Over the weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting a wedding ceremony in our backyard. The reception was held down the street at The Flaming Buoy. It was a beautiful weekend. Well, not exactly. It was pouring all day Friday, and the forecast for Saturday – when over 40 people were showing up for a backyard wedding – was not much better.
I was concerned. If it was raining, where would all these people go? There is no way to fit an entire wedding party, guests, officiant and bride and groom inside the house. Yet, we have very little coverage outside. We hoped for the best.
By 11 AM on Saturday, I was convinced that it would not rain, and we could begin decorating. We brought out chairs, cleaned the table, draped yard after yard of tulle from the roof to the palm tree and back, and topped the whole thing with rose petals. It was gorgeous.
We set out balloons to help guests find their way. We set out beverages – a prosecco punch complete with pomegranate heart shaped ice cubes – on the table, and people began to arrive. The poolside venue was serene.
Inside was another story. Our first-time wedding officiant was getting progressively more nervous, wondering why, in fact, he had agreed to do this. The groom was late and taking forever to get ready, and his friends were of limited help. The entire bridal party was crammed into my bedroom in a mess of curling irons, makeup and glitter. And the adorable three year old flower girl was having none of my processional instructions. I squatted down, and spoke in my most calming voice, and she simply cocked her head to the side. It was painfully obvious to me that all she heard was “blah, blah, blah… FLOWERS!!!! blah, blah, blah.” Clearly, it would all work out, right?
I announced to the guests that we would start in just a few minutes, and as if on cue, it began to rain. Not a lot, mind you, but sitting outside with nothing to do (except admire the heart shaped ice cubes in your beverage) in the light rain is not terribly pleasant. We rounded up umbrellas from the house and car, and started handing them out. Fortunately, everyone in the world is not as Type-A as I am, and they were all able to go with the flow. (“Oh! I don’t need an umbrella. I’m fine” or “It’s hardly raining!“) Those people made my day.
Guests had enjoyed their drinks, and the processional began. By the time the wedding party was in position, the rain had ended, and everyone was happy. We enjoyed a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony and the bride and groom were surrounded by friends and family. That is what it is truly all about. (Well, friends, family and love… and dry weather conditions.)
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