Opening Day of “Dear” Season

11 years ago I married my best friend.

He happens to be a hunter and our wedding day happened to be on opening day of deer season.

We jokingly refer to it as “dear season”.  Here’s why…

OpeningDayofDearSeason

It has been a point of contention throughout our marriage.

WE planned the ceremony.

WE chose the date.

But it wasn’t until a few days away from the wedding someone pointed out to me that our wedding happened to fall on opening day of deer season.

I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.  After all, my soon-to-be husband never really went deer hunting until it was colder out.  He always said that there was something unnatural about hunting while the leaves were still on the trees and the mosquitoes were still biting.  But I digress.

Note: I did make sure that our wedding date was on an off week for University of Georgia football so that we would have guests there.  That is an absolute must for planning a Southern wedding… unless you plan to provide big screen TVs and tailgating food.  

But it apparently was a big deal.  It was the principle of the thing.  I had broken some Southern hunting rule.  You don’t mess with opening day.

We had a beautiful and simple wedding and were surrounded by family and friends.  We were married by a sweet pastor and friend.  The music was beautiful.  I wore my grandmother’s pearls and a veil that had been worn by my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother on their wedding days.  And I’ll never forget the way that my almost-husband looked at me as I walked down the aisle on the arm of my Daddy.  

When we left the reception and ran through a shower of bird seed to the car – I saw it.  Scribbled on the back window underneath “Just Married” were the words “It’s DEAR Season!”

And it has been.  We’ve had quite the adventure together.  We’ve moved from Georgia to Texas to Maine.  We now have two beautiful children and a crazy puppy.  Our love is deeper and stronger than I ever imagined it would be on that October day 11 years ago.

And opening day?  Has my husband been hunting on opening day of deer season since we got married.

No.

He blames it on our anniversary.

Then and now… in the same spot.

 

Jennifer Collins

About Jennifer Collins

Jennifer is a mom with a day job and she likes to write about her victories and messes along the way. She is living an adventurous life as a Georgia transplant learning to thrive in Maine, with a strong Southern accent that screams that she is "from away" and a new-found love for lobster rolls and timely snow plows. Jennifer's writing has been featured on BlogHer, iVillage Australia, Daddy Doin' Work, and Mamapedia.