Weekend Wedding

Tweet

The bride's bouquet, I made for her.

This last week end, my husband and I attended a wedding together. While we knew the groom longest, his new wife had become, over the few years they had been seeing one another, a very dear friend too. It was a second marriage for both of them, and while neither were in the bloom of youth, they were certainly in the bloom of love on this, their wedding day.

It was a small affair, maybe only seventy or so people, versus the large extravaganzas we have grown to expect with our children's friend's wedding. Each detail was them. From the invitation sent, (Yippie Skippy! we are getting married) to food served, and wedding cake, (I do love wedding cake) which was in the French style versus the American frosting upon frosting delicacy.

Flowers that I made for the reception. 

As my husband and I sat in the cozy chapel, it barely sat all of the guests, seeing so very intimately the bride and groom as they made their vows, I felt the very room breath in and out from the people around me as we watched with emotion. Some were young, on the threshold of life, some towards the end of their days, and others making a break with the life they were currently engaged, in for paths new to them.  All in all, very moving and very thought provoking.

My husband and I will celebrate thirty-five years of marriage later this month. Hearing the words very similar to the ones we promised each other all of those years ago, I felt my breath shorten, and tears sting  my eyes. I was overcome, thinking how easy it is to discount and disregard these very lofty promises of: kindness, fidelity, and honesty with one another, till death do you part.  I felt a renewed love for my spouse, while at the same time acknowledging, we have often failed in our attempts to love each other. That being said, we both have kept attempting to do so.

One of the corsages I also made.

After we moved on to the reception, and eventually back home for the night, I silently remembered these two newly married people in my prayers, knowing this endeavor called marriage, needs many prayers, much patience, and  the ability to suffer long and still be kind.