to begin with.
Therefore, they're notnecessarily in my realm or
sphere.
So it was just a really, reallygreat honor to be able to be up
there and I had mentioned, Ithink as well I say I think I
(12:16):
don't know for sure Coupledrinks in Couple drinks in story
of this podcast that I shared.
I also was out there looking inthe world.
Yes, how do you pick the rightperson when, right, every day,
there's a lot of new picks andnone of them seem kind of great?
Yeah, I did a wedding that wasHarry Potter themed A few after
years, a few years.
(12:36):
Okay, and I equate it to theGoblet of Fire.
You know it's out matches, yes.
Online dating yes, fire, youknow it's out.
Matches, yeah.
Online dating, yes.
And how do you find the rightperson when none of them are
great, right, like, do you justpick right, next best right, or
do you wait?
Yeah, well, you didn't have towait for anything, but I didn't.
(12:56):
I mean, you and dito story, wedidn't wait, we didn't wait, we
didn't wait for anything, wewent speed ahead, but I wouldn't
change a thing.
Speaking of the wonderful Tito,how did you and him incorporate
(13:19):
your personalities into the day?
You know the intimacy from theceremony and then adding in
little funny, you know, bitsthroughout.
I think that totally representsour relationship and our
personalities.
And then just including, like Isaid, foods from our different
cultures and backgrounds, makingfamily so key, right, exactly.
(13:44):
And you know, just just alittle like, we had our
signature drink, jolly Rancher.
I looked up how to make itafter that.
Yes, yeah, and it's pretty easy.
Yeah, I believe we've had it acouple of times since then.
It was the drink of choice atthe New Year's, the year that
you got married.
I made it, I love it.
I love this, yes, yes, itreminds me of it.
(14:08):
Oh, actually it really does.
The melon, yes, because it's amelon liqueur, right, and then
it's like apple schnapps andcranberry juice or something yes
, cranberry juice.
So it's a little bitter and alittle sweet.
Yep, flash, yep, flashbacks toNam, I know.
But yeah, just, you know, justthe food, the drinks, the music,
(14:30):
I just think it was a littlebit of him, a little bit of me
and you know, and, like I said,our families all brought in a
little something from their endand it just all came together
and it represented us and ourfamilies and how important
family is to us.
Yeah, yeah, I wanted to let youget a good drink in there
before I asked what was the mostemotional moment for you?
(14:54):
So, definitely the little nodsto our loved ones that couldn't
be with us, specifically thefather-daughter dance.
I just let myself have thatmoment and, yeah, I let myself
feel and no shame moment.
(15:14):
And, yeah, I let myself feeland no shame during the ceremony
, when you added in a quote thatmy dad had written.
Yeah, have you looked back onit since?
I have, because I have, and Icry every time because when I
pulled it up again, I almosthave it memorized.
Yeah, because I I think aboutit a lot often, but pulling it
back up and reading it.
I almost didn't get through therecording, I know Without I
(15:34):
know Getting emotional, which Iknow and like I just look at
that as such a kismet momentthat you found it.
When you found it, yes, and itcame about.
Yes, the words were so fittingthey were, you couldn't have
written it any better in themoment.
(15:54):
It's like he knew it's.
He knew he 20 years prior.
I think you'd said the quotehad been written because it was
in a book for his friend.
Yes, and wow, oh, glass.
Yes, and it was if it.
It was as if he kind of yep,because if you'd had a little
boy instead of a little girl, itwould have been the same, I
(16:15):
know it just was as if he wasthere talking from beyond, and
we so rarely get those moments.
Yeah, exactly, and you got oneof them.
We did, and I am so fortunateto have been able to give those
words life and to have been apart of that, because we don't
get those.
(16:36):
We don't.
I don't quite know how we youknow auto-quote or caption sobs
on a podcast, but we'll get itgood.
We'll get it good and, forthose that are wondering, I
highly recommend that I will notbe saying the quote again right
now because I was notintoxicated the first time I
said them and I will not beintoxicated the second.
(16:57):
Please listen to the previousrecording for the amazing words,
absolutely, that we found fromAmanda's dad that we were able
to put into the wedding.
And I, recently I was at an expoyounger couple, probably 20, 21
, very young, and they'retalking about like a 20, 28
(17:22):
wedding.
They want to save up money,they want to have some time, and
the bride mentioned that heraunt is not doing well and most
terminal.
And I immediately thought doingwell, okay, and most terminal,
sure, and I immediately thoughtokay, yeah, see, if your aunt
has a brooch, a piece of jewelry, something that if you're not
going to move the wedding to fither, I would never ask anybody
(17:45):
to do.
Exactly, you need to work onyour own life and your own
children.
Absolutely your own life andyour own children.
Absolutely.
See if there's pieces that shecurrently has that at least then
she knows upon passing, you arecarrying into her wedding day.
Yes, my grandmother would havenever thought of that, right,
that you know her.
Right, my cousin and I bothhave bits of her jewelry that we
(18:06):
put on our birthdays, right,right, but you make sure she
knows that, yes, if you knowthat is so special, if you know
what you know, you make sure sheknows, yes, that this is
getting carried forward.
And right, get a quote.
Yeah, get something in writing.
Yeah, ask her to just dosomething as simple as define
love, yep, and, and hang on toit.
(18:28):
Yeah, take it and run with itand put it into a wedding
ceremony, write it in your kid'sbaby book, write it down, do
things with it.
Yes, because that is thegreatest gift that we can have.
It is as I told you at thepodcast.
I'll hold this, even the wholeunedited portions, in perpetuity
.
Right, and should there be aday where your kids want this,
(18:51):
absolutely, we've got it.
I love it.
We've got it.
I love it.
Okay, oh, yeah, oh.
First one I cried at again.
The first one I did was for adear, dear friend.
I did not cry, I was morestressed and frustrated.
Right, right, yours is thefirst one I cried at, and and
you weren't, yeah, you weren'talone, probably.
(19:13):
The second one was a sororitysister who, throughout college,
I'd watched her, you know, yeah,for the bad guy, yes, the
heartache and her.
See, why am I?
When?
When is it going to be my turn?
Yeah, and I married her to thelove of her life, yes, yes.
And then, if you want a fullcircle moment here, she did a
(19:34):
reading at my wedding, okay.
And she comes up to me at thereception and says I'm drinking
water, and I go, oh, stop it,honey, stop it.
