Mini Memoir: Amanda & Adam

photography by Tracy Dorr of Priore Photography

Names: Adam and Amanda Golubski

Current city of residence: Pittsburgh, PA

Wedding date: July 6th, 2019

What did you enjoy most about being engaged?

Wedding planning was a stressful experience for us both. Most of the time I think we told ourselves that the anxiety was temporary and to focus on the ultimate goal — each other! The moments we enjoyed the most about being engaged were finally dreaming about the more distant future — the wedding, honeymoon, and beyond!

What event do you remember best from your engagement?

We started our engagement off with what would be the most memorable part of it for the both of us, the proposal! Amanda was caught completely off-guard by my weeknight proposal while going for a run together. She had no idea what was going on and didn’t even want to go onto a side trail where I had set up some surprises. It almost didn’t happen! It took her a while to figure out what was going on because it was so unexpected, but it would then turn into the most memorable and special nights of our engagement.

When you were engaged, what were you most looking forward to on the wedding day or weekend?

One thing we were looking forward to was the “first look” we did before our wedding. Instead of opting for the more traditional reveal at the ceremony, we wanted to do a “first look” on our wedding day to have a more private and special moment with just the two of us. We both pictured what would happen during the first look and how the other person would react to finally seeing each other on our wedding day.

What traditions did you carry through to your wedding, or what traditions did you start yourselves? 

For our wedding anniversaries we try to recreate some of the moments from our wedding day as a tradition. We make a cake and put our topper on it, dance to our first dance song (You by A Great Big World), and set off our “Unity Volcano” (a paper mache volcano where we combined vinegar and baking soda to create a unifying chemical reaction!).

Describe one or two memories or individual moments that you remember most from your wedding celebration.

I think we both remember the moment where we were finally seated at the head table and looked out over the reception at all of our family and friends. We took on wedding planning by ourselves, which took a lot of energy and had its fair share of anxiety. Finally taking a seat and seeing that it all came together, we were able to do it, and now we are married and get to just enjoy the celebration was such a special moment!

What is one way you made your wedding “your own”? 

Amanda and I are both Polish (Golubski and Dobrzynski) so we wanted to incorporate some Polka dancing into our wedding reception. We forced our wedding party to get out on the dance floor for the first song of the evening: Who Stole the Kishka? We also opted for a dessert bar that included some Polish desserts… and donuts (because why not?).

What is one thing you learned about one other during your marriage thus far?

We learn the most about each other when we face challenges together. We have had both fun challenges, like purchasing a home and starting a new job, but also our fair share of difficult challenges. Ultimately, it has been amazing to have someone to help work through major decisions with and lean on for support and advice.

What is one thing that has been a constant in your marriage thus far?

Doing little things for each other and not keeping a tally about who has done what. Making Amanda coffee in the morning or Amanda making me breakfast are the little things that keep us thinking about each other.

What is one piece of advice you have for couples who are just starting their engagement or  marriage journey?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Literally, we recommend reading the book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”. It puts day-to-day life into great perspective and helps you shrug off minor differences (like dishwasher loading technique).