Sunday, August 31, 2014

A Simple Wedding Made Beautiful

August 31, 2014

This will be short tonight, as it's late (actually early, since it's past midnight). I had the privilege of officiating at my nephew's wedding this evening. Things were a bit dicey at first, since it was a garden wedding and at 4:00 the skies opened up with a deluge of nearly Biblical proportions. The mother of the groom was somewhat nervous, and it was almost decided to move operations to the nearby church, but in talking with the bride, I wasn't convinced it's what she really wanted to do. Steve (the nephew) double-checked the weather radar and reported that by 7 pm (showtime!), it should be all over. It was, and everything came off without a hitch, except for the couple themselves, who did get hitched.

The tiny white lights on the backdrop, the tealight luminaries down the back steps and stretching down the path to the wedding site, and hanging from the tents set up in the side yard, added a fairy-tale setting to the occasion. Getting everything to look that nice took a lot of work, and it was our girls who were front and center for the task. Jess, Deb, and Jeanine pitched in stringing lights, helping with the table settings, while the guys helped Steve's dad Ken set up extra tents, tables, and chairs. Even the grandkids got in on the act. We arrived around 4:00 pm to a single tent and tables, and by 7:00, all was in beautiful readiness.

Sisters Linda, Barb, and Pen worked the kitchen, I grilled the chicken, and everything fell into place. The old saying is true: "Teamwork makes the dream work." I am grateful for my daughter and daughters-in-law, for my sons and son-in-law, who jumped right in, both before and after the wedding. It was a memorable evening, a gift of love for family, and Linda and I get the added blessing of knowing it was our kids who helped make it all happen.

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