The Day We Said " I Do"

September 29, 2011. The day I looked into the big, beautiful brown eyes of my love and promised to be his wife. I wore red shoes.

We eloped at city hall in Manhattan for a variety of reasons, mostly related to visa time lines and finances. It was a wonderful day.

Emma was our witness and my hair and makeup fixer. At our second wedding celebration (in 2013), she'll be my maid of honor, too. I love her.

I wore a yellow silk rose in my hair in honor of Bulgaria and a short white lace dress found in a small boutique near my house. The dress had no tags except for a tiny label on the inseam stating, "Made in Paris." It seemed serendipitous.

When we were called in to the chapel, a lot of giggling ensued. Nervous energy maybe? It was all kind of surreal. But then the officiant started talking and I clutched Tiho's hands too tightly and forgot about everything else. What I remember most is the way he looked at me. I could see the raw emotion in his face and it just completely reaffirmed that this was exactly what was supposed to happen. Husband, wife, here we are.

We walked out of that building beaming. I couldn't stop smiling. I've been told that no matter what, you feel beautiful on your wedding day. I have to agree. It radiates from within.

Newly minted sister and brother. It's amazing to me how a marriage instantly expands the notion of family. I love it.

We took a handful of portraits in the wedding garden and then in front of the municipal building and courthouse.

See? I can't stop smiling. And doesn't Tiho look dapper in his cherry red tie? The color of passion, baby!

We had our hearts set on a series of Brooklyn Bridge photos. One of our earliest dates was a stroll across that bridge, so it was majorly sentimental (plus it's just awesome).

As we set out, the storm clouds rolled in. We were about a third of the way over the bridge when the loudest clap of thunder boomed overhead and the sky opened. When I say "opened," I mean crazy heavy rain and wind.

There was nothing we could do. No umbrellas, no shelter. So, we majorly made out and embraced the photo opportunity. We wanted a Brooklyn Bridge photo shoot and boy, did we ever get one.

After a few minutes, I kicked off my heels and we raced back over the bridge in search of cover. It was still pouring and absolutely freezing. We were drenched and I'm fairly certain my dress was see-through.

We made out some more and shared a hot dog from a vendor before deciding to call it a day. Originally, we planned to remain in the city and treat ourselves to a romantic dinner, but in the end, we headed home, ordered Thai takeout, popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and snuggled on the couch. And you know what? It felt exactly as it should.

I love you so much, Tiho. If these first few months of marriage are any indication of what the next seventy years will be, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

(All photography by the amazing and talented Alice Gao who captured our personalities so well it's almost scary).