I took my psychiatry shelf exam on Friday morning and only made it through once before my mind was completely occupied with thoughts about the wedding-- whether or not we'd be totally snowed out, how awkward I would look with my first dance, and whether or not the 4.5-hour schedule from the first few notes of Pachelbel's Canon to driving away would work. So I turned in my test, rode my bike home, and cleaned my house in preparation for the arrival of its new occupant. I then drove up to Harford County, receiving text messages from friends asking if we had a "contingency plan" for a foot of snow. Of course we didn't! We had had bigger fish to fry; having only just figured out how to get pinecones to adhere to the bottom of vases without shriveling or bobbing up to the surface of the water. Besides, all week the snow forecast was predicted to be six inches. No big deal.
But as the forecast grew more and more treacherous-sounding (I say sounding because I wasn't particularly worried), it became clear that we'd have to be open to other options. Yet we pressed on, and on Friday evening as the first few flakes began to fall we still told everyone who asked that the wedding was still on for the same time and same place. Various parental units and the pastor officiating the wedding (who lives way out in the woods with a half-mile gravel driveway) were concerned, but we were so enthralled with the idea that we were getting married! that we figured it would be alright. Of course.
Saturday m
orning we woke up to a landscape whiter than the Lands End catalogue. Maggie had stayed the night with some friends in a house, richly decorated for the holidays, on a hill in Fallston. A friend who was coordinating sanctuary decorations and the walking down the aisle called up with what sounded like a case of laryngitis and reported that the roads were in terrible condition. After speaking on the phone, we decided the best thing would be to postpone the wedding until Sunday. Though this was going to be pretty tough logistically, it would be the best way to celebrate with friends because, quite frankly, not even the entire wedding party would be able to come on Saturday (one of the groomsmen had to get his neighborhood to help him push his car out to come to the wedding on Sunday!) My mom then suggested that, since a pastor had offered to perform the ceremony on Saturday, that we go ahead with the wedding, but not quite as planned-- rather, we would hold the ceremony at the Loftus house! My mom immediately started cooking a lot of delicious food. I was shuttled down to the basement to avoid seeing my bride, where I watched funny YouTube videos with the other groomsmen.Maggie's Tur
n: When April, Kez, Hannah, Nicole and I arrived to the Loftus house, I was immediately sent upstairs, to avoid being seen by Matthew (I was even chided for hugging a small Loftus child for a bit too long). We spent about an hour getting ready in the master bedroom while the baby slept. Our good friend Kez took charge and started organizing the event, running between the pastor and parents and me (her perspective on the events is here). I borrowed a dress and an ivory rose necklace from my future mother-in-law, and my mom brought my veil. Shoes were contemplated, but I had always said I wanted to get married barefoot, and here was my chance. Besides, with the shape and size of the living room at the Loftus house, the fact that most of the girls wore shirtdresses, jeans, and tiaras, things were beginning to look hilarious. We all queued in the upstairs hallway and waited for Kez to motion us down the stairs. The groomsmen escorted the bridesmaids down the zigzagged, makeshift aisle, with one person leading because it was so narrow. Then it was my turn. As I headed down the stairs, my father looked at me and began laughing. "This is so classic you," he reported. I, now catching sight of the stolen pointsettias lining the stairs, Matthew, and the forty people crammed into the living room, started to laugh as well. It was funn
y and heartfelt, and kind of perfect. The girls had scored enough decorations to make a small table with a unity candle set on it, and the tree was decorated to coordinate. I had been holed away for the hour while the setting up was going on, and now, realizing the effort that had been made to making the most of what we had on short notice, started to laugh and cry, all the way down the aisle.After the ceremony, everyone was treated to a buffet in the Loftus dining room. Lydia sat on Maggie's lap the entire time, demanding salad. And Potatoes. When Keller sat next to Maggie, Lydia looked at Maggie and asked, "Why does Keller get to sit next to you?" (Be warned, gentlemen-- some females are truly never pleased!) Eric Cabell led some dancing in the living room after dinner, and a good, snowed-in time was had by all. At the end of the evening, the newly married Loftuses escaped to a hotel room, which a friend had generously purchased.
Matthew again: Emma picked us up the next morning and awkwardly stared at her bagel while we talked, and then we were off to our separate locations. I was ferrying stuff from house to church to church and trying not to forget things (like my tie-- good thing Joel was still back at the house) and after a couple of trips back and forth between churches and houses (including a few times running through foot-high snow with a vegetable platter in my hand) we all got to church on time. One of the groomsmen, who owns a pretty sweet car that is also very close to the ground, had to get his neighbors to help him push it up the hill to get there!
Of course the ceremony was wonderful and every Loftus kid got to be involved one way or the other, even if it was just sitting there looking cute (Julia was still recovering from the ch
ickenpox but still made it!) It was way too hot inside the sanctuary but we dismissed everyone, took our pictures, went out into the snow, took more pictures, and then went to the reception! I doubt our friends will ever forgive us for making them go out into the snow when only Maggie had adequate footwear, but that is another story for another day.We were so happy that
we got to have two weddings-- one a small, intimate family affair and the other a huge party with all the friends that could drive there! And boy was it a party. Despite the lack of alcohol, we still had a massive dance-off and plenty of people dancing for hours, an incredibly embarrassing best man speech, and an Arrested Development imitation that you had to be there to see.
The only other recent event in human history so well-documented was the Obama inauguration, and they had no breakdancing 6-year-olds. So you can look at all the pictures any time you want:
Wedding #1 (December 19)
Wedding #2 (December 20)
Reception
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1 comments:
Yeah, standing in the snow for pictures was a pain. Don't do a third wedding, you guys. On the other hand, the last song played at the reception made me weep with joy.
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