One year ago today, my husband and I  said “I do”. He wore a navy blue suit and I wore a white dress. Our elopement ceremony was a small affair, my husband’s parents acting as our witnesses. I burst into tears when we read our vows, despite having already known what they said. After we were married we had a lovely roast dinner with family and then we were whisked away to spend the night probably the worst hotel we’ve ever booked. I literally couldn’t sleep a wink because I felt so sick and clammy, annoyed at the fact that we had chosen the worst hotel for our wedding night.

So, what have I learned in the last 366 days (it’s been a leap year, after all!) of being married to my best friend? I’ve learned that not everything has to be a competition, and that a good compromise feels like a win for both parties. We had a lot of ups and a lot of downs last year, but it was all worth it because we went through everything together. I feel so grateful to have a partner who truly understands me and supports all of my harebrained ideas. We laugh just as much as we complain about the stupid shit going on in our lives. I’m so proud of all of the improvements we’ve made and are still making in our lives, and I think we’re both so lucky to have the other one cheering us on. Despite the constant ebb and flow of my emotions, it’s so great to know that I’ve always got someone on my side.

In celebration of our first anniversary as a married couple, we got each other multiple cards and even gave each other coupons (great minds really do think alike). My husband’s gift to me is a trip to Waterstone’s so I can buy a bunch of books that I’ll actually want to read.

We’re in London now and we’ve checked into our hotel and everything has gone very well so far. I wasn’t expecting much from the hotel so I was blown away with the hospitality we received upon checking in — a room upgrade, complimentary drinks, and even a surprise anniversary card alongside a couple of slices of cake! On top of all of that, our bathroom has a huge bathtub, double sinks, and double showers! Seriously, South Place Hotel is blowing my mind. I definitely think we’ll stay here again for other special occasions, especially when they go to such an enormous effort to make your stay extra special.

Our afternoon tea at Sketch didn’t exactly go to plan. Our table was really cramped, the room was very warm, and there were so many people there. At first I didn’t feel comfortable and I was feeling pretty underwhelmed and very anxious. The hostess was kind enough to find us a less-cramped table in the corner, and eventually we moved. After that, the tea was lovely. In the future I definitely think it would be worth it to mention to the hostess while booking if you would prefer to be seated in a specific area to avoid all of the confusion. It was such an expensive meal (£128.50 + £1 charity donation!!) but we’ve also been dreaming of going for years. All in all it was a nice way to commemorate our anniversary.

Anyway, I have a glass of rosé and a halloumi burger that are feeling a bit neglected, so I’m going to go. Tomorrow we’re going to be shopping pretty much the entire day, so wish me luck in finding stuff that I really like!