I'm at a baby shower next month.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Again, those full circlemoments I love.
So again, I'll be back hereagain, I love it.
And the fact that you were abride that I didn't even think I
(19:55):
would do this at all with mylife, I know.
And now here you are, I know,on my podcast.
I love it, I'm so excited foryou.
We're like dead.
Oh, I love it.
And cheers to that too, youknow, congratulations, polish,
(20:16):
that, polish, that polish, thatone down, cheers to that.
I only have to pack a housetonight's wine, no biggie.
So, as we, we take a moment,yeah, ourselves, from some
really great and deeply feltemotions yes, you talked a
little about this before, about,you know, kind of those moments
, key with tito, of like, wow,it's just the two of us, right,
and that you, you know, sat outfor the father-daughter dance to
(20:37):
really soak that in.
Were there other moments of theday that you really wanted to
make sure that you stayedpresent for, and that you were
like ha, like click.
This is a memory, right?
And how did you find the timeto do that?
Right, right, right, and howdid you find the time to do that
, right?
Right, I do like I am, I think,by nature, a sentimental person
(20:58):
, and I do, I think, just fromgoing through the things that
I've been through, I do oftenfind myself reminding myself to
take those moments, to sit backand just take it all in.
Take in every feeling, everysmell, every you know what I
mean.
Just take it all in, even ifjust for a minute, and just
(21:22):
breathe it in and make itintentional to remember it going
forward.
But I do remember, you know,the moment, standing looking
into Tito's eyes and just beingintentional about looking at him
and just not thinking aboutanything else that was going on.
I remember a moment in time wewere they had us sitting at the
(21:46):
front of the venue and it was,you know, the sweetheart table,
or whatever they call it and Ijust, yeah, that's a good
backdrop.
Yeah, that's a really nicebackdrop, thank you, that was
DIY as well, of course.
I mean everything was DIY.
But and just sitting and justbeing able to have that view of
all of the tables laid out andall of our family members
(22:08):
gathered around and and, like Isaid, we come from two very
different backgrounds and justto see everybody getting along,
I mean it sounds like a fairytale, but I mean truly everybody
gets along in our families.
You know what I meanEverybody's come together and
(22:28):
just to be able to sit and lookout amongst our guests and to
see everybody mingling anddancing and laughing, and I just
remember just sitting and justwatching and just, you know,
just feeling like it's all cometogether.
And here we are and look at allthe support we have.
(22:49):
I mean that's just everything,that's absolutely everything to
us.
You guys had a ton of supportfrom the support we have.
I mean that's just everything,that's absolutely everything to
us.
You guys had a ton of supportfrom the get-go and throughout
your relationship.
But I think it's also really,really wonderful that, again,
your families in coming together, I don't want to say, you know,
they knew like put up or shutup, but like right, you had the
(23:13):
next generation already there.
The families have alreadycombined.
Yes, there, yes, there's noneed to be like, oh hey, who are
you?
We don't know you.
It's like, nope, we'll see youfor birthdays, we'll see you for
christmas.
Exactly for all the holidays.
Yeah, because there is alreadythis next level in our family
story.
Yes, and I think a lot offamilies at weddings depending
(23:34):
on you know, maybe, if they'refrom different states or how
much they've actually gotten tointeract with each other before
the wedding there is a littlebit of not standoffish, but just
, I don't really know thesepeople, sure, and, yeah, you
know how do I invest my timewith them.
Right, where, when you, youknow, already have a kid in play
, it's like, hey, this kid isalready calling me aunt and
(23:56):
uncle.
Exactly, this kid already knowsthat I'm grandma and grandpa.
Yep, like we are already family.
Yes, we just finally get tocall this as we talked about
before.
This is a celebration, reunion,not a funeral or exactly
something really rough andtragic.
Exactly, together, this is thegood.
Yeah, come together.
(24:17):
Yes, yeah, that's exactly right.
What is one thing that you thinkbrides may forget to consider
in either planning or in thewedding process?
Like, what's something?
Right, it goes by the wayside.
Yeah, I would say a backup plan, a plan B, that is something
(24:37):
that I did not consider.
I just kind of thoughteverything would go without a
hitch, and it did.
You know, a couple little bumpsthat I don't I mean looking
back, you don't remember nowExactly.
I mean my.
You know our flowers.
I don't know if you rememberthis ordeal, but our flowers had
all died in my twin sister'srefrigerator and so it was like
(25:00):
what are we going to do?
And it was, I mean, and wefigured it out.
You know she ran to a couplelocal flower shops and she
pulled something together.
But just having a backup planfor things like that, did you
have any stress that the dresswon't fit now hold a summer?
Amanda was near monthspostpartum, looked freaking
(25:22):
amazing in her dress, thank you.
The back was like drape off,like, yeah, almost like 1920s,
yes, glitzy.
The fit of it, yeah, sort of itwas gorgeous, thank you, and
it's exactly what I wanted.
And, fun fact, my twin sisterpicked it out for me.
Of course you did, go figure,yeah, thank you, but you know, I
(25:45):
know, so I had.
I have obviously lost a lot ofweight in past years.
Dresses and outfits have beenfun, right, I found a dress
thrift store 75 bucks.
It's in that closet there, I'llshow you later, okay, and had a
sorority sister take it in andcustomize it for me.
Yeah, I was so stressed I keptlosing weight up to the wedding.
(26:08):
Oh my God, we were thinking itwasn't going to fit in the swim
at me rate, right, were youworried in a recent postpartum
of, like, what if it doesn't fit?
A little bit, yes, becauseanother fun fact is that I tried
my dress, like I went weddingdress shopping at six or seven
months pregnant, but that mightnot have been too bad when you
(26:29):
consider, like, the conversionrate.
I bit forgiving.
So I, but I was a littleworried, thank you, you need to
be forgiving.
(27:00):
It was bonus, thank you, Iwasn't.
I wouldn't say it was at thetop of my priorities or anything
like that, but but I was alittle bit worried about you
know what if it doesn't fitright in this area or that area?
But I mean, I think it came to.
I mean, like I said, I figuredif it looked good on me six
months pregnant, it was bound to.
(27:21):
You know, look half decent, youknow, two months postpartum,
yeah, that was, I wasn't superworried about it, but it was a
thought in my head for sure, andI'm like, hey, if it fits now,
it'll fit then.
Right, because so many, I meanthey don't think in terms of
that for future planning.
