2023 Life Logs, Day 238: The Wedding Day
Date: Friday, August 25, 2023
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 97, Low 74 degrees F
Location: At Home in a Tuscan Villa Airbnb, New Hill, NC
Today was the big wedding day for Jessica, my grandniece and my sister Patsy’s only granddaughter. It was a hot day, but not as hot as previously forecast. And as the wedding time of 5 pm approached, the clouds took over. This helped considerably since it was an outside ceremony and everyone but the bride and the wedding party was dressed in black.
My day started with the visit of good friend, Patsy Decker who lives in nearby Chapel Hill.
We walked and talked, checked out the fire pit and the chicken coop, took a walk, and then drove about 20 minutes to the nearest Whole Foods to buy a cake and more food for my sister’s 90th birthday celebration tomorrow. When we returned, we fixed ourselves a salad topped with salmon for lunch and then Patsy headed home. It was great to see her.
I needed to take my sister and my niece (Patsy’s daughter Janet) to the wedding venue, The Bradford, for pre-ceremony photos at 4 pm. We had a little time after our late lunch and then started getting ready. We put on make-up which none of the three of us ever wears. But Patsy had a full supply with her, so we did it and I was amazed at the difference it made in my sister’s appearance. She looked vibrant and younger than her 90 years. The three of us were wearing long pants suits or a one-piece jump suit in my case and before I got in the car, I was perspiring profusely. I hate car air conditioning blowing in my face, but I put it on full force and off we went. We only had to drive three miles, but then we waited and waited. Finally, we were told the immediately family photos would be taken after the ceremony, so we waited some more for the ceremony to start. We were waiting in an air-conditioned room,
but it was too cold for my sister. I had to keep taking her outside in the heat to warm up. Then as more and more family arrived, she was distracted with the visiting and forgot about being cold. Since Patsy and I are the only members of our family still kicking, it was our nieces and nephews and their children that we were greeting. My brother Dickie had two sons, Tommy and Todd.
They were both there with their families. Tommy’s two daughters were in the wedding party, plus his three sons and significant other for one daughter were there.
Tommy’s brother Todd came from Atlanta with his wife Shelly and their four children. One daughter, Ashlyn, just graduated from high school, and her older sister Kaelin is in her early twenties.
The two boys, Kyler and Easton are much younger and did not seem enamored with the idea of being dressed in a shirt and tie and long pants.. My oldest sister Margie’s son Rex was there with his wife Diana, daughter Rachel, and Rachel’s children, Emma and Kit.
Brian and Judy Thompson arrived with Rex and family.
And then there was Patsy’s grandson Jacob and his friend Max.
The outside ceremony was beautiful, but thankfully short.
We then went inside for a cocktail hour before dinner while all the photos were being taken. I convinced Patsy to try a glass of champagne,
but she quickly opted for red wine. She doesn’t remember ever having champagne and won’t try it again! After photos and cocktails, we were all seated and the wedding party made their entry.
We had the first dance where Jessica and Josh danced to Can’t Help Falling in Love from the Elvis album, Blue Hawaii,
and sung tonight by Todd’s daughter Kaelin. Then Jessica danced with her dad.
The dances were followed by dinner and then the party started. Jessica likes to party hardy and she and Josh kept the whole place hopping. My sister used to love to dance, and once she got on the dance floor, she didn’t want to leave. She danced with Jacob, Max, and Jessica to We Are Family,
with Tommy to Take Me Home, Country Roads,
and then with grandnephew Cory to a younger generation to song I am not familiar with.
I literally had to drag her out of around 10:30 pm. At 10 o’clock I asked Patsy if she was ready to go. She asked me what time it was and when I said 10:00. She replied, “That too early to leave.” She kept talking and dancing! It was a beautiful wedding and a wonderful chance to get an updated photo of the whole family. We are FAMILY.
