Mark and Diane Have a Small but Powerful Wedding

I didn't meet Mark and Diane until their wedding day. They live in Colorado but their families live in Cary so it was either they come this way or their families travel to Colorado and since travel would have been difficult for some family members, Diane and Mark flew to Cary.

I was so pleased that North Carolina was in her post summer precold splendor to welcome them. We drove from Mark's aunt's house to the small pond in their subdivision for the ceremony and then after the ceremony, everyone would be walking or driving back to the house for refreshments.

Since I had a later ceremony at the River Ridge Country Club in Raleigh, I'd be wishing them well and going on. But it was a treat to have them in my lives for as long as I did. They're great people. Both musicians and had been loving and playing together for a long time.

Their ceremony was particularly sweet in how Mark's family welcomed Diane. Diane's mother had passed away several years before, so Mark's aunt created a ritual where each guest (there were about 12 people there) was given a white rose before the ceremony. They were asked to add their silent blessing into the rose for Mark and Diane's marriage. Then Mark's aunt collected the roses and tied them with white ribbon to create the bridal bouquet. It was lovely and touching. Her words were so beautiful that I asked for a copy of what she'd written and she gave it to me. Now I can share it with other couples.

When Mark's aunt sent me these pictures she also sent the following note when I asked how their honeymoon in Mexico was: 'other than the fact that Diane stubbed her toes on a cement thing so Mark had to push her around for part of it in a wheel chair, the colds they both got and the flight that was late going home so they went to a different airport and got home at 4:30 am and the luggage came two days later it was wonderful! ...

Actually, they said they had a very good time. Nothing can really ruin a honeymoon.'

I'm delighted for them - well, not the stubbed toe or the colds part. ;-) - and I wish them all the happiness in the world.