(27:41):
Right, I had a bride.
She actually got married Augustof this year.
She was supposed to get marriedDecember of last year.
Okay, I emailed her six monthsout and said are you just
checking weddings still?
Yeah, she.
I emailed her six months outand said are you just checking
weddings?
Still off, she goes.
We knew we forgot to tellsomebody I'm pregnant.
I'm due the week of the wedding.
We are moving the wedding.
Hope you're still available.
Oh, I know, life happens, itdoes.
(28:04):
Life happens, yes, it does, andit's one of the reasons, in
addition, to like the quote fromyour dad of things we find at
the last minute.
Yes, why I don't write scriptstoo far in advance?
Because I have found that someof your most free-loving we love
craft beer and concerts.
Yeah, by the time I marriedthem a year after, console they
(28:28):
are.
We love our family.
Yes, we love our child, yes, oh, oh, weekend free.
We're not backpacking, we arewatching miss rachel.
Right, right, exactly.
And I want to capture, yes, thesentiment of where you, where
you're at, yep and similar thing, with family members passing,
yes, again, the 20 somethingyear olds who meet with me,
(28:53):
right, I don't wish any of it onthem, right, but if we get
closer to the wedding and yousay, hey, we need a moment of
silence, right, we are darn sureyou're gonna take it exactly
because life, there's room forthat, yeah, and life has that
way of yep, of creeping, yeah,on us.
Yes, it does.
I don't want to be so stuck inmy way to say, oh, no, your
(29:14):
scripts are in.
I wrote it the second I met you.
There are no changes.
Exactly, exactly, no, yes, sohere we are.
We've made it through two ballsof wine for those counting.
We've made it through laughterand through tears, yes, in as
much details you want to get.
(29:36):
What are you up to now?
So we've been so busy, I mean,with you.
Know, it's been, like I said,full speed ahead.
We have two children now alittle boy, little girl, our,
our little rosie is seven yearsold, and our br Bryn, brynton
(29:57):
fun fact that's, you know.
You know the story of Brynton,my maiden name.
He is two and he's got the mostgorgeous locks of hair, not
that Rosie didn't, but Bryn'shair.
He's got the little ringletsCurls, I know, and that's got to
be Tito's side, like he's gotthe curly, he's got the little
(30:18):
winglets curls, I know that'sgonna be tito's side, like, yeah
, he's got the curly, got thecurls and coloring is that of
the hair.
It's, it's auburn.
Is that your side?
That comes from my side, yeah,that comes more from my side.
So he's got a little bit ofboth in us.
But I mean, they're, they'rekeeping us so busy at all times.
We both are kind of in new jobs.
He's working from home as afreight broker, which is, I mean
(30:43):
, that's his world.
And you know, I don't claim toknow you know I'm still in
healthcare, a nurse, a proudnurse I am.
I absolutely am.
I do pediatric nursing.
Now, what was your nursingaround during COVID?
Well, during that time I was dopediatric nursing.
Now, what were you nursing?
What was your nursing aroundduring COVID?
So well, during that time I wasdoing pediatric nursing.
So you know, since Rosie wastiny, I've been doing the
(31:07):
pediatric, which I never sawmyself doing.
But here we are, like sevenyears in and I couldn't see
myself doing anything else butprior to the pediatric, I was
actually on the geriatric end,so total opposite ends of the
spectrum.
And, yeah, we have a house,close family.
You're so incredibly close withyour family, yes, and if you
(31:28):
aren't, I am because I'm friendswith your mother.
And as our final question, ourfinal cheers, cheers.
If you could give one piece ofadvice to a newlywed couple.
So again, you know, might notbe all the clarity that you've
got, right, but look back at whoyou were then, right, you know,
(31:49):
maybe it's another bride who'sfinding herself planning while
pregnant, right, right, a pieceof advice to a newlywed, what
would it be?
Oh, like I said, said I could,I could, just, I could go on and
on.
Might not be the advice thateverybody needs to hear.
Looking back, and I, I thinkyou know this has been kind of
(32:13):
something that we have beenreally intentional with.
Could we be more intentional?
Absolutely, but we're busy.
We get time, yeah, exactly, butjust keeping your relationship
at the forefront of everything.
Intentional date nights Tell thepeople what you're doing after
this.
We have a little date nightarranged.
(32:34):
We have babysitting arranged,going out for a little.
We have a little date nightarranged.
We have babysitting arranged,going out for a little.
You know.
Dinner date reservations, youknow the whole thing.
After eight years, you have to,oh, absolutely.
Two kids, two jobs, a house,family.
You have to, you have to, andit really is a priority for us.
We don't necessarily have a set, you know, oh.
(32:56):
Or we have to do a date nightevery month or every, you know.
But you know when you're missingit exactly, you know when it's
lacking, you know when it'sneeded, as soon as you notice
that, hey, it's been a while.
Right, see something, saysomething.
Friends exactly say, hey, Inotice it's been a while.
Cough, cough, wink like nudge,nudge, and if you have to hit,
(33:17):
hit exactly, hit, exactly.
We should plan somethingbecause you don't want to ignore
that warning.
Yes, and my husband saidsomething.
Really we were, you know, justkind of I don't know.
This whole thing has given us achance to sort of like relive,
you know, and just look back andit's something that we don't do
often enough just to sort oflike rehash and relive.
(33:40):
We know, we, we always know whywe're here, you know what I
mean.
We always know how we got here,but just to like sort of think
back and talk about it and, likeI said, relive, and my husband
made a really good point and andit was super sweet the way he
said it, so I have to include it, of course, but he said Full
credit to Tito.
(34:01):
Full credit to Tito, he's anamazing man.
He said continue to water yourtree of marriage.
Continue to water the tree thatmarriage is, and if, from the
roots on up, from the roots onup, and if the tree gives you
fruit, you still need to waterit.
You still need to water thattree.
(34:22):
And that was so sweet to mebecause our tree has given us
fruit.
You know what I mean.
We do still need to water it,you know, to keep the fruit
going.
And when there's not fruit,maybe there's flowers, exactly,
maybe it's a flowering tree,Exactly, and maybe it's just
leaves, maybe it's just gettingan inch taller every year.
Yes, you still have to water itexactly.
(34:44):
I loved it too.
I thought it was so sweet.
So, yeah, any final thoughts,feelings, words that you'd give
out into the world?
I'm just thank you for mean.
