I’m sitting here today, the same place I was sitting 365 days ago. 365 days ago, I was with my girls getting ready for the best day of my life. The happiest day of my life to date. I couldn’t even sleep because I was SO. EXCITED. I was excited to marry the man I love, the man I love more than words can ever explain.
If you didn’t already know, I’m a type-A planner. No detail can be overlooked with me. There were to be no surprises at my wedding, if I could control it anyway. But no, Ray wouldn’t let that happen. When I asked him to create a wedding song for Charlie and I, he immediately said yes. He was already doing so much as far as groomsmen duty I was scared he was going to say no. But without hesitation, he gave me his classic “OF COURSE!!” I remember the week leading up the wedding and the week before that Ray, John, Tazzy, and Mel would be at Kevin’s house til 5 am or even sleeping over at Kev’s to get this song done for us. It was a labor of love I will always be thankful for. When they told me they finished it I wanted to hear it! I begged and pleaded with Ray to let me hear it. But he said no, absolutely not. And he wanted me to hear it for the first time for our Same Day Edit that our videographer, Loyd Calomay, was going to release that night at the reception. I tried to trick them, I would try to break into Ray’s computer, I would try to listen to John singing it, but no. They were good. I had no idea what it was going to sound like.
Cut to the day of the wedding. After the ceremony was over, I couldn’t wait to hear it! Loyd was working so hard to get it done. And finally we saw this:
Carissa + Charlie | Same Day Edit from Loyd Calomay on Vimeo.
The song and the video blew me away. I cried like a baby, and laughed out loud all at the same time. I couldn’t believe this was made for us, I was just so grateful…for EVERYTHING.
After the wedding was over, I talked to Ray and realized they wrote that song based on what we wrote on our wedding blog. They took our words and our story and created a song..a beautiful song.
Today I sit here, at the same place. 365 days later, I love this song more and more every time I listen to it. For its words, for the hard work my awesome friends put into it, for the meaning behind it…but its meaning has changed. They told us this song was about us, and now I realize, it’s about love. That feeling of love in the song can be transcended into so many types of love. Ray taught us that. He showed us unconditional love, love as a brother, love as a friend, love as a family member..no matter what, he showed what true selfless love was like. The story may be ours: the first verse is about Charlie, the second is about me, but the chorus in between I dedicate to Ray..
Eternity, just you and me
That’s all we need
Eternity..
Luckily for us, there is an Eternity Part II! Inspired by our RayRayAllDay and sung/written by John Mascardo. Such a beautiful song, please enjoy..