Becoming Mrs. Rogers

 Hello again, friends!

This is the next and final part of mine and Noah’s wedding story! If you’d like to read about why we decided to get married in BC with seven people and two weeks’ notice, you can click here. And if you’d like to read about my chaotic week in Montreal before the wedding, you can click here. All that has brought us to the final days leading up to the wedding!

I landed in Vancouver on the evening of Friday, September 18th. After six months of being apart, it felt so strange to be with Carissa again. I’d never been to BC before, either. The boys—Noah and his best friend—had left Texas Thursday night to make the 35-hour, non-stop drive to the border by Saturday morning. So that morning, Carissa drove me to Peace Arch Park, where I was reunited with Noah, also for the first time in six months—and for the first time since we got back together. It felt like such a relief to be in his arms again.

Unfortunately, we were only there for 45 minutes. We walked around the park, looking for some good potential sites for the ceremony. Then Noah gave me his documents, which I would need to get our marriage license, and it was time to leave. Upon parting, he gave me Jordy’s dress, the polaroid film, and some Jewelry. Noah’s sister had so kindly allowed me to borrow some of their mother’s pearls for the wedding. While we were there, we all noted that there was no smoke in the air at all. It was perfectly clear!

Carissa then drove me to the office where I got our marriage license. It was much quicker and easier than I’d expected. That afternoon, Carissa attended the bachelorette celebrations of her cousin, and I hung out with her mother. For the bachelorette, they went to a place where they could pick their own flowers and make a bouquet to take home. She returned with a lovely bouquet that she’d made herself, and she told me that I could use some of the flowers for my wedding bouquet. I hadn’t been planning to have a bouquet because there was just too much for me to organize within the short window of time that we had.

On Sunday morning, I took an Uber to Peace Arch Park again—about an hour’s drive from Carissa’s house—so that I could spend the day with Noah.  We passed the time lying around and chatting. We watched the ocean and ate—and Noah may have taken a nap at some point. The park closes at 7:30 pm, so Noah and I said our goodbyes around 7 o’clock.

I got a nasty surprise when I walked over into Canada and tried to get an Uber back to Carissa’s house. There were none! Our photographer, Jordy, and her husband were picking my sister, Jordy, up from the airport around that time, so I called her and asked if they could come to get me on their way back to Abbotsford. It was a bit out of their way, but it would be quicker than Carissa coming to get me.

The hardest part was that Noah couldn’t wait with me, even though he was just on the other side of the park. I had to wait by myself on a dark street corner. Don’t worry, though; I was safe! A police officer came around to check on me, and I was on the phone with Noah most of the time. But as I was sitting there, it all sunk in. The following day, I was getting married. And then I was going to leave my husband after I’d just gotten him back. That night was really hard for me. It would be a lie to say otherwise

I can’t remember what time I was picked up, but we went and got dinner after. It was nice to see some very old friends again and to be with my sister. We got home kinda late but went to bed at a decent time.

By the time I woke up the next morning, the sadness had gone, and I was full of excitement and joy. Jordy and I ate breakfast together, and then Carissa’s mother took us to run some errands. We bought bread for sandwiches. Our plan was to have a casual charcuterie board for a picnic dinner after the wedding. We were to make the sandwiches and bring the board, and the boys were to take care of the rest. Carissa’s mom treated us to some cupcakes for dessert.

While in town, we went hunting for some baby’s breath to add to the bouquet, but none of the florists had any on such short notice. When we got home, I went to a neighbor's house who had given us permission to cut some eucalyptus for my bouquet instead. I ironed our dresses, wrote some thank you cards, and made a list of things we couldn’t forget to bring. Soon enough, it was 1:30 pm, and we went out to get noodles for lunch.

We got back with our noodles at 2:00 pm with an hour until we were to leave for the Peace Arch. I downed some lunch before remembering that I still hadn’t filled out the marriage license. So I did that before getting ready. Carissa made my bouquet. Her mother made the sandwiches. We all got dressed, packed the car, and left right on time at 3:00 pm. Something I loved about my wedding day was how low-stress it was and how little pressure I felt. I didn’t have a hair or makeup artist. I didn’t have five bridesmaids and two mothers to get ready too. I didn’t have a venue to decorate or a caterer to coordinate with. It was simple. Carissa and I were in one car, the two Jordy’s were in another car, and our officiant and the boys walked over.