This has been so fun, like Isaid, just to be able to sort of
relive and rehash and look back, and it was just like we needed
(35:07):
this, you know, and I likedoing it with couples who've
been married a little bit Right,because I feel like the advice,
I can't believe it's been eightyears.
But here we are, because thethings you would say at myself,
you know five months out or youknow a year out, are different,
different, they get colored overtime.
Yes, and I love that.
(35:29):
Again, I gave you and Tito areason to reflect it.
Yeah, here's one.
A lot of people reflect at 20,30.
Yes, nope, you had an excuse.
You of people reflect at 20, 30.
Yes, nope, you had an excuse.
You got to reflect at eight.
Yeah, and maybe there's a fewcouples that are at four or five
and I'll be able to get them onand do some additional
reflection.
Yes, I love it and thank youfor having me.
(35:51):
That was so fun.
Cheers again.
Thank you for listening to theWedding Wear with Officiating by
(36:12):
Amanda.
Cheers again to help us reacheven more listeners who might
laugh a little at the weddingwear.
For the links referenced in theshow, visit Linktree at
Officiating by Amanda.
You can also follow thebusiness on Facebook,
weddingwire and the Knot to stayup to date on everything going
on.
If you have a question you'dlike me to answer on the podcast
, just send an email totheweddingwearpodcast at
(36:34):
gmailcom, and if you're ready toinquire about officiating
services for your own big day,you can reach me at
officiatingbyamanda at gmailcom.
Thank you so much for tuning inand until next time.
This has been Amanda.
Welcome to the Wedding Where with officiating by Amanda
.
Welcome back to the Weddingwhere we are picking up with the
(00:33):
interview with my bride, Amanda, and all of her insights from
the wedding.
This is part two, so if youmissed part one, go back and
listen to that.
You'll also want to listen tothe wedding where I cried for
some additional context and I'mvery pleased to say that the
next few episodes are also basedon this wedding, so let's get
into it.
So here I'll let you get alittle more sip of drink.
(00:54):
So we're going to transitioninto the wedding world.
Perfect, put your head eightyears back the day.
I don't know if my audio fileautomatically triggers out
gulping, but I'll have to changethat.
Little cheers of the Helen'smelon.
Yeah, oh, I love it.
By the way, it's delicious.
(01:15):
It really does give me vibesback to like the 90s childhood,
and you'll know this.
The cucumber melon bath andbody works.
Cucumber melon bath and bodyworks.
It feels it.
Yep, that was top notch, righton par.
So, looking back on your weddingday, what stands out as your
favorite part?
Oh, I mean hands down, theceremony and the vows.
(01:38):
Hands down, I mean, that wasjust I.
I mean the.
The rest of it was just icingon the cake, but that was, hands
down, so special, so intimate,just the fondest.
You know, I look back with thefondest memories of that just
standing and I mean looking outand seeing everybody there to
(02:02):
support us.
And looking out and seeingeverybody there to support us,
and you know, you're looking,you see all of these people come
together for us and yet, likeit's just, it felt like the two
of us at the same time.
You know what I mean and I don'tknow if you have it for a
little bit later on, but I'll,with your unity box, yep, that
you guys had the note for yourdaughter in there and what I
(02:23):
love was that that was somethingso personal and private.
You didn't read that out, no,just in my heart of hearts,
knowing that that note exists,yeah, and that it's there for
her, yes, oh, yeah, that thatwas glorious.
I felt like I'm in on thisinside, yes, inside little thing
, yeah, but the end, I knownothing, right, right, you guys
(02:45):
know, yeah, and that I alwaysrecommend for couples to try and
find something.
Whether it's an inside joke,yes, sneak in.
Whether it's a special pin, alook and anything that, because
there's so much of the day thatyou are sharing with everybody
else.
Yes, so to have something thatreally truly is not for public
(03:06):
consumption and it's just for us, just for you, yes, and for you
guys.
I loved that.
That was the note for yourdaughter yes, yep, that was so
special and hopefully I didn'tsteal it.
But what's the one smallerpersonal touch you included that
means the most to you, becauseI share what means the most to
me.
Right, right, right, right, no,and and that I mean absolutely
(03:27):
is is up there.
I think for me and I don't knowif you remember the details to
this, but, as you know, a bigpart of our wedding was wanting
to include the ones that havepassed on, I mean, especially,
you know, my dad being that hewasn't there to walk me down the
aisle, and so we had decided ona father-daughter dance, and I
(03:50):
don't know if you remember, butthe actual song was my mom and
dad's wedding song.
I didn't know that.
Yes, so that was their weddingsong, and so we used that as the
father-daughter dance and Ijust got to sit down, and that
was my choice.
I decided that I wanted to sitdown and I wanted to watch.
You know the dads, your husbanddance with your daughter yes,
(04:13):
my husband dance with mydaughter, and all the other
fathers dancing with theirdaughters.
And I just sat and I watchedand I took it all in and I cried
and it was just so special.
We all cried, we all did Many,many times.
Not a dry eye, yeah, at yourwedding, yes, yeah, and the
episodes out and everything,yeah.
So the wedding where I criedit's all yours, all yours.
(04:37):
I love it.
If you could relive five minuteswithin your wedding day, when
would you?
When would would you go to?
I would just go back to the endof the aisle looking into tito's
eyes and he was sweatingbuckets.
Yes, he was sweating bullets,so nervous and, like I said,
(04:58):
just feeling like it was justthe two of us.
Here we go well, and we hadtalked.
Yeah for recording us.
You guys have a unique storywhere, in outside of your first
couple months of being togetheras a couple right, it wasn't
ever the two of you, so the factthat in that moment it was out
bits of the ceremony, you couldget that it's just the two of us
(05:18):
, because it hasn't been beforeexactly, and I think back on
that often, just just standingand looking into each other's
eyes and, like you know, likeyou said, just for the five
minutes, it was just the two ofus and you know everybody was
was there and everybody wassupporting us, but but it was
just the two of us.
I know it felt like fiveminutes to you, but I think you
(05:39):
actually had closer to a 20minute ceremony and then I
realized that that there were,you know, a hundred people
sitting there watching us, butbut no it, yeah, just for a
couple of minutes, it was justthe two of us.
Was there any moment duringyour wedding day?
That took you by surprise?
Good, bad, or just like, oh,that wasn't the plan, so not
(06:03):
really to be honest with you,and so not really to be honest
with you, and not that I I meannot that this came as a surprise
to me, but it just.
