June is for weddings!

Although the first one we attended was on Memorial Day weekend at Glen Eyrie. A grandiose wedding on the Pink House Lawn. A week earlier there had been another wedding on the Pink House Lawn, but then we were mere observers. The Jessica Graham wedding on May 29 got us very involved. We beautified the rooms, catered to the bride and her attendants and we provided hospitality and service for a formal Victorian tea. We got to know the family very well; all of whom were involved in the wedding in some way. The wedding took place in gorgeous sunshine on the lawn with the reception following at the castle terrace. A great weekend experience!



On June 19 we were invited to witness the joining of Marc Pederson and Anne-Michelle Altena in Northwest Iowa. They both work in Des Moines and we got to know them very well at out Bible study. They have become very dear friends and we attended their formal church-wedding. The reception dinner was scrumptious and the whole experience was very uplifting. The rest of Saturday evening and early Sunday we spend with our dear friends in Bronson, Iowa.

This past weekend we were at another very special wedding in Mt. Sterling, Illinois. Our daughter’s best friend, (since first grade,) finally found Mr. Right! Our daughter had met the Bride while we were stationed in Germany, back in 1979. The last time we had met her parents was in 1985, when they came back to Germany for another tour. We had remained there for all this time. Getting together for this wedding was like a great family reunion! The groom’s mother had arranged for all the “out-of-towners” to be part of the rehearsal dinner, so people could get to know each other and have time to interact before the hustle and bustle of the wedding. It was a great success. We were able to renew our friendship with the parents of the bride and also her brother. We had not seen each other for 25 years, but the time melted away, as we shared many old and new experiences.

The wedding ceremony was held at a local winery, out on the deck; with bright afternoon sunshine and a warm experience. The reception and dance were inside at this rustic location. The whole event flowed on beautifully and ran like clockwork; everyone had a wonderful time. The brides’ maids were all special friends from different times in the life of the bride, so this made for a very special reunion as well. Many events from the past were reenacted, which made for surprising hilarity, and great reminiscence.