Newlywed Bliss

Being surrounded by all the people we love was such a beautiful and blessed gift. The sun shined over Ketchikan all week in preparation for our wedding. I even ended up with a true Alaskan sunburn in my wedding photos—a funny little reminder of how perfect and joy-filled those days were. Adam and I are so grateful for such an incredible wedding week, one that felt like the sweetest beginning to this new chapter.

Now, as the celebration settles into everyday life, I have found myself reflecting on what it means to step into newly wedded bliss as Mrs.McLavey.

There’s something beautifully sacred about this first season of marriage. It’s this sweet in-between space where the “I do’s” are still fresh on my lips, the wedding photos are still pouring in, and all 4 of us are enjoying every corner, every detail, every routine, every small joy. People call it the “honeymoon phase,” but it’s more than just laughter and planned dinners. It’s also about nesting, building, enjoying, and laying the foundation for our life moving forward.

A recent sermon Pastor Cade shared with a few weeks back was a simple reminder about what true love looks like. He gave us an acronym for LOVE:

L – Listening with compassion

O – Offer grace

V – Value everybody

E – Encourage each other

Those four little reminders are such a beautiful and simple guide for marriage. Listening with compassion means not just hearing each other’s words, but truly caring about the heart behind them. Offering grace is about patience when mistakes are made and gentleness when things don’t go as planned. Valuing one another creates a sense of safety, where both people know they are cherished. And encouraging each other turns even ordinary days into moments of joy and growth.

Marriage is a refreshing invite to choose love daily. Your marriage wins when your love wins. If your partner is struggling your marriage struggles too, it’s not a one sided battle anymore, it’s a team effort, one entity. I have always felt this between Adam and I and our wedding week was a well earned celebration of it. It’s the little things—like my sweet husband making coffee just how I like it every single morning, sharing laughter with our kids after a long day, or learning to compromise over small decisions—that all continues to drive the heartbeat of our home. This season brings not only excitement but also peace, knowing that God has joined our paths and is guiding every step forward.

This nesting feeling that I settled into post-wedding reminds me so much of when I was preparing to have Odin. It caught me by surprise—but in the best way. There’s something peacefully productive about wanting to create a safe, warm space for the ones you love. It’s dreaming of future milestones, building tradition, and finding joy in simple routines. While it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of getting things in order, there is also a gentle reminder that peace and prayer should remain a priority. In marriage, as in life, there will always be things to plan and prepare for, but there’s also beauty in pausing to be grateful for the moment and season you are in right now.

And through all of it—whether it’s laughter, challenges, or the excitement—God is walking with us. He is with us in the ordinary and the extraordinary, often in ways we don’t immediately recognize. His presence is the steady light that keeps our minds clear, reminding us that marriage is not just about building a home together but about building a life and family anchored in love & faith.

Scripture References

1 Peter 5:5

Philippians 2:3-4

Philippians 4:6-8

Ephesians 4:14-15

Luke 24:13-19

John 8:12