It was not a surprise, but itwas just to see, to see
(06:23):
everybody coming together.
It was just like, wow, you knowwhat I mean, we do have so much
support, and to see it all inone place, I think was just like
, again, not a shock, but it wasjust like a pleasant surprise
and the fact that there was nodrama at the wedding.
You know what I mean.
I don't know what I expected.
I don't think I expected thereto be drama, but usually at
(06:46):
least behind the scenes there'sa little bit of drama.
I mean, there was no drama, itwas just all fun, it was all you
know, it was all love andsupport.
And you know, part I guess partof me was just like wow, that
was so much easier than Ithought it would have been.
You know what I mean.
And especially when you'd had,you know, so much in the
(07:07):
planning, I'm like, oh, we haveto get to that guest list.
So from being able to bringforward the name on a list that
made a cut, made a decision, toan actual manifestation of a
human yeah, it's like I knewthey were coming, I knew I
wanted them here, I invited them, I knew that they were, they
said they were coming, but toactually physically see them
(07:28):
here, holy cow, exactly, it'sthat it finally all comes in a
circle.
Yes, exactly, yep, if you couldchange one thing about the
wedding and again, it doesn'thave to be because something
went wrong about it, but justchange one thing yeah, what
would you change?
So I would have definitelytaken ibuprofen?
I did.
(07:50):
This is not a sponsored video,right, I did.
You know, when we were gettingready, up in the loft, I did
have a glass of wine or two onan empty stomach and I think I
just I should.
You know what I mean.
I should have had a littlesomething in my stomach.
The nurse in you now thinksthat you should have, yes, yes,
(08:11):
been a little more pro-active,but that was that's pretty much
the only thing I mean.
Looking back, I ended the nightwith like a killer headache.
You know, I ended your weddingwith a killer headache.
I think there were quite a fewheadaches that we had Jolly
rancher on tap, exactly.
That's all we have to say aboutthat.
But yeah, just being a littlemore proactive about taking care
(08:36):
of things beforehand, but thephysical wedding itself, I
wouldn't have changed a thing.
I make it a rule that you arenot allowed to say me so what
was your favorite vendor orservice and why would you
recommend them?
Well, there goes my answer.
Sorry, amanda Wall.
No, so honestly, we didn't havevendors.
(09:00):
Our wedding was Hair and makeup.
You had people.
We did.
We did Exactly.
We had people.
We did right.
We, we did exactly.
We had people we had one of ourclose friends doing hair and
makeup.
We had the venue itself catered, so we had half of the food
catered by them and then theother half was brought in by our
family, which was so sweet.
(09:22):
Other than that, though, I'm,we really didn't have.
Maybe, looking back, maybe wewould have added like a you know
what I mean, like a littlecoffee truck or something like
that, but you guys again,walking in, and maybe this is a
testament to the venue, it looksseamless, like you never would
(09:42):
have been able to convince methat it was.
You know, oh, hey, we just havea couple of, you know, friends
provided this, or people werecalled upon to do this, because
and that's really what it was,you really again, it was
beautifully executed, thank you,you wouldn't have known, thank
you.
I appreciate that and seriously, that speaks to, I mean, the
kind of support that we have andthe kind of friends and family
(10:04):
that we have, because, truly, Imean, they set up, we did all of
the decorations ourselves.
You know the venue took care ofthe catering.
You know what I mean, and Imean so, really, I even liked
when they closed the bar.
So I didn't like when theyclosed the bar, right, but from
(10:26):
a, I'm already three jollyranchers in and we need to save
some for the rest of us.
Plus, food will be served soon.
Right, it was very, very smart.
Yes, they did a really good job, I think.
And just, I don't know if theylike tapped you throughout and
said, hey, you know, we seekyour permission, we're gonna do
this.
Or they just were like, we'redoing, like it's done, it set,
don't you worry about it.
Yeah, no, I think that was moreso.
(10:47):
I think they just sort of, yeah, exactly, and I know some
brides absolutely love that Like, let go and let God, like let
the venue do what I'm paying youfor, yes, and there's others
who are like like, ooh, I reallywant my hand in this, I want to
(11:07):
be consulted, I want to be likejust checked in with.
So there's always that little.
Where does it play in?
Right?
I'm sort of like, you know, Ileave it up to the people that
know what they're doing, becauseI certainly didn't know what I
was doing and I had full trustin you and the venue, and you
know, like you said, and thevenue, and you know, like you
(11:28):
said, I think everything waspretty seamless and I mean,
everybody just came together anddid their little part and it
just, yeah, it really did cometogether.
Yours was one of the firstweddings, if not the first, that
I did a blessing for thereception.
Yes, all the more that there'sa future episode you should
listen on on why you should notfly your ministers with alcohol
(11:51):
and then throw blessings at them.
But because a lot of times, ifpeople are asking for blessings
yeah, a reception they've gonewith a more religious ceremony
to begin with.
Therefore, they're notnecessarily in my realm or
sphere.
So it was just a really, reallygreat honor to be able to be up
there and I had mentioned, Ithink as well I say I think I
(12:16):
don't know for sure Coupledrinks in Couple drinks in story
of this podcast that I shared.
I also was out there looking inthe world.
Yes, how do you pick the rightperson when, right, every day,
there's a lot of new picks andnone of them seem kind of great?
Yeah, I did a wedding that wasHarry Potter themed A few after
years, a few years.
(12:36):
Okay, and I equate it to theGoblet of Fire.
You know it's out matches, yes.
Online dating yes, fire, youknow it's out.
Matches, yeah.
Online dating, yes.
And how do you find the rightperson when none of them are
great, right, like, do you justpick right, next best right, or
do you wait?
Yeah, well, you didn't have towait for anything, but I didn't.
(12:56):
I mean, you and dito story, wedidn't wait, we didn't wait, we
didn't wait for anything, wewent speed ahead, but I wouldn't
change a thing.
Speaking of the wonderful Tito,how did you and him incorporate
(13:19):
your personalities into the day?
You know the intimacy from theceremony and then adding in
little funny, you know, bitsthroughout.
I think that totally representsour relationship and our
personalities.
And then just including, like Isaid, foods from our different
cultures and backgrounds, makingfamily so key, right, exactly.
(13:44):
And you know, just just alittle like, we had our
signature drink, jolly Rancher.
I looked up how to make itafter that.
