Celebrating 17 Years of Marriage

My Yiayia (Grandma) Vikentia, my Dad’s Mum and my namesake, looked me in the eye when she first met my husband Peter in Cyprus and told me in Greek (so he wouldn’t understand), that the most successful marriages tend to be those where the husband loves their wife a little more than the wife loves them . She then announced that was true of Peter.

That must be why we celebrated 17 years of marriage last Sunday. Here are some pics I took on my phone of printed photos in our physical wedding album (talk about old school) which was frankly quicker than going through 17 years of stored images on my drive.  This was our Greek wedding, over a year after a magical Methodist ceremony and candlelit reception with a sea view in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Peter embarked on a year of Greek lessons in Camden after our first wedding and once his studies were complete, he was christened in Leeds a few months before our Greek Orthodox wedding (and reception at Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogate).

It was the most perfect day full of love and loved ones. I feel incredibly lucky that I got to have two weddings; dresses and locations (does mean a vowel reunion is unlikely though ). This dress of my dreams meant fittings in Paris too which my Mum and I milked all year long with girlie trips. What memories! Above all though, I’m deeply proud of the life Peter and I have built, our three wonderful but sleep-averse children  and how in love we are after almost 2 decades together, which is no mean feat is it?

I always remember a close friend (you know who you are) telling me in the early days dating Peter during the uni years, that no one else seemed to exist when we were together. Aww. 17 years down and here’s to forever and definitely no more babies ! P.S. The final photo is our cake, epic huh?!

Cover image is a few years old. Note to self: I must take more photos with my camera-shy husband!

For more life posts, read them here.