Our beautiful daughter and bride
Somewhere along the way, weddings have gotten out of control. If you’ve hosted or been to a wedding recently, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. The joyful anticipation that should mark a wedding event is too often replaced by jangled nerves and frayed relationships as wedding participants get sucked into multi-track project management that would make a NASA space launch look spontaneous. I don’t know where the term “veiled threats” comes from, but I suspect it had to do with an interaction between a stressed-out bride and her frazzled mother.
Thankfully, the two females at the center of my life are wired very differently than that. I can report to you that mother and daughter worked happily and well together, from beginning to end. The smiles were real and surprisingly relaxed, which is a blessing beyond words.
From day one, it was clear to us that A.J. was going to walk a different path with her wedding. Her choice of a low-frills Heidelberg wedding was actually less expensive than a local wedding with all the traditional trappings. And I can say that, even in the face of sky-high airline fares and a particularly painful dollar-to-Euro conversion rate.
She eschewed the idea of tuxes and single-use dresses for the wedding party in favor of sun dresses for the girls and simple shirt & tie combos for the guys. No fancy flowers or candelabras. No DJ or limos. Just the beauty of an outdoor setting in the place where she and Tom first met and fell in love.
A walk through the Castle grounds
The pre-wedding walk from Pepperdine’s Moore Haus to the Heidelberg “Schloss” (castle) was a real highlight. The couple was enthusiastically greeted by a passing tour bus and they were applauded by diners at the sidewalk cafe.
The beauty of the day and the joy of the couple were so inviting that our entourage actually grew as we walked to the chosen castle wall overlook of the city and Neckar River valley. Even locals and fellow tourists moved in close to join in the joyful event. We became something of a wedding “happening” in real-time.
It was my privilege as A.J.’s father to stand with the couple as they exchanged some of the most meaningful vows I have ever heard in over 20 years of officiating such events. The ceremony was simple but deeply satisfying, and our happy band of wedding travelers was rewarded with a unique experience in an incredible setting.
The happy couple with their Heidelberg backdrop
When all was said and done, 36 invitees were in attendance — including 28 who crossed the Atlantic to be present. And that was a present to this couple who figured maybe a dozen people might make the trip.
Our wedding guests
In every possible way, God smiled on this couple and their wedding. And if you catch me with a gentle smile on my face, it is only because I couldn’t be happier for Tom and A.J. or more grateful for everyone whose well-wishes have made their wedding event a cherished memory. Thank you.
Recent Comments