It was the latter part of August and we had spent the last few months carefully curating every last detail for our perfect Wedding Day. The venue provided a perfect balance for the outdoor ceremony we’d envisioned and the elegant indoor reception only a few footsteps from each other. The decorators were on point even throwing in requested extras to complete the look. Personalized pieces were curated and flown in from abroad and I had ordered not one but two Wedding dresses to transition from the ceremony to the reception. The intimate ceremony was scheduled to begin in the cool of the afternoon and at mid-day the weather was heavenly.

We both arrived at the location without a hitch, and began getting dressed as finishing touches were being done at the two locations. Friends and family trickled in as my future husband updated me with pictures of the settings while I sat in hair and makeup.

At 2pm the place was a bustle, photographers, hair stylists, and kids were running around. The excitement was building but we had time and we kept calm. I peered out the balcony intermittently to gaze at the location where I would wed my best friend. I could not believe this day was actually happening. A mixture of surrealism and calm filled the air and curiosity of what other surprises the universe held in store entered my existence and brought joy to my soul. Looking back at our Journey from strangers, to acquaintances, to friends, to confidants, to lovers to parents and now to husband and wife…the last 13 years seems to have culminated in a destination that neither you nor I, or anyone else could have fathomed when we first crossed paths. Yet here we stood, on the cusp of marriage – in pure defiance of all logic. The Universe must be having a good laugh, I thought to myself as I smiled and slipped  into my dress.

I had taken my eyes off the sky for what felt like minutes only to be pulled back to reality but the sounds of thunder and the flash of lightning. I sauntered closer to the balcony window and saw that it had only started to drizzle. A passing cloud I wished silently within me hoping all would not be ruined by inclement weather. I returned to dressing and photography when the skies exploded drenching everything in its sight. It was 30mins from go-time and a decision had to be made quickly – wait out the rain and try to salvage the outdoor ceremony or relocate to an indoor room which the hotel offered to us as a contingency.

You messaged informing me that we would be relocating and I had seconds to come to terms with the fact that our “perfect day” was not happening. There was no discussion, no argument, no negotiating, just a simple “ok’ as a response. There was no time to curate this new space.  I had no idea of its location, orientation or size. No clue if there was time to salvage and relocate any of the decorations but at that moment it just didn’t matter. I trusted you completely to decide on our behalf what was the best thing to do. Instead of panic and anxiety, I felt a sense of calm and safety.

In a weird sense, the unexpected and unplanned weather was a metaphor for our entire relationship. Nothing we have been through has been conventional or traditional and certainly nothing we have been through has been perfect. Our relationship seemed to have forged its own path in spite of both of our objections to defining what we had as a relationship. Despite our defiance, after 13 years of doing anything but…we finally realised that destiny cannot be fought against. We have dealt with every challenge thrown at us with this same sense of calm and unique ability to pivot without panic, understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps age and experience has brought us to the wisdom of realising that everything in life is temporary and truly…it does not rain forever…