We arrived at the park around 4:00 pm with half an hour to spare before we were scheduled to start. Everyone looked so lovely! It was also then that we met Nick, our officiant, in person for the first time. We walked around to find a spot to set up. We found a perfect little corner, in front of a hedge and some flowers, that was just a little more private. As we were setting up, another bride walked by and gave us her congratulations! Eventually, we were all set up and ready to go.

I think we started a few minutes late, but honestly, I didn’t really care. Nick did a wonderful job with our ceremony, and I’m so grateful for him. He also gave us a copy of everything he said. Noah and I had written our own vows, to which both of us almost cried but didn’t. When Noah and I kissed, I heard some cheering from behind the cellphone that was set up to stream the ceremony. While I had been looking intently at Noah and Nick, a few kids had gathered to watch, and they were laying in the grass with their heads in their hands. It made me smile even wider.

That was it! Just before 5:00 pm on September 21st, we were officially married. I was Mrs. Rogers!

After the ceremony, Jordy took some stunning photos of us and our wedding party. We had also asked our parents and Noah’s pastor, all of whom couldn’t be at the wedding, to write us a letter that we could read together on our wedding day. So Noah and I took some time to sit and read these sweet and encouraging words from our loved ones. Once all that was done, we laid out the blankets and food, and we dug in. We watched the sunset, listened to love songs, and laughed. It was such a sweet time. 

Noah and I danced a little bit, and we took some Polaroids together. I’d mentioned the idea of having a wedding box instead of an album. I wanted to collect the letters from our loved ones, our handwritten vows, the polaroids, and more to put into a box to remember the special day. I knew that I would never get around to making a photo album or scrapbook so this was perfect for me. And before the Jordys left, my sister gave me a box! I had no idea she’d brought it, and it was a special, thoughtful, and lovely gift.

The Jordy’s left first, as my sister was flying back to Ontario that night. The rest of us stayed until around 7:00pm. When we packed up, I gave my husband one last kiss and hug. 

On the way home, Carissa and I stopped at a Wendy’s and went in all done up in our wedding attire to get late-night blizzards. We blasted throwback tunes as we ate and drove home. Jordy sent me the photos that night, and I fell in love with them. It was such a special day that I’ll never forget. I also watched back the live video of our wedding, and the audio was perfect! Only God could have made it that clear, and I’m so grateful for every little detail that He orchestrated for us.

I flew back to Ontario the following morning, and the boys began their long drive back to Texas. I stayed at a hotel by myself for three nights to get some alone time and to sort out my next accommodations. On the 25th of September, I moved into a house with three other college-aged people. Carissa’s mother had gotten me connected with them—a friend of Carissa’s cousin and two others who were looking for a fourth roommate.

Once I got here, I applied for some jobs and waited. I was told it would take 4-6 weeks for the marriage certificate to arrive. No one ever got back to me about the jobs. And on Wednesday, after just three and a half weeks of waiting, our marriage certificate arrived! I was so excited that I called Noah at work to tell him. 

Now that we have the certificate, I can make my way down to Texas. On October 23rd, I’ll be flying down to be reunited with my husband! We are so, so, SO pumped to finally be able to be together. Even so, it won’t be permanent. I’ll only be on a visitor visa, which lasts six months. After that, I’ll have to return to Canada for a bit.

Once I’m in Texas, we’ll begin the application process for me to get a spousal visa, which usually takes around a year. Once I have it, I’ll be able to live and work in America and come and go as I please—and we can start applying for a green card, which is permanent residency. That usually takes about two years to get. Bottom line is that it’s a long and tedious process, but Noah and I are hopeful for the future, and we are so looking forward to all that God has for us.

That is where our story is up to for the moment. There is so much yet to come. And as scary and daunting as the future is, I’m thrilled and honored to be going through it with my husband by my side.

For more of a day-to-day look into our lives, you can check out my Instagram. I’ve posted all the best wedding photos there, too! But for now, I need to go and start packing for Texas! Until next time, my friends,

Darcy-Rea Rogers

The End...Or Just the Begining!