How Long Were You Engaged? (+ Some Wedding Photos!)

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Five years ago today we froze our toes off for that picture! Happy five year anniversary to us. :)

It was such a whirlwind day, snowflakes and all, the culmination of years of dreaming but only three quick months of planning. In retrospect (and in the moment), I am so glad we had a short engagement. It forced us to make our decisions quickly and decisively, throwing dreams and instincts and friends and budget all into one pot, mixing it up, and coming out with a very collaborative wedding where everyone ate, danced, was merry… and stayed mostly warm!

It was a rather formal wedding — more formal than we usually are — and it wasn’t the outdoor, rustic affair I could have spent ages fussing over. But it did have a lot of cozy elements to it, like the bluegrass band that called the steps to the dances, and the photographer who had been a family friend for years, and the pies instead of cake, and the flowers arranged by friends with a burgeoning floral business, and the 50 bottles of wine you could choose from instead of a formal bar, and the fact that we were all shocked by the snow but were muddling through together anyway, with fur boots on under my wedding dress and unforgettable snowflake-filled memories being made.

How long were you engaged? Do you wish it was longer or shorter? What would you change about your wedding if you could?

And now a few photos! More here if you care to see. :)

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15 Responses to How Long Were You Engaged? (+ Some Wedding Photos!)

  1. Emma @EverEmma January 30, 2015 at 3:29 pm #

    Ah! Just looking at that first picture makes me cold! Harpy anniversary!

    Short engagements are pretty common here is Utah. We had originally planned to have a shorter engagement (6 months), but since our immediate family was all over the country we ended up picking a date when everyone would be able to make it. Our engagement ended up being a little over a year and our day was just about perfect! I’m actually pretty happy that we had that time to enjoy being engaged. If I could change anything I think I would have made it a destination wedding with just immediate family and very close friends.

  2. Gretchen January 30, 2015 at 3:47 pm #

    Soo romantic! Happy anniversary! Thanks for this post–we all love some good wedding photos. :)

    We were engaged for 9 months, since we got engaged toward the beginning of the school year and I wanted to finish my teaching obligation before moving to a different state. It felt perfect, and gave us time to work a lot of unique details into our wedding.

    We had a bluegrass band, too! If I could change anything, though, I’d be a little more assertive about my preferences. Others kept asking me if I was going to be a “bridezilla” and I was too afraid of that, I think!

  3. grammie January 30, 2015 at 3:48 pm #

    Happy anniversary! Much much love to you two
    today!

  4. Ellen January 30, 2015 at 6:39 pm #

    We had a four month engagement and I, like you, appreciated not having time to labor over details. It gave us time to complete premarital counseling yet not enough time to become too impatient waiting for the day to arrive.

  5. Carrie January 30, 2015 at 6:41 pm #

    Happy anniversary! What beautiful wedding pictures!

    We were engaged for about 3.5 months, and I wish it had been a bit longer, but I agree – it did force me to make quick decisions!

  6. jessica January 30, 2015 at 7:25 pm #

    That was a beautiful day and Clay and I and Hugh were so privileged to witness it. The snow just added to the beauty and uniqueness of the wedding. Congratulations Garbers!

  7. Sarah January 30, 2015 at 11:37 pm #

    Happy 5th!! Any gifts exchanged this year with the traditional 5th anniversary “wood” theme? Ours was a very short engagement. He proposed on New Year’s Eve…we had a secret wedding (shhhh…don’t tell my parents!) at the courthouse on February 19th…and our family wedding on the 6th of March at the chapel & officer’s club on the base in Athens, Georgia. We dated for two years and were just ready to be married. Made all arrangements ourselves, paid for the wedding ourselves, and it took SO much pressure off of the special day. Like your wedding seems to have been…it was a day of love, friendship, and fun with our most treasured friends and family!

  8. Beth January 31, 2015 at 7:19 am #

    Thanks for sharing the fun wedding pictures—I love the black and white and the snow! We were engaged just barely three months. We had wanted a short engagement, but it was a little shorter than I would have liked for preparations. However, between trying to coordinate with the out-of-state family friend musicians I had my heart set on and a cousin’s wedding and wanting to have an outdoor reception, it ended up being the only date that was going to work for everyone—and our awesome family and friends helped make it happen. I put the last hand stitches on the lining of my dress after the groom’s dinner the night before our wedding, but somehow it all came together and was pretty much perfect. The only thing I’d change, looking back, (which always makes my husband chuckle) is that somehow in all the careful attention to detail by my volunteer crew, they missed putting a skirt on the cake table so this really ugly little card table shows up (just a tiny bit—our photographer was good!) in all the pictures of cutting the cake! Funny thing was: I was so happy I didn’t really care that day, and I’m sure I am now the only person who even remembers it now! :)

  9. Janet January 31, 2015 at 7:55 am #

    We had about a 3 month engagement, about right, wish I’d had my future Mother-in-law plan the reception, she was great at doing stuff like that. I just didn’t know her well enough yet.
    We’ll have our 50th anniversary this year.

  10. Sarah January 31, 2015 at 10:11 am #

    Great pictures! We were engaged for about 6 months…eek!!

  11. Joy January 31, 2015 at 10:26 am #

    Looks like it was a beautiful wedding of two beautiful people! I love your dress! I think the snow makes it all the more lovely, too!

    I was engaged for nine months. I actually think that’s kind of long. But… I was eighteen, so it had to be that way! ;-) I had dated a Matt for two years already. It’s tough when you know you want to be married to this person, but you’re still very young.

  12. Abi February 2, 2015 at 7:00 am #

    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! I have such fun memories from that day: driving a bunch of bridesmaids through the snow in my little Honda Civic, praying over you before the ceremony began, and of course dancing the night away to the wonderfully fun music. Wow, five years went by fast! I feel so blessed to have been in your life then and to still be sharing fun memories together now :) Big hugs from VA!

  13. Karen February 3, 2015 at 12:50 pm #

    Happy Anniversary! Beautiful photos!

  14. Sarah Boschung February 15, 2015 at 5:32 pm #

    Happy (belated) Anniversary, friend! I vividly remember that day like it was yesterday! The snow that day made for beautiful pictures and fond memories! I have loved watching your marriage grow and blossom. Love you!!! XO

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