Sunday, October 4, 2015

Just A Piece Of Paper

Friday morning, bright and early, Jack and I took off for an adventure.  A 10hr drive to Wisconsin for my niece's wedding.  Betsy is my youngest brother's daughter.  It was a trip that we really felt we should take and after changing our plans because of my work schedule, we settled on the long haul for this quick trip.  The weather was great and heading farther north brought out the chilly temps!  The leaves were just starting to change.  We were able to meet up with my sister, Mom, and 2 of my brothers at a rest stop.
We joined them for a quick lunch.
Hi there Mommo! Looking good!  From this stop we followed them to our final destination of Wausau, Wisconsin.  My 2 other brothers were there to greet us.  It was fun having all of us together.
I caught them having a little refreshment at the hotel...Jim is in red...Rick...Father of the Bride, is in the glare and my brother Phil in the green and last but not least is my brother Greg.  Great guys...awesome brothers....wonderful men!  The ceremony and reception were at the same hotel which made it very easy for everyone to be together and relax and not have to drive after the reception.  My sister and I took a quick peek earlier in the day at the decorations.  Everything was beautiful.  Their theme was "birch trees" and of course Fall colors.
Lanterns, fresh Fall flowers and wood pieces decorated the ceremony room. The trellis was made from birch trees. 
The tables were decorated with beautiful flowers, lights, pumpkins and tiny bird's nests that held Jordan almonds. 
The cake was really cute with the Mr. & Mrs. Moose! 
I thought this was a cute idea for a place for guests to put their cards. 
The Bride was walked down the aisle.
Vows were said and rings exchanged and tears came to their parent's eyes!
My sister and I for a quick pic!
My brother Phil and Jack make me feel short!
The cake was cut and all the other traditions were done too....like bouquet and garter tossing!
Dancing was an all evening event with the youngest having their time on the floor!
My sister's Granddaughter, Ella, showing her attitude!
At the end it all came down to this...Betsy and Garret are now Mr. & Mrs.  I know in this day and age most couples live together for a while before the actual knot is tied.  It wasn't as common a practice when Jack and I married.  (Our folks would  have killed us!)  I hear the term, "It's just a piece of paper, why get married", many times.  I don't care how you shake it..it does make a difference.   I know more than 50% of marriages fail...I know that most folks go into it with hopes that it won't.  Seeing this young couple and many others I have witnessed, say vows in front of family, friends, and God, makes it more than a piece of paper.  It means "I promise"...promise to love under good and bad circumstances...I promise to give it my all to be a good husband and wife...I promise to be faithful...I promise to take out the garbage and put down the toilet seat...and the list goes on.  I saw the tears in my Sister-in-law's and my brother's eyes..I heard the catch in his voice as he said a lovely speech to his only daughter after he "gave her away" to his new son-in-law.  Because even though she's lived away from home for a few years and her and Garret have their own home...this was for real.  She wasn't just his little girl anymore...her name changed...all because of a piece of paper that says "I do".  Best wishes Betsy and Garret! Glad we made the trip!

14 comments:

Kim said...

A beautiful wedding. Best wishes to the happy couple and yes, it's so much more than a piece of paper but that piece of paper does matter

acorn hollow said...

I am with you it is more than a piece of paper. Marriage is not perfect but it is amazing. And when they say it is work it is and there are some deep downs and amazing highs.
Cathy

selvageedge said...

Beautiful setup. And dry! That's a pretty darned special piece of paper. I hope they find much happiness together through the years. :)

gin said...

So much sweetness in this one post -- The meaning of the wedding ceremony, with family to be there for the newly married couple, and the time you got to spend with your mom and siblings is priceless.

Laurie said...

Looks like a lovely wedding and I agree, Mommo is looking good!

Shady Del Knight said...

Hi, dear Yaya! You and Jack have been hopscotching all over the country lately. I share the joy that you and your family are feeling and congratulate Betsy and Garret on their Wisconsin wedding. It was wonderful to see your mother again. She never changes a bit - such a lovely woman. You and your sister also looked marvelous and I really like autumn theme decorations. "I promise" and "I do" are powerful words. Every relationship is tested time and time again. I very much admire couples who remain committed to each other and keep their vows. I wish your niece and her new husband a lifetime of happiness.

Have a fine week ahead, dear friend YaYa!

betty said...

Best wishes to Betsy and Garrett! Wishing them a very long happy life together! Glad you guys took the plunge and went to the wedding; looked like fun. A week from today son gets married (there's a lot of sentiment about the date, will blog about it later). I realized a few months ago once he is married, his dad and me are no longer his next of kin, his lovely fiance and soon to be wife will be. I definitely want them to get that whole "leave and cleave" mentioned in the Bible and at the same time I'm praying as a mother in law I won't say or do "stupid things" and have a better relationship with her than I did with my mother in law. I just can hope I get through the ceremony with the most minimal of tears :)

betty

rjerdee said...

Such a wise idea, having a ceremony and reception in a hotel where so many don't have to drive after all the festivities are complete! I'm glad for you and your family...you all seem to make great efforts in traveling to see each other several times a year.

Rick Watson said...

I love weddings. You nailed it too. It's a promise. I think a lot of people didn't give Jilda and me a chance of staying together but we showed them:)
R

Kerri said...

Looks like a beautiful wedding. You are right about it being more than a piece of paper. It's a commitment and hard work and the best thing that ever happened to me. I wish this couple many happy years together. I love the mailbox idea! And, by the way, you look fantastic!

Andrea Ostapovitch said...

What a wonderful cake! And your blog looks fantastic! I love how explained why it is so much more than just a piece of paper. It was a nice reminder of just why it is we work so hard to make our marriages work.

Nonnie said...

I love weddings. And I agree it is not just a piece of paper. And the vows that are spoken never cease to move my heart and like you, think of all the things that make a marriage work, even when things may not be working the way you thought they should or would. A lovely wedding and fun celebration for everybody. You and your sister look beautiful and I also like the pic of you with your husband and brother. I love being married and having just celebrated another anniversary, wish, as always, the years weren't moving so quickly.

Sush said...

I so agree with the not just a piece of paper. My parents would have killed us as well. The more things change the more they stay the same rings true! The wedding looked so lovely and being with family is always the best! So glad you were able to make the trip! xoxox Big Hugs~

Hilary said...

It looks like it was a lovely wedding. Very sweet.