Blog 15: October 7, 2011
7 Days
It’s 10:55 at midnight it will be mine and my wife’s 7 day anniversary. The wedding was fantastic the service was none like any had ever seen! The music was great praise and worship, with keyboard, guitar, drums and trumpet. No one had to look for the words we had it all on power point. My wife and I with the help of my friend set a separate power point of our journey over the last 11 years including one of us at graduation in Connecticut with the trainer, and my wife and I in our Canadian shirts get my diploma and Jagger. My brother sent pictures of his family with a sign saying congratulations. I could not give just one high light of the service you laughed you cried you praised and worshiped. As I said to everyone if you did not feel the Holy Spirit or any emotions you did not have a pulse!
I know it sounds funny to hear a groom talk about his wedding like this but I have to say that I am still moved.
The readers were great our daughter read the Love poem, our two ministers friends read the bible readings, and I have to say that I have heard these readings many times before from family members at weddings, but until you heard them read with passion and love, they are just words. (I am talking from my own experience, Psalm 1and 1 Corinthians 13) I can’t talk for others. Our oldest son walked my wife down isle our oldest daughter was a brides made and read. Our youngest son who is autistic and just started reading unknown to us spent time with the minister that morning practicing reading, when it came time to for the minister to read our vows he called up our son and our son read the vows. It was a tearful time for my wife and I, and everyone in the Church. Some people count their wealth by money or possessions or who they know! We can honestly say we count our wealth by our friends and family who to us are one in the same. We were so blessed to have our best friends not only to stand as our best man, and matron of honor, but they were so much more than that. My child hood friend officiated the wedding and it was because we had known each other for so long it made it relaxed and fun joyous. My best man not only stood with me but lead the praise and worship for the service but also guided me around gave me my Q’s and made sure that I was safe, we did all the movements without a cane, I kept him hopping. His wonderful wife was the matron of honor she took great care of my wife before, during and after the service, they also did a wonderful duet for us during the signing as well as had to sign the documents. At the end of service the quire that my wife and belong to came up to sing for us, did I mention that my best man is the quire director so he took care of that as well along with his wife. I have to say it was wonderful.
The food was outstanding the soup was homemade along with everything else, we ask certain guest to cook things our best man, and matron of honors daughter did all our vegetables everything was fantastic did I mention that the best man and matron of honor made sure that happened for us!
My wife and I wanted a true Celtic wedding with people from the community pitching in. My sister made the favorites and cooked our matron of honor did all our cup cakes, her sister made the bride and groom cake it was great. We held the reception in the basement of the church for us it was community being brought together.
The theme was Brigadoon and as my wife said it was only open for one day, if you have not seen the movie I highly recommended it.
My wife’s friend had made our invitations and drove the down from Kentucky. I got to meet her and we became close friends in a short time and we look forward to seeing them hopefully soon.
The grooms’ speech was long but I got to honor a few very good friends.
When we first started the plans for the wedding Jag’s was fine and all was good, but Oct 1 was Jag’s 4 months passing, the 26 Sep was my nephew passing 4 months and in the middle of all that one of my best friends got married and we had to leave right after the service to bring Jag’s home.
We had a big picture of Jag’s in the hall, I had picture of my nephew and my best friend and his new wife was there (he officiated the wedding). I got to honor Jag’s, I honored my sister and her grandson who passed away (my great nephew) I to toast my best friend and his new wife because I could not before.
We left, I got to toast his wife for videotaping the service my brother got sick the day of, and she also helped out right up until my wife had to get dressed. I got to toast my other best friend and his wife (best man and matron of honor) who was there through everything and was always on the other end of the phone when we needed them or was at he house just when we needed to have some there. I toast to all the people in the room who have shared the journey of the last 11 years with us and most of all I got to toast my bride. She said to me a week before the wedding she waited 11 years for this day, I told her in my toast I waited 32 years. I told her when she was 15 I was going to marry her, and I am like a Pit-bull when I get a hold something in my head I don’t Quit! the mi food was outstanding
Beautiful Brigadoon wedding beyond our dreams, thank you to our best friends, all 4 of them, We had to wait a tour of duty overseas for Rev Chris Hill to get back, John's childhood best friend, to come and officiate our wedding, without him, there would be no wedding, so we are really glad he made it back in one piece, we love him and we love his new wife Andrea, she is a great sister to me, and helped in so many ways, with Natasha the morning of the wedding, especially videotaping the wedding, and there are some funny moments, like when I sneak a drink of water, and I bend down so no one can see, except it is full on on the video, LOL. We wish Chris and Andrea a happy 4month anniversary and wish them all the joy they could feel here in their future years ahead. We also could not have had the wedding without our best friends Steve and Karen, they got us both through the sudden loss of Jagger and of Eric, to get past those hurdles and to move into a frame of mind of joy was quite difficult, until it became a frame of mind of honour, then it made it possible, then they made our vision happen by planning and preparing over 6months. They put the Party in wedding party, and the praise in worship and praise for the ceremony, they put the song duet Evergreen in our hearts for EVER. The wine was delectable. The meal was superb, especially the gravy, and soup, and the wedding cake was just more than we imagined, Karen you made that happen just like our vision. Steve thanks for your MC talents keeping everyone in the spirit. Thanks to Marie-Claire Graves, my childhood friend for making the invitations so beautiful and driving up from home to visit us. Thanks to my dear friend Penny Lunan for her part, the celtic hair up do by the salon was amazing with the celtic knot in the back, more than a dream! Thank you Penny! Thank you to my sister Gale for the lovely favours, doing something helped honour Eric and the Celtic Unity Candles were a big part of that honour to be used to join our family, and it felt so special, thank you Gale. Thank you to Together 2000 worship and praise added such a spirit filled touch to our wedding, with Steve(Organ, Keyboard, Guitar, singing. leading choir and congregation), Karen(Evergreen Solo with harmony by Steve and keyboard), Ryan on drums, Randy on Trumpet, all singing out was so spirit filled. It was 6 months ago March 17 2011 when John gave me my claddagh engagement ring. I loved our wedding, I love my new husband even more. Look forward to spending our life together as husband and wife. With the unity of our children, Dan, Natasha and Chris. Thank you everyone that was there, and everyone that could not come, we love you all equally. To our best friends Steve and Karen, Happy 21th Anniversary to you both on 12 October 2011. We love you both so much for making our dreams come true and wish the same joy for you both in the years to come. Hugs Arlene, off to hold my hubby now on our 7 days together, happy thanksgiving all, Arlene&John, Mr&Mrs Melbrew, xo love you my bear xo your Petal xo
ReplyDeleteI was so honoured that you would even ask me to make your invitations! Driving up to deliver them in person was so very special, but no more than meeting your John, Chris and your BFFs! I knew that by going in August I'd get to spend more time with you guys, what I didn't realize is how much I would miss being there in person when you and John wed. I wish you many, many years of love, luck and laughter!
ReplyDeleteBig Squishy Hugs,
M-C
This is the MOST romantic story I have ever read!! When we first met you,-I thought you both were an old (in years!) married couple,-totally in tune with each other. We feel so honored to have followed your journey through your blog, and Arlene's wonderful stories. You've been through SO very much,-and deserved this day like no other people I know. Much happiness is wished you,-tho I think you already have it!!
ReplyDeleteRon, Gini and T-Bone!!