by Bonny Flesher
Weddings are a celebration of two people professing their love for one another. It was an honor for me to witness someone I consider family take his vows. As they planned for their wedding day in Austin, Texas, those of us back home planned wedding showers.
Then there was the question of what to wear. The attire was formal, and the colors were black and white. The request was for everyone to wear black. I don’t keep formal black dresses in my closet, but I had a friend who did! I borrowed a dress and purchased sandals and accessories. I felt like I was set!
We left Oklahoma at about 6:45 that morning. My friends and our Uber driver had one goal: make it to our hotel, change, and be at the wedding venue by 5:00! Thank goodness for travel apps leading us to our destination! For whatever reason, I had worried about the summer heat extending into October, but Mother Nature must have read my mind.
Something told me to throw extra comfy sandals and clothes into the car before our 30-minute drive to the wedding. About 10 steps into wearing those fancy sandals, I knew why. I wasn’t going to last long in them. I felt a sandal cutting into my toes. When I looked, I saw raw skin! My toes were screaming, “Stop walking!” I’m sure my walk was telling the story of what my toes were enduring!
After a couple of pictures, we were seated, to my relief, at the front of the chapel. The sandals made it to the pew and were slipped off. I didn’t feel as bad about my bare feet when I noticed that one of the groomsmen had forgotten to tell his new wife about the wedding attire colors. She stood out in a beautiful, hot pink tailored dress.
One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was having the groom’s uncle officiate. He offered the usual advice to the couple, telling them never to go to sleep mad. Uncle Bob added, “Just stay up and keep arguing!”
I have known this groom his whole life. I have photographed many milestones through the years and prayed for him through low points. On this day, I was there to help celebrate his wedding! His mom and I laughed because, by the time we made it to dinner, we had both been asked if we were sisters. Maybe not in the conventional sense, but close.
After an evening of celebrating, I managed to change into my comfy clothes and sandals for the ride back to the hotel! As I sat quietly dabbing antibiotic ointment on my toes, I reflected on the evening.
This generation doesn’t dance only in couples. Those kids were out there hopping to the rhythm of the rap songs vibrating the room. The bride and groom, still in their wedding attire, were dancing in the middle. I could only think about what it had taken for them to get to this point in their journey. It was a happy dance of celebration!
Back to those sandals: they are already in the donation box, and I added a package of Band-Aids!
To Mr. and Mrs. Shane Soudek, what a beautiful celebration! Let me know when I can start crocheting baby booties!
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