Best Laid Plans ...

Despite my prayers, and after all of our hard work on my fiancee's back yard, the weather report two days before the wedding was for possible rain, 58 degree highs and 15-25 mph winds. I swallowed deeply and suggested we move to my walkout basement. My family was staying in the three bedrooms and I was staying at the other house, so it was not the way I planned but I could not see taking the chance of being miserable.

So Friday morning, Jerry and I loaded up the china, the glasses, the decorations, the chairs, my dining room table which we were using for serving, and the 3 rented tables and took them to my garage. My son and his girlfriend helped me carry and roll everything down the hill and into the basement room.

The downstairs furniture all had to move, but we found space for all of it. The three dining tables with chairs and the small patio set for Jerry and I barely fit into the main room with room to walk through.The serving tables fit in  what used to be my office.  If it rained and we had to have the ceremony inside, it would be upstairs by the fireplace. But we were still hoping to be able to have it just outside on the patio.

Saturday morning, of course, the sun burst out and things looked great, but we were committed to the change. I came over and set the tables and prepared things for the caterers while Jerry baked the bread for our dinner. One benefit was that I did not have bring all the serving pieces for our family service to the other house. The caterers could just take out what they needed as they went.

The wedding was scheduled at 4, so by 3:15 or so, I was dressed and ready to greet the caterers and a friend's daughter who was helping to serve. Jerry arrived with the bread and the truck loaded with all of the pots of flowers we had prepared in his backyard. We spread them around the patio and arranged the hanging plants to frame us during the ceremony.

The caterers and my extra helper arrived and started filling the kitchen with all of the food. Jerry managed to change into his wedding clothes and set up the sound system for the grandsons who were providing music for the ceremony.

Jerry's son was the minister for the wedding, and he arrived with lots of questions about the ceremony we had written. I gave him the answers, and handed the rings to my daughter and Jerry's other son who were going to be the Maid of Honor and Best Man.

Everything was going beautifully. Guests were arriving, Everyone was chatting comfortably. We had decided just to mingle until time to start so I enjoyed greeting everyone.

Time seemed to be passing so I went to check on things. Glad I was not a nervous bride, because at four o'clock - the scheduled wedding hour - one granddaughter was running a little late, as were the two musicians who had not been told about the change of location. And the wife of the minister and her three kids went to the next town by mistake, twenty minutes away.

I took it in stride. We kept visiting and when everyone was there, and the musicians were tuned up, the wedding began.