Yes, yeah, and it's pretty easy.
Yeah, I believe we've had it acouple of times since then.
It was the drink of choice atthe New Year's, the year that
you got married.
I made it, I love it.
I love this, yes, yes, itreminds me of it.
(14:08):
Oh, actually it really does.
The melon, yes, because it's amelon liqueur, right, and then
it's like apple schnapps andcranberry juice or something yes
, cranberry juice.
So it's a little bitter and alittle sweet.
Yep, flash, yep, flashbacks toNam, I know.
But yeah, just, you know, justthe food, the drinks, the music,
(14:30):
I just think it was a littlebit of him, a little bit of me
and you know, and, like I said,our families all brought in a
little something from their endand it just all came together
and it represented us and ourfamilies and how important
family is to us.
Yeah, yeah, I wanted to let youget a good drink in there
before I asked what was the mostemotional moment for you?
(14:54):
So, definitely the little nodsto our loved ones that couldn't
be with us, specifically thefather-daughter dance.
I just let myself have thatmoment and, yeah, I let myself
feel and no shame moment.
(15:14):
And, yeah, I let myself feeland no shame during the ceremony
, when you added in a quote thatmy dad had written.
Yeah, have you looked back onit since?
I have, because I have, and Icry every time because when I
pulled it up again, I almosthave it memorized.
Yeah, because I I think aboutit a lot often, but pulling it
back up and reading it.
I almost didn't get through therecording, I know Without I
(15:34):
know Getting emotional, which Iknow and like I just look at
that as such a kismet momentthat you found it.
When you found it, yes, and itcame about.
Yes, the words were so fittingthey were, you couldn't have
written it any better in themoment.
(15:54):
It's like he knew it's.
He knew he 20 years prior.
I think you'd said the quotehad been written because it was
in a book for his friend.
Yes, and wow, oh, glass.
Yes, and it was if it.
It was as if he kind of yep,because if you'd had a little
boy instead of a little girl, itwould have been the same, I
(16:15):
know it just was as if he wasthere talking from beyond, and
we so rarely get those moments.
Yeah, exactly, and you got oneof them.
We did, and I am so fortunateto have been able to give those
words life and to have been apart of that, because we don't
get those.
(16:36):
We don't.
I don't quite know how we youknow auto-quote or caption sobs
on a podcast, but we'll get itgood.
We'll get it good and, forthose that are wondering, I
highly recommend that I will notbe saying the quote again right
now because I was notintoxicated the first time I
said them and I will not beintoxicated the second.
(16:57):
Please listen to the previousrecording for the amazing words,
absolutely, that we found fromAmanda's dad that we were able
to put into the wedding.
And I, recently I was at an expoyounger couple, probably 20, 21
, very young, and they'retalking about like a 20, 28
(17:22):
wedding.
They want to save up money,they want to have some time, and
the bride mentioned that heraunt is not doing well and most
terminal.
And I immediately thought doingwell, okay, and most terminal,
sure, and I immediately thoughtokay, yeah, see, if your aunt
has a brooch, a piece of jewelry, something that if you're not
going to move the wedding to fither, I would never ask anybody
(17:45):
to do.
Exactly, you need to work onyour own life and your own
children.
Absolutely your own life andyour own children.
Absolutely.
See if there's pieces that shecurrently has that at least then
she knows upon passing, you arecarrying into her wedding day.
Yes, my grandmother would havenever thought of that, right,
that you know her.
Right, my cousin and I bothhave bits of her jewelry that we
(18:06):
put on our birthdays, right,right, but you make sure she
knows that, yes, if you knowthat is so special, if you know
what you know, you make sure sheknows, yes, that this is
getting carried forward.
And right, get a quote.
Yeah, get something in writing.
Yeah, ask her to just dosomething as simple as define
love, yep, and, and hang on toit.
(18:28):
Yeah, take it and run with itand put it into a wedding
ceremony, write it in your kid'sbaby book, write it down, do
things with it.
Yes, because that is thegreatest gift that we can have.
It is as I told you at thepodcast.
I'll hold this, even the wholeunedited portions, in perpetuity
.
Right, and should there be aday where your kids want this,
(18:51):
absolutely, we've got it.
I love it.
We've got it.
I love it.
Okay, oh, yeah, oh.
First one I cried at again.
The first one I did was for adear, dear friend.
I did not cry, I was morestressed and frustrated.
Right, right, yours is thefirst one I cried at, and and
you weren't, yeah, you weren'talone, probably.
(19:13):
The second one was a sororitysister who, throughout college,
I'd watched her, you know, yeah,for the bad guy, yes, the
heartache and her.
See, why am I?
When?
When is it going to be my turn?
Yeah, and I married her to thelove of her life, yes, yes.
And then, if you want a fullcircle moment here, she did a
(19:34):
reading at my wedding, okay.
And she comes up to me at thereception and says I'm drinking
water, and I go, oh, stop it,honey, stop it.
I'm at a baby shower next month.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Again, those full circlemoments I love.
So again, I'll be back hereagain, I love it.
And the fact that you were abride that I didn't even think I
(19:55):
would do this at all with mylife, I know.
And now here you are, I know,on my podcast.
I love it, I'm so excited foryou.
We're like dead.
Oh, I love it.
And cheers to that too, youknow, congratulations, polish,
(20:16):
that, polish, that polish, thatone down, cheers to that.
I only have to pack a housetonight's wine, no biggie.
So, as we, we take a moment,yeah, ourselves, from some
really great and deeply feltemotions yes, you talked a
little about this before, about,you know, kind of those moments
, key with tito, of like, wow,it's just the two of us, right,
and that you, you know, sat outfor the father-daughter dance to
(20:37):
really soak that in.
Were there other moments of theday that you really wanted to
make sure that you stayedpresent for, and that you were
like ha, like click.
This is a memory, right?
And how did you find the timeto do that?
Right, right, right, and howdid you find the time to do that
, right?
Right, I do like I am, I think,by nature, a sentimental person
(20:58):
, and I do, I think, just fromgoing through the things that
I've been through, I do oftenfind myself reminding myself to
take those moments, to sit backand just take it all in.
Take in every feeling, everysmell, every you know what I
mean.
Just take it all in, even ifjust for a minute, and just
(21:22):
breathe it in and make itintentional to remember it going
forward.
But I do remember, you know,the moment, standing looking
into Tito's eyes and just beingintentional about looking at him
and just not thinking aboutanything else that was going on.
