Last week, my oldest daughter, Melody, and her now husband, Jamie, said “I do”. The couple married at the Justice of the Peace in Chicago. The ceremony was intimate, inexpensive ($60 instead of a traditional ceremony which is close to $30,000) and stress-free.
They didn’t have to please or impress anyone. They didn’t have to worry about enough seating, wedding favors, plates, flowers, table cards, etc. Melody and Jamie were in and out of the courthouse in 20 minutes and were free to do whatever they wanted. They hired a hobby photographer who followed them around Chicago and shot over 400 photos for just $25. Melody looked beautiful in an inexpensive, simple white dress, while Jamie looked dashing in his light-colored suit.
Instead of fancy flowers and decorations, the focus on love took center stage at this ceremony.
After the ceremony the couple went to a nice restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal. At a traditional wedding, you’d pay an average of $30 per plate. They also spent the first night as a newlywed couple in a great hotel overlooking Lake Michigan.
Two days after their courthouse wedding, the couple came down to Nashville. Melody’s sister, Christy, and I surprised them with a homemade red velvet cake.
Christy also made these cute “NEWLYWED” bracelets.I have to admit, not seeing my first-born get married was hard for me, at first. When your kids are small you have this vision of a beautiful wedding day. Not being able to hear her say “I do” made me sad and I felt cheated out of a celebration, but I’ve realized that at this time in their lives a courthouse wedding made perfect sense. And I respect that they did this on their own terms. After my daughter graduates law school (if she isn’t completely buried in student loan debt ) they might renew their vows in front of family and close friends. It’s on their terms, on their time line…
I know their courthouse wedding will bring them just as much happiness as the traditional $50K weddings. Because at the end of the day it’s not about that one day… it’s about everything that comes after it.
Congrats, Melody & Jamie! I wish you an amazing and happy life filled with laughter, love and joy.