The Wedding (Part 1)

I wish I had the words to describe to you how beautiful the wedding was.  I wish I could convey to you how perfect the ceremony, the reception, the food, the music, the dancing, the laughter, the couple, the love was.  I was so sad and frustrated that I don't have a camera, to snap shots of the whole amazing day (bad blogger!  bad blogger!  bad!).  I was so grateful to share in the bride & groom's special day.  So inspired to witness a union I fully believe will last forever and a day.  So giddy to dance with my Boyfriend (he's not a dancer.  This was such a huge step in our relationship, silly as it sounds!) and my brother and my childhood friends all night.  Here, let me start at the beginning of the day. . .


After an argument with the GPS, we finally arrived at Castle In the Clouds (Yes, thats really what it's called.  Yes, it really is as beautiful as it sounds).  We headed to the reception venue in the early afternoon, hours ahead of even the earliest wedding guest as Mum was helping coordinate the wedding, and I had been asked to help with decorating & sundry preparations.  The bride's mother, who I have known my entire life, was at the top of the stairs, beaming and frazzled and sweet, while the bride's brother, James, and his best friend, roamed the hall arranging centerpieces.  Boyfriend and Brother joined them, while I helped the mother of the bride, and set out candy dishes (they had a candy bar, joy!).  After much prepping and oohhhinnng/aaaahhhhiiinnng over the bride (and several games of round robin, as we tried to get Shauna into her dress, do her solo/bridesmaids pics, and back into the room without her groom seeing her) it was time to polish ourselves up (I arrived in most unglamorous flip flops, tank top/jean short combo and a bright blue scrunchie) and get ready to board.

Board what, you ask?  Oh, well since this castle is on a mountain, the guests were all ferried up to the top in trollies.  Romantic times a thousand, I assure you.

We then traveled the flowery path around the magnificent building, out onto the lawn/balcony area where the service was to be conducted.  I gave the nervous groom my biggest smile as I went by, and proceeded to admire the view of the ginormous lake and rugged mountains provided when one looked over the balcony.  Boyfriend had this silly notion that I would fall down and roll to the bottom of the mountain. . . he seems to think I'm clumsy or some such utter truth nonsense.  Did I mention the rose bushes?  Or the fiddlers who serenaded us?  Eventually the ceremony began, and the bridal party/groomsmen made their way down the aisle to music written by James (He's one of the most incredibly talented people I've ever met).  Then it was the moment: the bride appeared.  The music changed, and now James played the song he had written just for this moment, just for his sister on her wedding day.  To call her a "vision in white" would be the silliest and most cliche understatement of the century.  Her dress was vintage, lace & rhinestones, with a slight, pooling train.  Strapless, it elegantly hugged her curves, extending her lines.  She wore a custom fascinator in lieu of a veil, and a single strand of pearls.  There may have been tears that required blinking away.  Her father escorted her down the aisle, and somewhere between very reluctantly and beaming with pride, he gave her away.  Her almost-husband took her tiny (seriously tiny.  the girl is barely more than five ft!) hand in his, and the ceremony began.  The whole thing, from entrance to you may kiss your bride, was over in fifteen minutes.  They had written their own vows, brief and sincere.  Her's rang of poetry and love and faithfulness, with all the flair an artist has.  His were solid and true and heartfelt, quietly passionate and resonantly fervent, like you'd imagine a Marine would be on his wedding day.

More tears that required blinking.  A request for all those in attendance to turn and face the main building, where the photographer stood on a balcony, to have a picture of all of us who had come to celebrate their union for the new bride and groom to keep. . .