A year ago today, Andrea & Keith Lawrence were married in Cleveland, OH. They had a fun wedding (part I and part II) and they were fun to shoot! I am proud to say that I have kept in touch with both of them since and consider them good friends. (You may also remember Andrea from her TTD session here!)
I knew their anniversary was coming up and wanted to check in and see how married life was treating them so I asked a couple of questions and here are their answers!
It’s been a year, what has been the biggest change for you both?
Andrea: It’s hard to describe, but I think you really do fall deeper in love when you’re married. I didn’t think it was possible since I cared about Keith so much before, but one year later, I keep finding new reasons to love him.
Keith: It’s funny because you expect things to change dramatically once you’re married, but they really don’t. That isn’t to say that everything stays the same though, as I definitely noticed some things here and there. For example, I can now refer to Andrea as my wife when introducing her in public or within the context of a conversation. It’s something that you don’t think about in the time leading up to the wedding due to the fact that your head is filled with schedules, vendor details and all the little things that make a wedding great. But it truly feels new and genuine to say “wife,” and I love that I get to do that now. So even though most things stay the same, the little things that do change are exciting.
Looking back what do you remember most about your wedding day?
Andrea: I remember dancing with my dad. We’d gotten together to practice our routine so many times, but when it came time to do it at the reception, we just let go and had fun with it. There’s a picture of me hugging him when it was over, and I get teary eyed and smiley all over again every time I look at that picture.
Keith: The one thing I remember most about my wedding day was how beautiful my wife looked when she walked down the aisle at her father’s side, and how it literally took my breath away. That was the only time in the entire wedding that I had to choke back tears, standing up there in front of everybody, waiting for my soon-to-be wife. I didn’t cry, but she made it awfully difficult not to.
Would you have done anything different on the day now that you look back on it?
Andrea: Although we have some great candid shots of our guests, I think a “photo booth” would’ve been a nice addition. They were such a fun crowd, so I think they would’ve loved an opportunity to grab some goofy props and get their picture taken. It would’ve been a nice touch to send copies of the images in our Thank-you cards.
Keith: If I could have done anything differently, I would have added one more guy to my wedding party to even out the numbers with the bridesmaids. My apologies to Derek.
If you had any advice to give to people who are getting married this year, what would it be?
Andrea: Deep breaths! The guest list, decorations, budget, vendor selection—it can all get really overwhelming. To avoid getting too stressed by all of it, we designated “no-wedding-talk” days. It allowed time for us to just be a happy couple and do fun things together. Plus, it stopped me from obsessing over each and every detail. We had our fair share of “freak-out” moments, but in the end, you get to marry your best friend, so it’s definitely worth it.
Keith: Plan ahead, talk things out, and always remember to have fun.
Which is your favorite photo from the wedding?
Andrea: This is a tough question— and a great excuse for me to look at all the photos yet AGAIN! 😉 Ok, my two favorites are: The “shoe shot” with my bridesmaids on the stairs at the Hyatt Arcade. I had mentioned that I wanted to show off their blue pumps at our first meeting. It’s like you plucked the picture right out of my brain!
The second has to be the shot of our first dance, where Keith was dipping me. It’s funny because, based on the photo, it looks like we did a classic waltz or something. In reality, it was a mash-up of a Cotillion dance, Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” and Guitar Hero! It’s nice that you captured the one split second in that dance when we looked romantic.
Keith: My favorite photograph from the wedding is the black and white shot of me dipping my wife during our first dance.
and finally, what have you learned about each other in the past year that you didn’t already know?
Andrea: I have learned that if I don’t put up a fight for my half of the bed, I will end up on the floor by morning. Since being married I sleep with elbows out 😉
Keith: In the past year, I have learned that I share more in common with my wife than I thought I did. I know that she truly cares about me and wants me to be happy no matter what. Each day brings something new, because it is an opportunity for us to grow closer together.
Thanks guys for answering my questions and Congratulations on your 1st Anniversary – I’ll be back asking again in 25 years 😉