I remember a moment in time wewere they had us sitting at the
(21:46):
front of the venue and it was,you know, the sweetheart table,
or whatever they call it and Ijust, yeah, that's a good
backdrop.
Yeah, that's a really nicebackdrop, thank you, that was
DIY as well, of course.
I mean everything was DIY.
But and just sitting and justbeing able to have that view of
all of the tables laid out andall of our family members
(22:08):
gathered around and and, like Isaid, we come from two very
different backgrounds and justto see everybody getting along,
I mean it sounds like a fairytale, but I mean truly everybody
gets along in our families.
You know what I meanEverybody's come together and
(22:28):
just to be able to sit and lookout amongst our guests and to
see everybody mingling anddancing and laughing, and I just
remember just sitting and justwatching and just, you know,
just feeling like it's all cometogether.
And here we are and look at allthe support we have.
(22:49):
I mean that's just everything,that's absolutely everything to
us.
You guys had a ton of supportfrom the support we have.
I mean that's just everything,that's absolutely everything to
us.
You guys had a ton of supportfrom the get-go and throughout
your relationship.
But I think it's also really,really wonderful that, again,
your families in coming together, I don't want to say, you know,
they knew like put up or shutup, but like right, you had the
(23:13):
next generation already there.
The families have alreadycombined.
Yes, there, yes, there's noneed to be like, oh hey, who are
you?
We don't know you.
It's like, nope, we'll see youfor birthdays, we'll see you for
christmas.
Exactly for all the holidays.
Yeah, because there is alreadythis next level in our family
story.
Yes, and I think a lot offamilies at weddings depending
(23:34):
on you know, maybe, if they'refrom different states or how
much they've actually gotten tointeract with each other before
the wedding there is a littlebit of not standoffish, but just
, I don't really know thesepeople, sure, and, yeah, you
know how do I invest my timewith them.
Right, where, when you, youknow, already have a kid in play
, it's like, hey, this kid isalready calling me aunt and
(23:56):
uncle.
Exactly, this kid already knowsthat I'm grandma and grandpa.
Yep, like we are already family.
Yes, we just finally get tocall this as we talked about
before.
This is a celebration, reunion,not a funeral or exactly
something really rough andtragic.
Exactly, together, this is thegood.
Yeah, come together.
(24:17):
Yes, yeah, that's exactly right.
What is one thing that you thinkbrides may forget to consider
in either planning or in thewedding process?
Like, what's something?
Right, it goes by the wayside.
Yeah, I would say a backup plan, a plan B, that is something
(24:37):
that I did not consider.
I just kind of thoughteverything would go without a
hitch, and it did.
You know, a couple little bumpsthat I don't I mean looking
back, you don't remember nowExactly.
I mean my.
You know our flowers.
I don't know if you rememberthis ordeal, but our flowers had
all died in my twin sister'srefrigerator and so it was like
(25:00):
what are we going to do?
And it was, I mean, and wefigured it out.
You know she ran to a couplelocal flower shops and she
pulled something together.
But just having a backup planfor things like that, did you
have any stress that the dresswon't fit now hold a summer?
Amanda was near monthspostpartum, looked freaking
(25:22):
amazing in her dress, thank you.
The back was like drape off,like, yeah, almost like 1920s,
yes, glitzy.
The fit of it, yeah, sort of itwas gorgeous, thank you, and
it's exactly what I wanted.
And, fun fact, my twin sisterpicked it out for me.
Of course you did, go figure,yeah, thank you, but you know, I
(25:45):
know, so I had.
I have obviously lost a lot ofweight in past years.
Dresses and outfits have beenfun, right, I found a dress
thrift store 75 bucks.
It's in that closet there, I'llshow you later, okay, and had a
sorority sister take it in andcustomize it for me.
Yeah, I was so stressed I keptlosing weight up to the wedding.
(26:08):
Oh my God, we were thinking itwasn't going to fit in the swim
at me rate, right, were youworried in a recent postpartum
of, like, what if it doesn't fit?
A little bit, yes, becauseanother fun fact is that I tried
my dress, like I went weddingdress shopping at six or seven
months pregnant, but that mightnot have been too bad when you
(26:29):
consider, like, the conversionrate.
I bit forgiving.
So I, but I was a littleworried, thank you, you need to
be forgiving.
(27:00):
It was bonus, thank you, Iwasn't.
I wouldn't say it was at thetop of my priorities or anything
like that, but but I was alittle bit worried about you
know what if it doesn't fitright in this area or that area?
But I mean, I think it came to.
I mean, like I said, I figuredif it looked good on me six
months pregnant, it was bound to.
(27:21):
You know, look half decent, youknow, two months postpartum,
yeah, that was, I wasn't superworried about it, but it was a
thought in my head for sure, andI'm like, hey, if it fits now,
it'll fit then.
Right, because so many, I meanthey don't think in terms of
that for future planning.
(27:41):
Right, I had a bride.
She actually got married Augustof this year.
She was supposed to get marriedDecember of last year.
Okay, I emailed her six monthsout and said are you just
checking weddings still?
Yeah, she.
I emailed her six months outand said are you just checking
weddings?
Still off, she goes.
We knew we forgot to tellsomebody I'm pregnant.
I'm due the week of the wedding.
We are moving the wedding.
Hope you're still available.
Oh, I know, life happens, itdoes.
(28:04):
Life happens, yes, it does, andit's one of the reasons, in
addition, to like the quote fromyour dad of things we find at
the last minute.
Yes, why I don't write scriptstoo far in advance?
Because I have found that someof your most free-loving we love
craft beer and concerts.
Yeah, by the time I marriedthem a year after, console they
(28:28):
are.
We love our family.
Yes, we love our child, yes, oh, oh, weekend free.
We're not backpacking, we arewatching miss rachel.
Right, right, exactly.
And I want to capture, yes, thesentiment of where you, where
you're at, yep and similar thing, with family members passing,
yes, again, the 20 somethingyear olds who meet with me,
(28:53):
right, I don't wish any of it onthem, right, but if we get
closer to the wedding and yousay, hey, we need a moment of
silence, right, we are darn sureyou're gonna take it exactly
because life, there's room forthat, yeah, and life has that
way of yep, of creeping, yeah,on us.
Yes, it does.
I don't want to be so stuck inmy way to say, oh, no, your
(29:14):
scripts are in.
