Summer is usually a slower paced time of year, but the past few months were a bit of a whirlwind for our family gearing up for a very special wedding day. Our house hummed with the sound of the sewing machine as Susanna adjusted the bridesmaids dresses and our mouths watered at the warm spiced smell as Carolyn canned batches of apple butter for wedding favors. On the behind-the-scenes side of things, Lydia arranged music for the wedding and brainstormed photography with her team, working through just how to balance the role of bridesmaid and wedding photographer at the same time. We were thankful she had two talented friends to pitch in and back her up.
The week of the wedding we were able to spend several days at the church preparing the reception area and decorating the pews upstairs. Joel and Kathryn took on the task of decorating a coffee and tea area. They took advantage of a cute little house-front in the church fellowship hall and spun a homey scene with handpainted signs and creative country decor. They, as always, amazed us with their fine artistic talent and attention to detail. James’ brother, David, headed up the lights and masterfully created a beautiful backdrop for the head table and strung up white lights all around the reception area.
Later in the week, we enjoyed a well organized and efficient (for the most part) wedding rehearsal and a delightful outdoor picnic with family and friends afterwards. We lingered on after dark and finally headed home to get plenty of rest before the big day.
The wedding day dawned clear and somewhat cool (for August) and ran smoothly, thanks to a lot of planning that happened ahead of time. So many meaningful moments! We savored them one by one. James and Julianna planned the ceremony together; one of our favorite moments was the all-sibling wedding party singing to our parents, thanking them for their love and the investment they poured into our lives. The whole ceremony (click here to watch the livestream replay) was a sweet testimony to the Lord and we rejoiced to see James and Julianna’s desire to put the Lord first in their wedding.
The reception was a joyous occasion, with plenty of good food prepared and served by Uncle Steu and Aunt Carol’s amazing team and topped off with speeches by the best man and maid of honor.
After the send off, the family joined James and Julianna at a local park for photos at the end of the day. Lydia did a wonderful job organizing so many tired people into tasteful groupings and capturing sweet memories. You can read her perspective on the wedding in her Lenspiration post, “The Wedding That Stretched Me To My Limits.”
The end of the day saw us all feeling that strange blend of happiness and sadness. We will miss having the newlyweds around as they set up their new home in West Virginia, but we look forward to seeing them again soon!
“The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” (Psalm 126:3)