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Ten years ago, Alex and I got married. It feels simultaneously like yesterday and a million years ago. Here’s a little walk down memory lane…
Alex proposed on a sailboat on the Hudson River on October 31st. As a cover, he pretended he was inviting me to a work event. (I kept saying, “Are you sure you have a work event at 4 p.m. on Halloween?”) Remembers Alex: “I was surprisingly nervous on the way there. I was trying to be cool, but I found it hard to have two narrative threads running in my head. It shows what a bad con artist I’d be.” As soon as the boat pushed off, he popped the question. We were careening from side to side in the water and nearly dropped the ring overboard. Needless to say, I said yes.
We got married the following August, and these photos are from the rehearsal dinner, during my mom’s speech. We were so giddy!
We went on a honeymoon to Italy and brought back a souvenir…
And the following spring…
Baby Toby arrived! (Those expressive eyebrows still make me laugh.)
He was a joy, even when grouchy.
We sometimes would sneak out on date nights — even when, as an anxiety-ridden new mom, that meant walking around the block 10 times so as not to be too far from baby Toby. And, I have to say, of all the versions of Alex — sleeping-in Alex, bike-riding Alex, forgetful Alex, war-book-reading Alex — my favorite might be restaurant Alex. Anyone who has gone to dinner with him knows what wonderful, chatty company he is over, invariably, a glass of wine and a hanger steak, medium rare.
Before too long, we welcomed another cheeky little dude into the crew — Anton, aka Tony Baloney, aka Emperor Bombonicus, aka Boney Bones.
The fearsome foursome felt like the right fit for our family (despite the occasional ache for a third child, which I’ve learned is just something to sit with!).
And here we are. It’s been a great decade together, full of the ups and downs of life — four apartments, two children, inside jokes, door-slamming fights, swimming in the ocean, sleepless nights worrying, loss of loved ones, reading in bed, family bike rides, depressions, tears in each other’s arms, drinking wine on the stoop, repeated stories, kissing on the street. Makes me wonder what the next 10 years will bring.
At the end of the day, needless to say, marriage isn’t easy. You’re two humans living together and no matter who you’re with, it’s going to be hard sometimes, right? As Alex says, “Everyone you date or marry is going to be insane. You just have to choose the form of insanity that works for you.” And our brands of crazy, luckily, seem to fit.
Alex Williams — 10/10 would marry again.
P.S. Eight things I’ve learned about marriage, and our very first date.
(Wedding photos by Max Wanger.)
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