Real People in Love: Meghan & Mike

One of the things I've missed most about not posting regularly is missing the Real People in Love series. I've been able to feature so many wonderful couples and this week's couple is no exception. Meghan is another Midwest blogger and shares her lovely life in Chicago on The Perfect Compilation Tape. Meghan is also a contributor of The Wife Diaries and as a future wife I definitely appreciate the lessons I can learn from other wives.

How old are you & Mike?

We are both 30!

What are your occupations?

I am a high school teacher, and he is a photographer/web designer

How did you meet?

We actually met at a wedding! We both stood up in the wedding party. The bride was a friend from high school, and Mike was the co-worker of the groom. I remember thinking how cute he was! We were both single at the time, and totally hit it off at the rehearsal dinner. He asked me out, and the rest, as they say, is history!

How did you get engaged?

It's a long story. Here is an excerpt from the e-mail I sent out the next day!

Earlier in the week, he asked if I wanted to go downtown on Saturday and take a look at the lights and just have a romantic day before we went to a holiday party at a friend's house. He said that he wanted to make up for the fact that I had been in San Diego last week. I reluctantly (I know, I know) said yes because I was freaking out about a research paper I had to write, due on Monday (which, by the way, is still not finished). So, we started out at Pops for Champagne and had some wine and talked about what our engagement/wedding would be like in the summer, etc. He then took me to Buca di Beppo for dinner because that's where we met (at Terri and Jon's rehearsal dinner). Then, he took me to the Signature Room for a drink, which happened to be swarming with 13-year old girls, oddly enough...not very romantic! So, we finally made it home and were running late for a party, and he reminded me to turn the Christmas tree lights on before we left. I did, and started to walk away when he asked if I liked the new star he bought. I seriously stared at the star and didn't even realize that there as an engagement ring attached at the top! He proposed, and we cried and had our "moment" and we went to the party. It was absolutely perfect!

However...it doesn't end there! We had "plans" to meet a few of Mike's out of town friends at a bar called Emmit's around 10:00. As we were leaving the party, I finally started making phone calls. I walked into the bar and saw a co-worker, turned around...and everyone was there. My parents, my brother, his brother, a ton of our friends... they had all known and showed up to celebrate! It was insane. I couldn't have asked for a better day. Oh, and the ring is beautiful. For only shopping once with him 6 months ago, he did an awesome job :)

Tell us about your wedding day (not necessarily elements but feelings too):

I like to describe our wedding as "big and bold" -we had over 300 guests and our colors were really bright :) It took place in the summer (last July) at a golf course, and it was honestly the best day of my life. I was a littler nervous right before the ceremony, but as soon as I saw Mike at the end of the aisle, I didn't notice anyone else in the room and felt completely at ease. Everything about the day reflected us and our relationship, and it was just plain FUN. I mean, we had the entire room dancing to "Africa" by Toto at one point. What's not to love???

Define Love:

Love is when you find someone who makes you feel weak in the knees every time you look at them :)

What is the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?

For us, it's making sure we don't fall into a "rut." We constantly strive to keep everything new and alive- we don't want to lose sight of the "spark."

What is the best part?

The fact that I have a 24/7 best friend.

What is the best day the two of you have had together?

The day we got engaged, because we spent a lot of time reflecting on our relationship.

What makes you different from other couples?

I think we do an awesome job of maintaining our independence. We each have our own hobbies, interests and friends- and we support one another 100% in those endeavors. We have a healthy balance of our lives as individuals and our life as a married couple.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

Each morning, we go on a Starbucks date- it's a great way to start the day together, even if it is only for 15 minutes. We also love exploring our city (Chicago)!

Do you have a song?

We have many- but the song we danced to at our wedding is "Shining Star" by the Manhattans. It has special meaning, too, because Mike's mother and father used to dance to it all of the time before she passed away, so it was our way of keeping their love alive.

What is the most essential element of making it?

Communication! I used to keep my emotions bottled up. I also had a habit of hoping that he would just "figure out" what I wanted. Now I've learned the importance of talking things out and speaking up!

What are your hopes for the future?

My hope is that our marriage will continue to flourish as we purchase our first home and start a family.

Anything else the world needs to know about love?

I think the most important thing one can do in a relationship is be themselves! My husband thinks I am the biggest dork in the world, but I know that's one of the things he loves about me :)

As always, if you'd like to participate in the Real People in Love series, just shoot me an email!