This story is about a Wedding Challenge that happened in 2020. 2020 has been a challenge for us all in many many ways. Planning and executing a wedding is one of the most difficult. Early in the days of COVID-19 many couples were reduced to very small occasions with only a few family and friends. One creative family has the bride and groom dance down their street cheered on by many neighbors and friends. Unique enough to be featured on the local evening news. This story occurred latter in the year, September 10 to be exact.
The bride is the eldest of three daughters. Lucy, the mother of the bride was for many months ahead of the wedding planing a guest list of 200. It was to be a grand southern occasion. The church, St. Andrew’s, will seats about 150 squeezed. The rest would come to the reception. As you can imagine, that number was greatly reduced by the lockdown. Thankfully by September it was possible in phase 3 to accommodate about 50. The actual attendance numbered about 40.
For multiple number of instrumentalist included brass, organ, and violin. About a week before the wedding or Organist realized the the brass would be present. He reminded me that this instrument would cause the same problem as a vocalist. The brass was canceled. A few days later he called again to say that for safety sake (his wife has co-morbidities) he would not be able to play. He had however recruited another Organist who did not have the same concerns. Thankfully the program has not yet gone to the printer.
Meanwhile, our premarital counseling session was held virtually. The couple currently live in Dallas. That’s it was more the distance issue than the virus that made this necessary. Because of the virus this was not difficult as we all have become used to using Zoom for all kinds of meetings.
As the wedding date drew near hurricane Beta approached Louisiana. The folks in Lake Charles had to deal with the third hurricane in the same place in about a months time. Meanwhile we are in the northern part of the state we’re not terribly concerned. On Friday evening we gathered for the rehearsal. The church has a wonderful pipe organ. The church also has wonderful acoustics. The two instruments, organ and violin were well-balanced. The organ made a good substitute for brass.
The wedding director had her etiquette book in hand and made sure we were all lined up in the correct order and marched in and out in the proper fashion. Customs and protocol were followed precisely. It has been decided we would have communion following the rehearsal and skip it during the wedding. House has been our customers during Covid communion was only in one kind. That is to see the bread. The bride and groom were given the wine as well.
Father Whit shared duties with me. He had been the Rector at Saint Andrews for 10 years. His children had grown up with the other young people in the parish, including the bride. For the Eucharist he celebrated and I preached. On the following day I would be the chief celebrant and he would be the preacher.
The rehearsal lasted about an hour and by 7 PM I was on my way home. By now the fringes of hurricane Beta had reached the northern portion of the state. I drove less than the speed limit through heavy rain all the way.
Those preparing for the wedding also experienced hurricane challenges. It arrived in Mer Rouge that night downing trees across highways and wires. The power went out around midnight and stayed out!
The father of the bride is a resourceful fellow. He and his workmen did a yeoman‘s job trimming trees and picking up branches. He also set up a generator at the church which provided enough electricity for a few lights. Thankfully the September temperatures were only in the mid70s. Although it was warm in the church it was not near as bad as it might’ve been.
Due to the lack of electricity the organ could have used. It is please was a second violin. He played by plucking the strings most of the time which provided a pleasant accompaniment to the other violin. The guest were seated by the groomsmen according to a seating chart prepared by the mother of the bride. The young people all looked handsome and beautiful. The three young flower girls were cute as could be. The Ringbearer in his white dress jacket and shorts, white shoes and socks was charming. The photographer and videographer were both discreet and professional. They handle the low light adequately.
Father Whit is always a good preacher. And the setting he was especially able to relate to those present as he had lived among them for a decade. The couple is chosen first Corinthians 13 for one of their lessons. As you may recall it ends with the words
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13”
Father Whit shared how the outward signs of the sacrament, the holding of hands, the giving or rings and the exchanging of vows and promises express faith, hope and love.
Over the years I have always invited brides and grooms to write their own vows. No one ever excepted the opportunity. However Lucy Parks and Adam asked if they could before I even offered. You may read them next.
I, Adam Harrison Rose, choose you, Lucy Parks Shackelford, to be nothing other than your fullest self. And, I promise to always be your number one fan, and to always respect you as a person, a partner, and a wife. I promise to listen to you and to learn from you, to support you and accept your support, even when I am being unreasonably stubborn. I promise to be patient and to remember that all things between us are rooted in love. I promise to share my whole heart with you and to show you how deeply I care for you every single day of our lives. I will absolutely love you and have faith in your love for me, through all our years and all that life may bring us.
You are the strength I never knew I needed and the utter joy that I didn’t know I lacked. From the day I met you, I was yours and I will continue to be yours for the rest of our lives. We have already grown and gone through so much together, and there’s no one else I would have wanted to go through all of this with. But this is just the beginning of our journey together, and I cannot wait to start this new chapter of our lives together with you. Today in front of all our family and friends, I choose to spend the rest of my life with you.
Adam, you are the love of my life, My rock and my port in the storm. You make me feel loved every single day. Your devotion to those that you care about, Your loyalty, and your dedication to bettering yourself and to pushing those around you to be their best amaze me. I also love that you never say no to appetizers. You go out of your way to make me smile, and for that I will be forever grateful. I know I couldn’t have chosen a better partner to push me every single day to be my best self Or a better partner to create a new family and life with.In our lives I promise to be a loving wife and to dedicate myself to our family and its wellbeing and growth. I promise to love you without judgment, scorn, or resentment but with an open heart and mind. I promise to listen when you need to be heard, and to hold your hand in mine when you don’t. I promise to always stand with you against your troubles and to look to you when I need protection from mine. I promise to love and cherish you and our relationship for all of my days.
As I read the blessing over the couple kneeling before me I was touched buy their love and shed a few tears thinking of my late wife Lily as I read “Finally in your mercy bring to that heavenly table we’re your saints feast forever in your heavenly home.”
Father Whit introduced couple and all applauded as I recessed to my office where we all struggled to sign the marriage license and church register by flashlight. Then the wedding party and guest retreated to the family home where the rest of the guests were waiting to celebrate through the night.
