A Wacky Weekend of Wonderful Weddings

The crazy-paced wedding weekend is over! And it all went great. The practice session on Thursday was a blast, b/c the violinist with the string quartet could do anything. The first time through the songs, he was perfect. So we just jammed and made it beautiful, and the bride was ecstatic. Then that night Grace and I went to a shower for the bride. Lots of laughing and crying and sharing of special memories. It was a slumber party, but we decided to go home around mid-night and get some sleep. Then Friday noon was a luncheon for the same bride at the Weisman Center. It was lovely.

That evening, George and I went to the rehearsal for the other wedding. The church had a fantastic sound-system and beautiful concert grand piano, so I was in musician heaven. I love letting a high-quality microphone do the hard work while I just sing how I want to, which tends to be soft and emotional. We attended the rehearsal dinner at Papacita’s in Longview.

Saturday at 3:30 PM, George and I were in our places in Kilgore playing the prelude for wedding number one. At 4:00, I started playing and singing “How Beautiful” for the seating of the families, and it was no turning back. Straight into Canon in D. Short pause. Then we played and sang “A Page Turns” by Bebo Norman as they showed a power point of the bride and groom’s lives. I was very happy that the song ended exactly with the last picture! That was a challenge. Vows, rings. I played “How Beautiful” as they lit their unity candle. Then recessional: Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. It felt like the whole wedding was MUSIC! I love sitting at the piano, b/c you usually get a great view of the couple’s faces. They looked so happy!

We scooted out of there, got in the car, drove for almost an hour and pulled up to the church in Jefferson for wedding number two. This was the one with the string quartet, which played the prelude. Grace played piano for the seating of the family and the processional accompanied by the strings. The wedding was precious! They were both crying and glowing. I just grinned the whole time watching them. I almost cried, though, when the bride spoke to Jacob on her way down the aisle. She has been his best friend for at least nine years. She almost cried, too. At the end they had a time of prayer with their families all around them. While they did that, Grace and I sang “My Heart, Your Home” along with George on the guitar and the strings. I played piano.

Luke was the DJ at the reception. It was great! The bride and groom did the dance I choreographed for them, and they were perfect! Absolutely adorable and perfect. They made quite a stir! :o) Then the bride and her father danced to “My Girl.” In the middle of the song, the groom took the bride, and her dad danced with her mom.

Luke played a bunch of swing, and we had a blast! My sister and her kids, Luke, Grace, and I all love to dance, so we jumped right in along with a number of the bridesmaids. Many more followed. The dancing was in the courtyard of a historic building. It started raining, but we just kept dancing in the rain, including the bride and groom. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! When they were about to leave, the bride told me she couldn’t have been happier, even with the rain. It just seemed to make it more romantic somehow. We all lined up along the sidewalk under shelter holding lit candles, and the couple passed between us as they left. They took their time, hugging people, talking . . . so we all started singing, “L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one I see . . .”, the song they had danced to. It was just perfect. The rain was still pouring down, and they drove off, waving to all their candle-holding friends. The streetlights glistened on the brick streets. I couldn’t stop smiling.

Even after we got home, I just lay in bed smiling at the memory of love shining in their faces. I know life will throw some hard stuff at them. It has to. That’s how things go. But I also know they meant what they promised to each other. Marriage can be the amazing thing it was meant to be. I pray for both of these sweet couples that it will.