I always look forward to our wedding edition of Living. There are so many weddings featured and each is so very different from the next.
Although most of the weddings featured are rather lavish, whether they are held inside or out, they all have special elements unlike the others.
For instance, some have many bridesmaids with long, elegant dresses. Others feature fewer bridesmaids in flowing frills in their bare feet. Some grooms and groomsmen are dressed in tuxedos and some are in more casual suits. Some flowers are real and some are artificial. Some are held in churches and some are in wedding venues. In all these events, there is a festive mood and lots of fun to be had by all. No matter where the celebration takes place, happiness abounds.
“Night time weddings are made more beautiful by candlelight or mood lights that create a romantic aura that can not be denied. Festive music in the air makes even the stuffiest guest want to sway a little. Maybe even dance……”
It is impossible to attend a wedding, no matter how large or how small, without feeling joy. There is the hope of eternal happiness and years of adventures to be shared by the special couple. The anticipation of a lifetime of experiences, challenges and growing up together fills the air. Every guest feels the emotion. Every guest feels the joy.
All of the work you put into choosing the right baker and the right florist becomes unimportant in the scheme of things. A thirty-minute service will change your life forever whether it is in front of a judge or a thousand people. Although I thoroughly enjoy a magnificent wedding, my true joy comes from seeing the newlyweds go off into the wild blue yonder, hand in hand, to find their future together.
“I was recently involved in a very small wedding that was filled with more happiness than I had seen in a wedding for some time.”
It was a second time around for both who were middle- aged. The groom had grown children and small grandchildren, but the bride had no children, so she was marrying an entire family.
The bride was wearing a simple but elegant gown. A gazebo under enormous oak and pecan trees is where the ceremony would take place. A relative had made matching plum print shirts for the groom and ring bearer. The little flower girl wore a matching sundress. The guests were dressed very casually, as it was 100 degrees in the shade. No one had to pack suits or special clothes. The little children could even play in the dirt, if desired, without being scolded. The atmosphere could not have been more relaxed.
The reception was held in the dining room of the largest cabin on the property. A table runner made from the same purple print fabric dressed the long trestle table. A triple layer carrot wedding cake, baked by yours truly, was decorated with ivory, plum and soft pink flowers. The cake sat on a crystal pedestal in the center of the table.
“On either side of the cake were fruit pies with garland and garnish tween. The simplicity was stunning.”
The cost of the wedding had consisted of the rental of the lodges, a few flowers and several yards of fabric. The cake was my gift to the bride and groom. An aunt and I had prepared most all of the food for the reunion, so buying groceries was the only expense there. It was truly a bargain wedding, but it was exactly what they wanted. Their dream was to have the entire family together for the weekend to have a fun-filled, relaxing time to shar their happiness. That is precisely what they got.
“So, you see, it doesn’t matter where you get married or how much it costs. What matters is the end result. Having the family all together for a happy occasion and the bride and groom living happily ever after is what it is truly all about.”
Have a wonderful September! See you in the fall.
Diane
