15 yrs ago. In the basement of a jail.
Tue, Jan 10, 2012
subtitle: this is such a life-minutiae post there isnt a disclaimer large or verbose enough. you’ll have that.
I never really thought Id get married.
Actually strike that.
I had such a poor track-record of not wanting to hurt people’s feelings I thought Id get proposed to, say YES! (while never intending to follow through), and end up stuck & married.
I wasnt the girl who dreamed of her wedding day from a young age (like the Tornado. hold me.) and I loved being alone to such an extent I knew it would take meeting someone worth relinquishing that for me to settle down.
Enter this guy:
I, in fact, picked *him* up on a crowed bus (ahhh public transportation I shall forever heart ye).
It was the day after Halloween and I was eating Mounds bars for breakfast.
I spotted him standing, offered him some candy & immediately joked to the friend next to me he could sit on my lap if he wanted.
Lots of chasing and a few awkward romantic entanglements later we got married.
Kind of spur of the moment (we decided the day before).
Definitely the way we wanted (justice of the peace. best 10.00 we’ve ever spent).
And we havent looked back since.
I mean, Im sure we have (seriously. who married among us can’t say this thing is a choice we make & recommit to daily. HELLO JUST LIKE FITNESS!)—but we’re still here 15 years later.
Please excuse the quality of the pictures. Id blame the fact it was 1997 but we all know digital cameras existed then. He & I apparently neither owned one nor cared.
I was married in running tights/a sweatshirt and I ran less then than I do now (if that’s possible).
The sweatshirt is from my training studio. The quote reads: The abdomen is the reason why man does not easily take himself for a God.
I love his face in the picture below. It’s hard to see but to my eyes he looks excitedterrified. Excitified.
(Please to let me know if you’d like to discuss what was happening with my hair. I talked about it a little here…)
This is where we held our reception. No we did not plan this ahead of time. I was happy to find it’s still there! We need to go back and bring the Tornado.
This is a picture of my training studio. OH. I failed to mention we got married the same day it opened. We already had a party planned for that night and both of our parents were in town so it seemed perfect.
(Actual conversation from that day. Ren Man’s Mom: What are we going to do this afternoon? Ren Man: Oh, uh, we were thinking we’d get married.)
This is not from that day. Im just forcing it upon you anyway. The hair. The bandanna. The blissfulnessment of youth. It all made me smile…
The wedding party! This was immediately after the conversation above and after we foisted studio sweatshirts upon everyone & informed them we were off to the jail to get married.
G-d bless Ren Man’s parents. Even though we’d dated for 3 years I still think they must have thought A. we were crazy and 2. this marriage would last as long as BritBrit’s to Jason Alexander.
This one isn’t from the wedding day either, but it’s Ren Man’s FAVE EVER from the days of Head2Heel. It’s him and Matthew Broderick. Matty B (as we called him NOT to his face) was in for a little while town doing a play & came to our studio to train. He’s Ren Man’s ABSOLUTE fave actor. Ren Man was in heaven. Perhaps even more so than during our jail house wedding…
Ahhh. This last one is from last weekend and the “THE END” to our happy little story.
We joke a lot about what a handful I am. We kid about the fact it looks a whole lot more fun to be married to me on the outside than it actually is. I know life with me is a carnival ride and I also am fully aware Id not want to be on this ride without him.
I showed up to this marriage with no piriformis pain, a wrinkle-free countenance & plans to work as a counselor.
15 years and so many adventures later Im way off that path and he’s still firmly walking beside me.
I am grateful and I am blessed.
Tags: marriage
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I love the hair! Thank you for sharing this - I enjoyed it. You look like a great couple.
Wow! What an amazing story. I suspect you enjoyed the wedding and reception more than many-a-bride who’s spent months (years?!) planning theirs!
I am slightly intrigued by the hair and the outfits - though on the latter, perhaps you were going for a ‘we were in the neighbourhood’ kind of look! As for the hair… LOVE the short dreadies….
Deb
Happy Anniversary!!!!!
I really enjoy these kinds of posts.
What a sweet post.
You are blessed.
And crazy
Happy anniversary.
