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The Best Day of My Life ♡ 06.20.15

Wednesday, June 24, 2015liifewithanna


Feelings of happiness, excitement, anxiety, and anticipation overcome me as I thought about how the weekend was going to be. I knew I was in for a wild ride with both an American Reception and traditional Hmong Wedding happening on the same day! In fact, the idea of it really terrified me. It was something so new to both of our families and we weren't sure if everyone could pull it off. My expectations, however, was so far from reality. Everything and everyone was beyond perfection. If I could bottle up all of the love and support that filled our day, I would. 

On the morning of my wedding day, I remember looking around and thinking to myself how incredibly blessed my husband and I am...to see the faces of every true friend we have ever had, to have the support of relatives that traveled near and far to be with us, to see all of our siblings' dedication in making our day the best that it could be, and to have parents that showered us with nothing but lots of love. That is definitely something I will never forget.

We started off the day with our Reception. And yes, typically you wouldn't start your wedding this way, but it was the best option for us - because we knew that once our traditional Hmong wedding started, there was no way we would be able to find the time to do the reception. That morning was full of happiness. It was truly a time where our family and friends were able to come together as one and fully immerse themselves in the moment, as we celebrate our union in marriage. It was exactly what we wanted and so much more. 








Watch our Reception here: 


The second part of our wedding was the traditional Hmong Wedding. Not one thing in my life that has happened, can compare to how I felt throughout this whole process.

I have been told that being a Hmong women, one of the hardest and most beautiful times in your life is when you decide to get married. I never truly understood that until my own wedding. The thought of leaving my parents to fully dedicate myself to my husband's side of the family, and having a new identity was extremely scary for me. If I just took those thoughts into consideration, I don't think I will ever be "ready" for marriage. But it's a commitment and sacrifice that I am willing to make for both myself and my husband, for our future. And I know that no matter what happens, my family will always be there for me. I was overwhelmed with the amount of love and support that we received from every single person that day, especially my parents. They mean the world to me and their kind words, love, and support can never be replaced. 

The most emotional part of the day was when it came time to leave my parent's house with my husband. This was it. I was really getting married. It was truly the last time that I could be with my parents as their daughter, before becoming someone's nyab (daughter-in-law). I hugged my parents, told them I loved them, and tears filled our eyes as we said our goodbyes. 

It was so hard to leave, I almost did not want to go. But as I departed my parents house with my husband, there was this strong feeling of determination to succeed as a daughter, wife, and nyab...so that in the future, I can shower both my husband's family and my family with hopefully as much love and support as they have given us.

I could keep going on with everything that went through my head that day but for the sake of not boring you, I'm going to stop here and just keep it short and sweet. And I think the videos do a wonderful job showing everything that happened as well as all of my emotions throughout the day. 









Watch our traditional Hmong Wedding here:


June 20, 2015 was the best day of my life, and it is indeed the BEST DAY EVER! As I come to an end with my wedding post, I have one advice to anyone planning their wedding: SAVOUR EVERY MOMENT! Weddings go by quickly. It's not worth it to stress over the little things, and it's okay if things aren't perfect. Just make sure to live in the moment and cherish the time you get with all your loved ones. 


Also, be sure to check out these related blog posts:
LOVE STORY
THE PROPOSAL & ENGAGEMENT PHOTOSHOOT
WEDDING PLANNING
DIY WEDDING WORD SEARCH FAN



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1 comments

  1. Dearest Anna,

    What a beautifully written blog post. Warmth and happiness took over me as I was reading through this post. Congratulations to you and Tou Ae! What a day to cherish for the rest of everyone's lives. May God bless you and your husband on this new journey <3.

    Thank you for sharing this part of your life with me! :)

    Positive Vibes,

    Lisa

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