8th anniversary

On March 18, Tyler and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. This year we enjoyed a lunch date at P.F. Chang's and a family celebration that night, eating strawberry shortcake, toasting everyone with the unbreakable goblets, and watching our wedding videos, which the kids had never seen. In fact, Tyler and I hadn't seen them either.

When we got married, hiring a videographer in addition to the standard photographer was not the norm, like it is today. Most of my siblings and friends who married after I did have beautiful, professional videos of their day. Their DVDs are glamorous, full of slow motion, artistic shots. There is no corny dialogue, no "Say something to the bride and groom" while the cornered relative quickly stammers "Never go to bed angry" while edging out of the shot. If I were getting married today, I'm sure I would opt for the standard video tribute. But after watching our wedding videos--homemade, goofy, and hopelessly amateur--I wouldn't trade them for anything because they celebrate not just Tyler and I, but everyone who surrounded us on that memorable day.

Our volunteer videographers--and bless them, since it never occured to me to ask anyone, and no one in my family owned a video camera--were Tyler's sister Caroline and his crazy Uncle Jerry. Every family needs a crazy Uncle Jerry. The best part about Jerry's filming is how little Tyler and I are in it. Frankly, four shots of me is about as much as I can take, although I must admit I am ridiculously proud of how great I looked in that size 10 (how could I have possibly thought I was fat?!). Jerry captured fantastic footage of Tyler's aunts and uncles clowning together. He crossed the family divide and interviewed my relatives and assorted guests, none of whom he knew, and all of whom are more than a little startled at being enthusiastically accosted by a strange Wyoming cowboy brandishing a camera. He talked to my mother's friends who served the food and cleaned up, my old bishop, and assorted other people I loved and don't get to see much anymore.

Caroline's film felt more like an inside family joke. Tyler's siblings good naturedly parade in those outdated bridesmaids dresses and tuxes, teasing each other and us. My niece Victoria, an infant at the time, got more screen time than the bride and groom, and deservedly, too. She pulled off three fabulous outfits to my two. Caroline filmed Jerry filming her, while the two of them laugh at each other. Her footage lets me feel like a guest at my own wedding--a lot more fun than the receiving line.

So here's to our wedding "reality show." When Tyler and I got married after almost three years of dating, we both knew every member of the other's extended family. In fact MY grandmother kept asking Tyler if he was sure he wanted to go through with it. I love all of them. Thanks for eight years of fun memories and a lot more to come.