I love this.
You are very lucky!!
love YOUR story. so you and so endearing. also love the bandana & hair. you can rock anything.
Happy anniversary, Carla & Ren Man! Love the pictures and the story.
Wonderful story! Happy Anniversary!
love the story! happy anniversary!
Happy, HAPPY anniversary! No else I know would say, “Hey, since it’s the opening day of our business, let’s get married, too!” You’re never one to do one thing at a time
Wishing you continued committed and abiding joy.
Congratulations! 15 yrs! Great going! My dad has a philosophy, the smaller, and LO-key the wedding the more likely it will last because it’s based on love not fanfare. With that in mind, I foresee a long 80yrs + marriage - Happy Anniversary!
I LOVE IT! I love all weddings big, small, or purple with black polka dots. It’s about what the couple wants and their individualism. Cheers to 15+15+15+15…. more years
Congrats!!! No comments on the hair from me……you should see what I did to mine in the 80′s!
(and tell Ren Man and J-E-A-L-O-U-S - I heart Matty B!)
What a sweet story.
Love the hair but the pre-Seussical leg just looks all wrong
Aww…congratulations! I think it’s an awesome story…and the best part is it’s still going. Happy “Happily Ever After”.
The best part about this story is that it is blissfully yours and totally unique! I love it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Happy anniversary!!!
love Love LOVE!!!!!
Love this story, Miz. And dare I say, love the hair, too???
*raises glass of protein/chia shake* Cheers to 15 years! May you have many more years of love and fun together!
nice blog. Happy new year to everyone from Italy!
WOW!!! I never envisioned a story like this from you about your marriage & how you met & all the other stuff you wrote - but heck, I should have & I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think you should make into a screenplay or movie. What a wonderful way to do it all & the memories!!! Thank you soooooooooo much for sharing!
And Carla, every day I wonder how my hubby puts up with me!
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Congrats! xoxo
Recommit each day, yes. Also, hang on and enjoy the ride. This from 26 1/2 years, you are doing it right.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!
And just think… this is only the beginning!
Happy anniversary!!!
Loved reading this. And Emma will love having this story for the her life.
I LURVE this! fondly remembering, smiling, giggling… and loving the strange and wonderful journey - go figure, right?
xoxo
Aw! Happy 15 years!
AMAZING. Congratulations. Marriage is NOT easy, but it’s worth making it for the right person!
Here’s to 15 more! (and 15 more after that!)
Happy Anniversary!
Thank you so much for sharing your story in words and pictures. It made me smile this morning.
Happy anniversary!
Congrats!
Happy Anniversary…and all I kept thing was
and this is a wonderful life….
that love built!
Congratulations! Love the photos and love hearing you’re happy. That’s what it’s all about. xo
Wonderful, Carla!!!!
what a sweet adventure of a life you too have made for yourselves. who says we need to live a cookie cutter life? bravo to you both & happy anniversary!
xoxo
Great post. We had kind of a haphazard wedding 45 1/2 years ago. We got our license and then went to the phone book to find a pastor. I wore my newest and best dress which was red. My best friend thought it was necessary to tell me “Get married in red and wish you were dead.” Ugh.
It was just me and now husband, his mom and grandma and my best friend and her mom. My friend did bring rice to throw at the end.
Happy anniversary! So fun reading your story (and seeing your hair).
Happy Anniversary Miz!
The way you got married is something I would totally do but hub wants it something bigger so till today we still aren’t married.
You probably won’t agree, but I think this is one of the most romantic love stories I’ve ever read. You both look SO happy!
Love your story! Love the spontaneity of it and that here you are, 15 years later, knowing what a great move you both made. Congrats!
Happy Anniversary! You two are one of my favorite couples because you seem so perfectly matched. Like two peas in a pod - I love that!
And oh my goodness gracious, girl. What WAS going on with that hair????
Happy Love day
It makes me so happy to read this…
Always love a great LOVE story. Kev and I just celebrated 15 years on New Year’s Eve. Life IS good!
Happy Anniversary!
