Step by Step Parenting

If I could pick one day of my life to relive, I would hands-down pick my wedding day. I asked my husband the same question, without telling him my answer, and yet, his answer was the same: he would choose to relive our wedding day.

We knew from very early on in our relationship that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. This was a surprising realization for both of us, because we were both healing from our respective divorces and certainly hadn’t been seeking out love. Instead, it just fell into our laps. It was like something out of a storybook. We could talk for hours, understood each other on a deep, fundamental level, shared hobbies, had similar senses of humor, and were (and still are) each other’s best friend. We cared about one another, and seemed so connected and in sync that we decided we must be twin flames.

Our first summer together, just a few months after we started dating, we were both training for an ultramarathon. This meant that every weekend we could, we would drive to the mountains to go on trail runs lasting anywhere from two to five hours. Completely disconnected from our phones and the busyness of our day-to-day lives, we would spend those long runs daydreaming about our wedding, planning it aloud together while we ran. We would toss ideas around about venues, dates, details, honeymoon destinations, and more. Our wedding day seemed like a far-fetched dream, and although we knew the day would come, it seemed impossibly far away at the time.

Around a year and a half later, though, my husband proposed to me on top of one of the same mountains we used to run at, and the day we used to dream of finally began to take shape. We had a blast touring venues, planning personalized decor, and getting everything ready. In fact, we were so excited for the day to come that we ended up moving up our wedding date just so the day would come sooner!

After seven months of being engaged, the big day finally arrived. We were married on August 13th, 2025, and the whole day was a fairytale, and exceeded all of our dreams.

(Sidenote: I have already written about what day was like in terms of becoming a blended family here. For this post, I will just be focusing on Kevin and I)

In addition to running, Kevin and I both loved reading, so when we stumbled upon a venue that allowed us to get married in a library, we jumped at the chance! The library was in a manor, so in the morning, we all got ready in suites upstairs before heading down to the library for the ceremony. I got ready in a bridal suite with my mom, my maid-of-honor, Sara, and my daughter and stepdaughter. Meanwhile, Kevin got ready across the hall with his dad, brother, and son.

After everybody was ready, my photographer helped us capture a bunch of “first look” moments. Since our girls were all dressed up to be flower girls, Kevin did a first look with them, and then I also did one with both my dad and Kevin. For Kevin and I, we also read each other our vows, and doing it privately was a perfect way to ease some of the wedding-day jitters I was having! Our first look gave us a good pause during an otherwise hectic morning, and it was nice to see each other and soak in the moment before the actual ceremony.

My friend likes to poke fun at me that, in classic Megan fashion, I was literally scribbling my vows down on scrap paper at the exact time I was supposed to be heading downstairs to meet with Kevin! In my defense, I had decided what I was going to say days before, I just hadn’t written it down yet. And then Kevin, ever thoughtful, wrote his vows to me on the backside of the first letter he ever wrote to me, from over two years ago. Needless to say, we both cried!

After all of the first looks, we had a little bit more time before the actual ceremony. Since Kevin and I loved the library so much, our photographer decided to do some of bridals there. The photos turned out stunning to say the least, and perfectly captured Kevin and I! We also used this opportunity to get more photos with our family and the wedding party.

With those out of the way, it was officially time for the ceremony! Kevin’s son was the ring bearer, and he was one of the first to go down the aisle after his dad. He is a very shy kid, and as you can see in the photos, he was so nervous. But it helped that he was able to just run straight to his dad! After him came our daughters, the two flower girls. They had been having fun practicing for the big day in the weeks beforehand, and loved throwing flower petals around! Next, it was my turn down the aisle, along with my dad. I don’t know why I was so nervous — I think just because I knew everybody would be staring at me — so I gripped my dad’s arm tightly as we slowly made our way to Kevin, praying that I wouldn’t trip.

A close family friend, who is like a second father to me, was the officiant who married Kevin and I. He said a few words, we each exchanged an “I do,” and then he declared us husband and wife. We were officially Mr. and Mrs. Eldredge!

After the ceremony, the guests were free to roam the manor while the family went outside to the lawn for more photos. Throughout the manor were photos of Kevin and I, hors d’oeuvres, and even a soda bar for guests to enjoy! Outside, the ivy-covered manor served as a beautiful backdrop for family photos. I had so much family that flew from out-of-state just to celebrate with us, so we made sure to get several photos with all of my extended family. My brother and sister were both on LDS missions and couldn’t be there, and although we missed them, I am so thankful that all of my grandparents, along with several aunts and uncles, were able to make it.

Between the beautiful manor that looked more like a castle, my hair and makeup that was done way fancier than I normally have it, and my wedding dress, I felt like like a true princess. Our photographer helped pose me for more bridal shots on the front lawn, hyping me up the whole time. I am so glad that she was able to help us capture so many special moments from that day, and I know that we will treasure these photos for the rest of our lives.

Once we were all done on the front lawn, Kevin and I took another break in the side room to breathe before joining the rest of the guests for the reception. Our wedding planner had directed everyone to the gardens behind the manner, where the afterparty was to take place. It was decorated with string lights, greenery, and flowers, and just looked gorgeous!

Kevin and I had our first dance (“Tenerife Sea” by Ed Sheeran), and then we also did a first dance with all three of our kids, too. Afterwards, we had dinner, cut the cake, and danced until nightfall with all of our family and friends! It was a blast! One funny memory from the day was that unfortunately, as they carried our cake out, the cake started to wobble and our custom cake topper fell to the ground and shattered. I didn’t want the venue staff to feel bad, because it was just an accident, so I just waved it off and laughed. If you look closely at the photos, you can see the shattered topper under the cake!

Finally, around nine o’clock, it was time for Kevin and I to leave. The nice part of having a smaller wedding with only around 50 guests is that by the end, we had been able to talk to every single person, and personally thank them for coming to celebrate with us. It truly means so much that so many people chose to give up a few hours on a Sunday night to come make Kevin, me, and our family feel so loved and supported. We feel so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives!

At the end of the day, it felt like it had gone by in a flash. Everyone warned us to savor every moment, because it would be over quickly, and they were right. I wish I could relive it all just one more time, if only to soak it all in even more than I did the first time.

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