Wedding Day

There is something surreal about coming to a wedding of a someone you have known for 31 years, seen lots in the early years and not as much since she was seven or eight. I have the bride frozen in my mind as a little girl, when I lived close to her parents. As life changed and people move you keep up, but the images in your head don’t change. 
Of course it seems this way because the mother of the bride, my friend Wendie, has not changed one bit in 31 years, so the fact that she has a daughter, not only old enough to be married, but old enough to throw her own wedding took some time to register in my head.

The wedding was at a beautiful old house on the cape. The chairs for the ceremony were set up at the foot of a hill with a gorgeous stair case leading down from the house to a landing that acted as the alter. A big white tent was set up on the lawn, filled with tables strewn with wild flowers in mason jars. Yard games of corn hole and giant Jenga were awaiting people to play them.

David and I rented a house on the property and were joined by two of Wendie’s boarding school friends, Amelia and Margarita. It was a calm morning. David and I went to the beach before coming back to dress for the 3:00 wedding. Just as we were arriving at the big house the rain began. Guests mingled under the tent, enjoying drinks and meeting friends and family of the bride and groom.

After a while it appeared that the rain had stopped so chairs were toweled off and the ceremony began. About halfway through the rain started up again. At first just a drop or two and then a little harder. Guests who were smart enough to bring umbrellas pulled them out and someone handed one to the bride’s sister who held it over the bride. Eric, the groom, stood stoically in the rain as he read his heartfelt vows. Finally someone gave the best man an umbrella and he sheltered his brother as Cory read her sweet words of love and devotion to him.
Despite the rain, it was a truly beautiful wedding. I saw darling Cory, the baby I had known so well, as a calm and happy bride. I saw so much of her father, who I miss since his passing twenty five years ago, and know that he would love his new son-in-law and feel that Cory had made a great choice.
After the kiss we went back to the tent, talked and visited, then ate a big lobster meal before going to the barn to dance. It was a lovely, happy day. A perfect beginning.