I wrote it the second I met you.
There are no changes.
Exactly, exactly, no, yes, sohere we are.
We've made it through two ballsof wine for those counting.
We've made it through laughterand through tears, yes, in as
much details you want to get.
(29:36):
What are you up to now?
So we've been so busy, I mean,with you.
Know, it's been, like I said,full speed ahead.
We have two children now alittle boy, little girl, our,
our little rosie is seven yearsold, and our br Bryn, brynton
(29:57):
fun fact that's, you know.
You know the story of Brynton,my maiden name.
He is two and he's got the mostgorgeous locks of hair, not
that Rosie didn't, but Bryn'shair.
He's got the little ringletsCurls, I know, and that's got to
be Tito's side, like he's gotthe curly, he's got the little
(30:18):
winglets curls, I know that'sgonna be tito's side, like, yeah
, he's got the curly, got thecurls and coloring is that of
the hair.
It's, it's auburn.
Is that your side?
That comes from my side, yeah,that comes more from my side.
So he's got a little bit ofboth in us.
But I mean, they're, they'rekeeping us so busy at all times.
We both are kind of in new jobs.
He's working from home as afreight broker, which is, I mean
(30:43):
, that's his world.
And you know, I don't claim toknow you know I'm still in
healthcare, a nurse, a proudnurse I am.
I absolutely am.
I do pediatric nursing.
Now, what was your nursingaround during COVID?
Well, during that time I was dopediatric nursing.
Now, what were you nursing?
What was your nursing aroundduring COVID?
So well, during that time I wasdoing pediatric nursing.
So you know, since Rosie wastiny, I've been doing the
(31:07):
pediatric, which I never sawmyself doing.
But here we are, like sevenyears in and I couldn't see
myself doing anything else butprior to the pediatric, I was
actually on the geriatric end,so total opposite ends of the
spectrum.
And, yeah, we have a house,close family.
You're so incredibly close withyour family, yes, and if you
(31:28):
aren't, I am because I'm friendswith your mother.
And as our final question, ourfinal cheers, cheers.
If you could give one piece ofadvice to a newlywed couple.
So again, you know, might notbe all the clarity that you've
got, right, but look back at whoyou were then, right, you know,
(31:49):
maybe it's another bride who'sfinding herself planning while
pregnant, right, right, a pieceof advice to a newlywed, what
would it be?
Oh, like I said, said I could,I could, just, I could go on and
on.
Might not be the advice thateverybody needs to hear.
Looking back, and I, I thinkyou know this has been kind of
(32:13):
something that we have beenreally intentional with.
Could we be more intentional?
Absolutely, but we're busy.
We get time, yeah, exactly, butjust keeping your relationship
at the forefront of everything.
Intentional date nights Tell thepeople what you're doing after
this.
We have a little date nightarranged.
(32:34):
We have babysitting arranged,going out for a little.
We have a little date nightarranged.
We have babysitting arranged,going out for a little.
You know.
Dinner date reservations, youknow the whole thing.
After eight years, you have to,oh, absolutely.
Two kids, two jobs, a house,family.
You have to, you have to, andit really is a priority for us.
We don't necessarily have a set, you know, oh.
(32:56):
Or we have to do a date nightevery month or every, you know.
But you know when you're missingit exactly, you know when it's
lacking, you know when it'sneeded, as soon as you notice
that, hey, it's been a while.
Right, see something, saysomething.
Friends exactly say, hey, Inotice it's been a while.
Cough, cough, wink like nudge,nudge, and if you have to hit,
(33:17):
hit exactly, hit, exactly.
We should plan somethingbecause you don't want to ignore
that warning.
Yes, and my husband saidsomething.
Really we were, you know, justkind of I don't know.
This whole thing has given us achance to sort of like relive,
you know, and just look back andit's something that we don't do
often enough just to sort oflike rehash and relive.
(33:40):
We know, we, we always know whywe're here, you know what I
mean.
We always know how we got here,but just to like sort of think
back and talk about it and, likeI said, relive, and my husband
made a really good point and andit was super sweet the way he
said it, so I have to include it, of course, but he said Full
credit to Tito.
(34:01):
Full credit to Tito, he's anamazing man.
He said continue to water yourtree of marriage.
Continue to water the tree thatmarriage is, and if, from the
roots on up, from the roots onup, and if the tree gives you
fruit, you still need to waterit.
You still need to water thattree.
(34:22):
And that was so sweet to mebecause our tree has given us
fruit.
You know what I mean.
We do still need to water it,you know, to keep the fruit
going.
And when there's not fruit,maybe there's flowers, exactly,
maybe it's a flowering tree,Exactly, and maybe it's just
leaves, maybe it's just gettingan inch taller every year.
Yes, you still have to water itexactly.
(34:44):
I loved it too.
I thought it was so sweet.
So, yeah, any final thoughts,feelings, words that you'd give
out into the world?
I'm just thank you for mean.
This has been so fun, like Isaid, just to be able to sort of
relive and rehash and look back, and it was just like we needed
(35:07):
this, you know, and I likedoing it with couples who've
been married a little bit Right,because I feel like the advice,
I can't believe it's been eightyears.
But here we are, because thethings you would say at myself,
you know five months out or youknow a year out, are different,
different, they get colored overtime.
Yes, and I love that.
(35:29):
Again, I gave you and Tito areason to reflect it.
Yeah, here's one.
A lot of people reflect at 20,30.
Yes, nope, you had an excuse.
You of people reflect at 20, 30.
Yes, nope, you had an excuse.
You got to reflect at eight.
Yeah, and maybe there's a fewcouples that are at four or five
and I'll be able to get them onand do some additional
reflection.
Yes, I love it and thank youfor having me.
(35:51):
That was so fun.
Cheers again.
Thank you for listening to theWedding Wear with Officiating by
(36:12):
Amanda.
Cheers again to help us reacheven more listeners who might
laugh a little at the weddingwear.
For the links referenced in theshow, visit Linktree at
Officiating by Amanda.
You can also follow thebusiness on Facebook,
weddingwire and the Knot to stayup to date on everything going
on.
If you have a question you'dlike me to answer on the podcast
, just send an email totheweddingwearpodcast at
(36:34):
gmailcom, and if you're ready toinquire about officiating
services for your own big day,you can reach me at
officiatingbyamanda at gmailcom.
Thank you so much for tuning inand until next time.
This has been Amanda.
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