My son married about a month ago. Wedding plans were in the works since he and his loved one got engaged on a beautiful sailboat back in June of 2024. It was a year of excitement and anticipation as the plans were rolled out with guest lists, save the dates, invitations, a shower, and lots and lots of related decisions. I wanted to invite everyone I ever knew, but of course that's impossible as we would have had to rent out a football stadium to do that. In the end we invited our close, loving relatives and a few good friends. The bride's parents did the same, and the bride and groom invited many of their good friends.
The wedding was the result of the bride's childhood dream to marry at her grandmother's beautiful, seaside home. We headed up to the festivities on Thursday by way of a beautiful flower farm in Kittery, Maine where we picked up a collection of beautiful flowers for the rehearsal dinner. We also stopped at a wonderful bakery in Salisbury, Massachusetts where we picked up fresh rolls for the groomsmen's beachside picnic the day of the wedding. Later we checked into our wonderful accommodations at a yacht club near the bride's grandmother's house--what a treat to stay at such a beautiful location. That evening we took a boat ride through the harbor, ate a seafood dinner by the coast, and enjoyed a walk and ice cream with the bride's family.
The next day, we assembled the bouquets, enjoyed a wonderful seaside lunch with one of my oldest good friends and her husband, and readied for the rehearsal dinner and welcome drinks. My husband joined the groomsmen for a run and swim that morning as well. The rehearsal took place at the bride's grandmother's house and then we went to the rehearsal dinner at the club where we were staying. The dinner was an intimate affair with the bride and groom's family as well as the wedding party and their significant others. There was a delicious buffet, slideshow of the bride and groom's lives, and then our parent-of-the-groom toast, a toast that celebrated their long romance which began about 15 years ago in high school and our love for both the bride and groom.
Many guests arrived after the rehearsal dinner to enjoy sunset drinks. The bride and groom led the club's Colors tradition when a cannon booms as the flag is taken down for the day. There was cheer and beauty everywhere you looked.
The next day, we woke early, made sandwiches for the groomsmen's early day beach picnic and games, and prepped for the wedding day. I had an hair and make-up appointment at a nearby salon. We dressed and met with the bridal party at a seaside park for wedding photos. After the photos we gathered a the grandmother's house and waited for the ceremony to begin. We could see the guests arrive from the hilltop vantage point of the home--it was fun to watch the guests arrive and mingle. Then we happily marched in pairs or threes to the ceremony. My husband and I walked our son down to the seaside ceremony location and took our seats in the front row. Many bridesmaids and groomsmen followed, and then the beautiful bride in her wonderful bridal gown with her loving mother and father.
The wedding ceremony was in a beautiful location. The officiant, the bride's brother, did a great job capturing the bride and groom's romance with humor, candor, warmth, and love. The vows did the same. It was a picture perfect day with a comfortable temperature and sunny skies.
After the ceremony, people relaxed with drinks and appetizers. Later we took our seats and watched the bride and groom take their first dance to the song, Looks like we made it. There was the mother-son dance, father-daughter dance, and toasts by the bride's sisters, groom's brothers, and the bride's mom and dad. The band took a break while everyone enjoyed delicious dinners at round tables under a tent by the side of the sea. After dinner, people danced and danced and danced! The band was amazing, and the guests clearly enjoyed the music by these Berkeley-trained musicians.
The only pause to dancing occurred when the gorgeous Sturgeon full moon rose from the ocean--it was amazing to see the moon rise off the water, and almost everyone stopped to take a photo of that magnificent site.
Drinks flowed and an ice cream dessert bar was set up. I skirted from one friend and family member to another on and off the dance floor. I never did take a break to have dessert as the dancing and music was all too magnetic. The evening flew by. I was amazed to see how many guests were singing along to every song--they knew every word. The bride and groom spent much of the night elevated above the crowd by large numbers of groomsmen and other friends. At the end of the night, I quickly changed and attended the after-party at a local club -- it was a perfect, low key, warm ending to a beautiful wedding celebration.
The next day, close family members met at the bride's grandmother's house for bagels, fruit, coffee, and a swim for some. We exchanged stories from the evening and then headed home. The wedding was a perfect celebration and a perfect way to start married life together. My husband and I enjoyed a similarly wonderful wedding celebration 37 years before that, the kind of wedding that I often look back to with happiness. I'm sure that will be true for my son and his bride as well.
The wedding also solidified to me that we have to celebrate the good times in ways that match the celebrants and the joy. I've been to countless weddings throughout my life. Each wedding was somewhat different from the others, but when those weddings reflected the couple wed in special ways, the wedding was a wonderful lovefest.
Onward.
