Let's Put on a Wedding

When I got married thirty years ago, I booked our church, found a banquet hall that had our date available (and featured family style dinners for $21 per person including open bar), and bought a dress for under $200. I picked out bridesmaids' dresses and flower arrangements and found a decent photographer. After that, I figured my work was done. And it was. I showed up on the big day, said "I do", and partied for the rest of the night. Today, if you don't want to pony up thirty or forty-thousand dollars, you have to get a lot more involved.

This past weekend, I saw what can happen when a group of loving, dedicated friends and family get together to help start a young couple off on their marital journey without breaking the bank. For two days (and many months leading up to those two days) a "village" of hard-working people did everything and anything necessary to ensure the bride and groom would have the wedding of their dreams. They strung lights, carried tables and chairs, arranged flowers, baked goodies, ran errands, hung decorations, practiced music, and calmed nerves. In the end, they turned an empty field and bare barn into a garden paradise and twinkling wonderland. Despite the summer heat and a rapidly approaching deadline, there was little complaining and a whole lot of laughter while everyone worked toward one goal - to give the best day of their lives to the much-loved bride and groom.

So, forget about those Kardashian-style extravaganzas that cost a million bucks and end in a couple of months. Forget about going into debt to feed over-cooked prime rib to 300 people you're not even sure you sent a Christmas card to last year. Forget about running away to some remote island destination wedding with you and your ten best friends. This is the way to do it. Surround yourself with people who love you, throw some chicken on the bar-b-que grill and pour some chilled Moscato into a Mason jar glass. When you're done, you won't be looking at a drawer full of credit card bills and you'll never have to ask yourself that question that creeps up on most of us once in a while - 'I wonder how everyone really feels about me?'

You'll have an album of pictures that tells you all you'll ever need to know.