My nephew Allen has been dating Heidi for six years. They met at the very beginning of her freshman year when he was an upperclassman; they were both trumpet players in their college’s marching band. Years ago we thought they’d be getting married and today was the day.
It was an incredibly joyous but slightly bittersweet occasion. I couldn’t help mourning a bit for those absent. Allen’s dad died of bone cancer when Allen was a senior in high school leaving my sister a widow. In his stead, I sat next to her in the front pew with my family. I also wish my parents were well enough to witness this day; they would have relished every detail. But I don’t think that’s really why I wept during the trumpet processional; I think it was just the simple beauty of it all that got me.
Not just the music, but the bride was stunning. She’s not only gorgeous, but creative and competent, sincere and nice. And Allen is such a good, sweet, earnestly loyal guy. One could not decide which one had made the better score in this match! One also felt like these people really knew each other and this marriage would last. After all their wedding invitation said, “dinner, dancing and eternity to follow.”
I was very touched by Pastor Bob’s comments to the couple during the ceremony. He said he would worry if they always agreed and remarked that after all this work that they’ve put into getting the wedding together, that was nothing compared to the amount of work it took to make a marriage successful! (The congregation knowingly tittered to that.) He had a version of I Corinthians 13 with the phrase “out-honor each other” and he reinforced this concept several times throughout his comments. Who can honor the other more? He also told of an African response to “How are you?” where they answer, “I am well, if you are well.” I thought that was lovely as it brings out so nicely the whole concept of becoming “one flesh” in the marriage covenant.
The reception was at the airport in the separate celebrity terminal which was a very interesting and special architectural setting. It had rained during the ceremony but just after the couple’s first dance there was an amazing rainbow! The wedding photographers took the couple’s picture on the upper balcony with the rainbow; below you can see my shot with the rainbow next to the wedding cake. Dinner was a lovely buffet, with tables upstairs and dancing downstairs. The couple’s entrance to the reception was down the majestic curved stairway; their exit was to waving green glow sticks (instead of rice) and lots of enthusiastically raucous noise. Green and brown were the wedding colors; both bride and groom like green a lot.
Imagine me having the best seat in the house during the ceremony and refraining (as requested) from taking photos! I made up for it during the rest of the scene and you can get a small taste of it below. The last photograph is my sister that is the mother of the groom. The first shot is a photo of their engagement picture from a year ago… they have been planning this for a year! They are off to a honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean…
It was a great wedding for a wonderful couple and we all had a good time. Congratulations and best wishes to Allen and Heidi!
