Take the Trip. Take the Time. Take a Breath.

As I’ve mentioned before, Rachel and I have terrible timing. Whenever we plan something, life seems to step in and say, “Not so fast.” Tragedies, financial curveballs, work conflicts, a full-blown pandemic—you name it. Even as I write this, I’m watching my two sons wrestle on the trampoline, half-expecting one of them to break an arm and derail our next big move: Rachel and I’s first real trip together in six years.

When we first started dating—right before the world shut down—we had big plans to travel and experience life together. To be fair, we’ve still found ways to do that. We took a masked-up trip to the Finger Lakes and Cooperstown, traveled to Mexico just before Kaven made his entrance into the world, and have had our fair share of family vacations and destination weddings. We’ve been fortunate to make memories in a lot of places.

But here’s the truth—most of those trips weren’t really breaks.

When you’re parenting, you’re still parenting… just somewhere else. When you’re working, you’re still working… just with a nicer view. Even the best family vacations can feel like a shift in location more than a true reset.

That said, we’ve learned how to take what we can get. Porch nights after the kids go to bed. A quiet drive through the fall foliage in Vermont. Horseback riding in Tennessee squeezed between a rehearsal and a wedding. Small moments that give you just enough space to breathe.

But now, it’s our turn.

We’re taking six days away—no kids, no obligations, no real agenda. Just a cruise, hopefully some warm weather, a couple of drinks, and a good book or two. A true reset.

And that’s why I’m sharing this with you.

After your wedding day, you need that same kind of time. Whether it’s a full honeymoon somewhere far away, a long weekend getaway, or even just a few intentional days at home, it matters more than most people realize. You’ve just spent months—maybe years—planning one of the biggest days of your life. You’ve managed logistics, vendors, family expectations, and a thousand moving parts. And then, just like that, it’s over.

Life doesn’t slow down after your wedding. If anything, it picks right back up. Work, routines, responsibilities—it all comes rushing back in.

So take the trip. Take the time. Take a breath. Give yourselves the space to actually feel married. To sit in it, enjoy it, and experience that shift together before life settles back into its normal rhythm.

And don’t let that be a one-time thing.

Make it a point to take time for each other regularly—real, intentional time. Date nights, even if it’s just once or twice a month (yes, I’m looking at you, future and current parents). Go to a baseball game, hit your favorite lunch spot, grab tickets to a concert, or just get out and do the things you used to do when everything felt a little simpler. Those moments matter more than you think, and they’re a big part of what keeps everything else strong.

And when it comes to everything else, don’t worry—I’ve got it covered. I’ll take care of the legal side of things and make sure everything is properly handled and filed, so you can focus on what actually matters: starting your marriage the right way.

Lucky in Love… or Just Really Intentional?

March has a funny way of making us think about luck. Shamrocks show up everywhere, people start ordering Guinness like it’s a personality trait, and suddenly every couple is being told, “You two are so lucky you found each other.”

I hear it all the time at weddings.

And listen — I love the holiday. Rachel and I actually got engaged on St. Patrick’s Day. We leaned into it fully. We love the day, we love the energy, and yes, we love a good Guinness, We’ve been known to enjoy a Dublin Drop like we’re back in our twenties with zero responsibilities and questionable decision-making skills. It’s one of those holidays that feels celebratory by default.

But here’s the honest part: if there were an award for “worst planning luck imaginable,” Rachel and I would at least make the podium. Weather rarely cooperates. Schedules shift constantly. The most meaningful ideas we come up with usually require twice the logistics and half the convenience. Planning has never exactly gone smoothly for us.

And yet, none of that has defined our marriage.

So were we lucky to find each other? Absolutely. I’ll take that compliment every time.

But luck didn’t build our relationship. Choosing each other did.

There’s a real difference between saying, “We got lucky,” and saying, “We keep choosing each other.” Luck is passive. It’s something that happens to you. Choosing is active. It requires intention, effort, patience, and a willingness to show up even when it would be easier not to.

That difference is exactly why weddings feel magical.

From the outside, a ceremony can look like this beautiful, emotional swirl of music, vows, laughter, and tears. It feels effortless. It feels like something just “clicked.” But magic at a wedding is rarely random. It’s built.

It’s built in the conversations where couples decide what parts of their story actually matter. It’s built when they choose honesty over perfection. It’s built when they allow their personalities — not trends — to shape the ceremony. The moments that move a room aren’t accidental. They’re intentional.

That’s why the ceremony becomes such a powerful experience for everyone present. It’s the one part of the day where guests aren’t just watching something happen — they’re feeling the weight of two people publicly choosing each other. When someone comes up afterward and says, “That ceremony was so them,” they aren’t describing luck. They’re responding to alignment. They’re feeling the intention behind every word.

Even the emotional highs and lows of a ceremony — the laughter, the pause before a vow, the quiet tears, the collective cheer at the kiss — are designed to tell a story. A good ceremony doesn’t just list facts about a couple. It brings people through the journey. It allows joy and depth to coexist. It reflects the reality that love isn’t one steady note; it’s dynamic, layered, and alive.

Rachel and I may joke about our terrible luck when it comes to planning, but the one thing that has never been left to chance is our commitment to choosing each other. Every day. Not just on a holiday that celebrates luck. Not just on the day we got engaged. Not just on the wedding day.

So this March, if someone tells you you’re lucky to have found each other, smile and embrace it. Celebrate it. Raise the Guinness if you’d like.

But remember this: luck might have introduced you. Commitment is what will sustain you. And when your ceremony day arrives, the magic won’t come from coincidence. It will come from two people standing in front of everyone they love and intentionally saying, “I choose you.”

That’s not luck.

That’s love, built on purpose.

Sláinte — and may the road rise up to meet you.