It was early morning on December 16, 2016. I could barely open my eyes due to the sleepless night I had spent wondering if everything was ready for my big day and pondering all the details I needed to take care of. I called my wedding planner several times to double-check every single detail. I got out of bed, trying to walk through my room, it was crowded because my sisters were sleeping with me for the last time. They were exhausted because they had arrived in Maracaibo, Venezuela, just the night before from the United States. I decided to take a long shower to calm my nerves, and standing under the water, I suddenly decided that I could not worry anymore. I needed to relax and be happy.
The last couple of months before the wedding were very stressful. Thinking about every single detail was exhausting. I wanted my wedding to be perfect. I was only twenty-four years old, but I knew that I could handle that responsibility. I had worked so hard, waking up early in the mornings and spending long nights figuring out every detail with my wedding planner, my mom, and my future husband. The day before the wedding, I felt exhausted and cried for no reason.
After I finished my shower, I heard the doorbell and then the voice of my future husband, talking to my mom about some details of the wedding. I began to get ready to spend the rest of the morning with my sisters at the spa. They did not feel quite well, both felt sick to their stomachs. I remembered telling myself, ‘They have absorbed all my stress because I feel so relieved and peaceful now’. After they felt better, we headed over to the spa that was in the Intercontinental Hotel, where the reception would also take place. I was treated like a queen at the spa. I remember the hot water in the jacuzzi, and I remember tasting a sweet mimosa and thinking how lucky I was. I also remember how my muscles stretched and my entire body lost tension and stress as I had a massage from a miracle hand.
When I arrived at the hotel room, everything was in place. My mom had my dress, my makeup, my shoes, a lot of flowers, and a couple of mimosas on the table. After lunch, around 4:00 p.m., my hairdresser arrived. He was an old friend of mine whom I could trust to arrange my hair for such an important event. While he was doing his job, my makeup artist did magic with my face while we were talking and laughing about memories from our childhood and how incredible it was that my little sister was taking care of me on my big day. I heard a knock on the door. It was a messenger with a little bag in his hands from my future husband. When I opened the bag, it was a gorgeous bracelet with a key charm and a note that said, ‘Here, I give you the key of my heart, love you so much, babe’. I was so happy and excited about it that I immediately texted him to let him know how much I love him.
I was ready around 7:00 p.m. My dad was waiting in the lobby to take me to the church. I remember my dad’s face as I was walking through the lobby. He looked happy, although he had tears in his eyes. He took my hand and said: “I love you so much. I wish you the best in the world, my dear”. We talked about everything and nothing on our way to the church. Once we arrived, I was nervous for the first time that day, but I also felt excited and happy. It was a beautiful night. The sky was covered with shiny stars. The front of the church looked grand, and the lights guided my entrance. When the main entrance opened, I heard the church choir playing the wedding march. My eyes filled with tears, and I grasped my dad's arm and started the walk with him by my side. My heart was pounding, my hands sweating, and my legs shaking as everybody looked at me and smiled. As I walked, I focused on the man waiting for me at the end of the path, the man I had chosen to spend the rest of my life with. The ceremony was full of emotions and great moments, but the most memorable part for me was when I finally could say ‘I do’ with God as my witness. At that moment, my heart and soul committed to a life of happiness, joy, and love.
I had walked into the church at 8:00 p.m. with my dad, and I walked out at 9:00 p.m. with my husband. It was time to celebrate so we headed over to the hotel where everything was ready for a big party. Everything was perfect and dreamy that night, we had a lot of fun with family and friends. The food and drinks were delicious. We also had several music groups, including ‘gaitas’, traditional Venezuelan folk music from Zulia. The party ended at 5:00 a.m. on December 17. My dream had come true. All the stress, tears, and effort paid off.
That day I learned a very valuable lesson. When you want something, you must work hard for it. When the moment finally comes, relax and enjoy it, because if you worked hard, everything will take its place and usually will flow as you dreamed and planned. I believe I now know how to control my anxiety and stress during important times. I can use that adrenaline in my favor and channel all that energy to reach the final goal.