Wedding Day....part three...shake rattle and roll!

                                                                    

  
Ready...groomsmen on their way...ready....shuttles from motel running....ready...guests arriving at Freight Shed...ready...Carter and Elizabeth (flower girl and ring bearer)...ready...transportation for bridesmaids and bride ready...Shawnette at the tent handling timing for ceremony...ready...Van and I leave motel arm and arm into the raging wind to walk to the ceremony!  Once the wind hit my face and hair I knew that worrying about anything was futile. I did not even take a purse with me...no brush or makeup or anything else to try to "fix" myself later. I would arrive windblown and stay that way for the rest of the evening. The miracle was that it still had not started to rain yet! We had 140 people coming to Yorktown to celebrate Matt and Alex's marriage at a time when most people were at home glued to the weather channel watching a deadly storm zero in on Yorktown. Thankfully we had not taken the time to know the strength and breadth of this storm we were just happy that it was not raining yet...our mantra was ...just get us through the ceremony and let us get a few family portraits done before it does!
     Van and I got to the Freight Shed at about 4:10 for the 4:30 ceremony. I had not seen the room since the caterer's and florist had worked their magic. That is exactly what they had done...it was amazing. the linens and centerpieces were elegant and simple...the food tables looked lovely....the cake classic...it was everything Alex and Matt had hoped for! A new sense of calm settled over me.
    Guests were arriving and being seated by the groomsmen. Even the tent had a simple elegance to it, the Florist had placed the Hydrangeas on aisle seats and the twinkle lights and lanterns brought a subtle elegant ambiance to the shaking, rattling and rolling tent!  The violinist was playing gentle classical music but there was still a sense of adventure in the air. The impending storm had everyone's expectations on edge,  would we beat this thing...or would we end up in OZ!
   I stepped back into the Freight Shed and the first thing I saw was my niece and nephew dressed in a beautiful dress and the smallest tux I had ever seen. They looked so sweet it almost made me cry. Then the Bridesmaids arrived and they were...I guess the young people would say "hot"...I would say breathtaking! but I had not really imagined breathtaking until Alex walked in! There was that combination of Joy and Beauty again...intoxicating!
    I went back outside to get ready to be seated and there was my first born son... my Matt. He was as handsome and radiant as I had ever seen him... almost as much as the bride. I felt so happy and proud and relaxed at that moment. He offered me his arm and we walked down the aisle...he kissed my cheek and then went to stand with the pastor. I briefly thought about how I felt the first time I held him...but my thoughts were soon brought back to the present. The tent heaved and strained against its tethers, it groaned and creaked and flapped its sides...everyone was hushed and expectant. Mother Nature was telling us that only with her blessing would we get this thing done...another prayer ( probably many at this point) went up!
   The violinist was cued and the music for the groomsmen to take their places began. They were all very gorgeous too! I mean elegant and handsome! Then the girls came down the aisle...they seemed to rush a bit...but who wouldn't with the tent shuddering and complaining the way it was. Next it was time for the kids to walk Bella (Matt and Alex's shi tzu) down the aisle. There was a delay...had Carter decided he would not do it?... Another 30 seconds passed and then they emerged from the building with Bella leading the way....they made their way down the aisle exuding an aura of pure sweetness. They were Poster children for a bridal party...they could make a living doing this! ( Yes they are my niece and nephew!) Carter handed the dog off to Alex's mom just as he had been instructed and then they both went right to their marks and stood...perfectly! The music changed and that was  the cue for the entrance of the Bride! The glass doors opened....
to be continued....The Wedding Day part 4
Thanks for reading,
Lynn