Word pictures

I tried - really tried - to get a couple of nice pictures of Chad and Holly to post in honor of their wedding. But every single picture is blurry; Chad never.stops.moving.

Or talking, but that's another story.

Instead, I offer you some word pictures of little bits of the last two days, the bits and pieces that you want to capture, but all too often fly out of memory soon after the event.

Introductions at the rehearsal: Chad introduces Moira, a lovely young lady who became friends with Holly via the internet. Once they met in person, they realized, as Chad said, Holly and Moira are so alike as to really be the same person, one living in Canada, one living here. In chorus, a groomsman and I both piped up, "Just don't get confused tomorrow!" High fives all around.

Assume the position: Groomsman asks where they are to put their hands - behind their backs, at their sides..."Fig leaf, left over right," Chad says. One groomsman says it doesn't feel natural...hilarity ensues.

Good heavens - when does that stance ever look natural?

Living in the moment: Holly has the ability to live fully in the moment, totally present in whatever is going on in the here and now. What a joy to watch her so completely enjoy having family and friends around her to celebrate her marriage!

Saz's: Good food, even better fellowship. Yakking with the bridesmaids, listening to one of the groomsmen, transplanted from Wisconsin to Minnesota, tell "Lena and Ollie" jokes:

Ollie calls Lena from his cell phone.

"Hey, Lena! I'm on my way home now, yeah, on da highway."

"Ooo, Ollie, you'd better be careful dere. Da television just said dere's some idjiot on da freeway, driving da wrong way!"

"Oh, no, Lena, da television's wrong. Dere's not one idjiot; dere's hundreds!"

Eclectic: Sitting in the sanctuary, prior to the service, you heard snippets of dialogue from "The Princess Bride", country, pop, and rock music as well as at least one show tune. This is a marriage of music styles as well as people.

Laughter: The pastor, groom and best man walk out. Their entrance music ends, and there is a pause before the processional begins. Chad, who abhors a vacuum, raises his hand and waves at the congregation, saying, "Hey there, everyone." Laughter for the first time in the service, but certainly not the last.

Sparkles: Chad winking at the bridesmaids as they come up the aisle. The doors closing, then opening again to reveal the winking of light off the sequins on twelve poofy layers of tulle, the sparkles not nearly as bright as the love in Holly's eyes. Watching Chad's eyes brim, then spill over with tears as she and her dad come down the aisle.

Lifelong vows: Written for each other, said from the heart. The groom's voice becoming quieter and quieter as he speaks, overcome with the emotion of the moment. The bride's voice bright and clear, proclaiming her commitment for all to witness.

Classic car: After the punch and cake reception and family pictures, the bride and groom take off for the lakefront in a fully restored '63 Corvair convertible loaned by a friend for the day. The top is up to protect the bride's hair, but nothing can quite protect the groom from twelve layers of bedazzled tulle stuffed into the tiny car.

Considering others: Before taking off for the lakefront, the bride told the rest of the wedding party, who had time to kill before the dinner, to go change clothes and get comfortable. No need to wear rented shoes and killer high heels for the rest of the evening. In true female fashion, at least three of the five bridesmaids went shopping during that interval.

Family dinner: The dinner feels like a casual dinner at the wedding couple's home. Seventy-five or so people, all mingling, talking, celebrating and happy. Both bride and groom taking the time to have conversations with each guest, truly acting as host and hostess of the event.

So much more - being able to have a long talk with Chad's mom, who I think could become a good friend if she didn't live four hours away, meeting more of Holly's extended family, sharing (preferably embarrassing) stories of Chad and Holly's childhoods, discovering mutual acquaintances, laughing often.