I love you, Miz. The cop and I got married at the JOP in jeans and celebrated at ChiChi’s. 7.5 years ago.
aww! congrats!!!! me n my hubs have stuck together 15 years too!!
go us!!
you are too cute!
Thanks so much for sharing this happily ever after story with us! A good marriage is a lot of work, but a huge reward too!
My hubby and I mark 15 years in 2012 too!
This. Is Beautiful.
The true love stories are never like the movies. Thank goodness.
love love your story! congrats!
The hair comments are funny!
That’s awesome!!
I think there is something hopelessly romantic about eloping or doing a wedding that is simple and quick. Like you love each other SO much you cannot wait another moment.
Your post title sounds like an Elvis song!
Happy Anniversary!!!
Happy, Happy, Happy Anniversary!
And as far as the hair goes, I kind of love your platinum blond shorty short.
And his excitified face is awesome.
Awww, I love this story! It made me smile and reflect…then cry, because I’m a pregnant hormonal mess. =)
Congratulations and Happiest of Anniversaries!!!!!!!!!
Love it! Happy Anniversary!
this is such a joy to read and i love the story. I hope you tell it often to tornado and to others.
Happy Anniversary!
p.s.
I think that hairstyle is making a comeback, yes?
Happy anniversary friend…you make marriage, parenting, blogging, etc. etc. etc., look EASY!
Yes…you are wonderful at it all and very blessed.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post!!!!! BIG happy anniversary to you both!!! Cheers to MANY more!!!!
Next week is our 15 years. And ours was in the living room of a very old minister we found in the yellow pages. Yup, we non-childhood dreaming of being a bride wives are the best!
Happy Anniversary MizFit & Ren Man…I know we’ve both said this before, but your relationship and our relationship (Tim and me) bear many similarities. AND we’ll be celebrating 15 years of wedded bliss later this year!
I, too, am so very grateful and blessed.
Aww, what an awesome post. Happy anniversary!
LOVE it! Congrats! Seems like it was just the perfect day for the two of you!
Aw thats so sweet!! Happy Anniversary!
Congrats to you both!
Awesomeness. I had to laugh that Jeff’s favorite sweatshirt is STILL the one featured in these posts. Good times.
What a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man! Happy anniversary! And your comment about being a people pleaser and accidentally ending up married made me laugh out loud. ME TOO.
Happy Anniversary!
Can I just tell you - I love you! You absolutely bring joy to my day!!!
Have a pretty day!
kristin
Happy Annivesary, such a wonderful post.
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! Great post! I love to see happiness in love after so many years. DH and I have been married for over 17 years and we still love each other more than the day we met.
I love that story, Miz. It is so YOU! Thanks for sharing. Happy anniversary to you both.
Aw thank you for sharing! Happy anniversary
.
I just love you! What an awesome happy day!
Aww. Happy anniversary!
I love your comment about choice and re-committing every day…
Happy anniversary!!! So happy for the two of you!! Best wishes for many more great years ahead!!!
Awww…congratulations! Happy Happy! That second to last sentence made me tear up.
Love it! Happy anniversary to both of you!
awwwww!! AND GR8 SMILES, THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL STORY OF UR LIVES TOGETHER. U R BLESSED. HAPPIEST ANNIVERSARY 2 U! MAYB YUM YUCKY WILL MAKE THAT A SEGMENT STORY ON HER TALK SHOW THAT WE KNOW SHE WILL HAVE ONE DAY:) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.:)
LOVE
Ren man’s sister is so deeply grateful that he found the love of his life, and that she is so wonderful to him.
A cool story to read indeed, Happy anniversary!
I am so pleased that you invited us tto the wedding.!!! What a witness to us and to your generation of your commitment to each other and to Emma! May you be blessed with many more years together.
Wonderful post, Carla! I feel so honored to be invited to your wedding … 15 years later! What an amazing accomplishment, truly. Marriage is a lot of hard work and dedication.
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Awesome post!
Happy Happy Happy Anniversary to you & C! Thank you for sharing those pics. They are SUPER AWESOME!! Love you xoxo
Congratulations on 15! Thank you for sharing this joy with us. Wishing you much more MizFit fun along on your adventure together.