Five years ago on August 13 our first born son married his high school sweetheart in a charming country wedding at a renovated dairy barn called "The Blue Dress Barn."
There were nine bridesmaids dressed in rainbow patchwork dresses (one color per girl - our daughter was orange) and the morning of the wedding my best friend Carla, Tom and I went scavaging for wild flowers from the side of the road to make table arrangements in blue glass canning jars. The wedding cake looked like the rain forest. It rained early, then became sunny and hot.
It was a charming wedding that was exactly what these later-day hippies wanted. I, true-to-form, sailed through in a nervous and over-whelmed state. I wasn't doing much journaling at that stage of my life and I wish I had it to look back on and remember exactly how I felt.
This year brings us their 5th year anniversary, which they plan to celebrate by renewing their vows prior to a "Phish" concert. They are inviting all who attend to wear their most tie-dyed and hippie-like outfit. It will be interesting to compare their renewal pictures to the one I show here taken that sunny/rainy day in 2005.
This fall, our second born son is planning a wedding in October. It will be a much more formal affair - but it will also reflect the couple getting married. I am planning to take a much lower-key part in it, but I'm sure I will still be in a frantic state come Oct. 9.
Our daughter is only 20 years old - perhaps I'll have another five years before I have to deal with this again. And perhaps by then I'll take it all in stride.
But I doubt it!
Take it from me it doesn't get easier to plan a wedding. Or easier to give your childs hand to another. But each is different and the memories will be different too. I will never forget Cale's wedding. It was a great time and I am so blessed to have gotten to be part of it.
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