Mood:
coolTopic: La vie
Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending the Catholic wedding blessing of my favorite married couple—Ardath and Thad.
For some odd reason, I had people asking about my Saturday night plans and when I said I was going to a blessing, they didn't understand what I meant. But I can't act all smart, I had to ask Ardy what it was when she invited me to come along.
Ardy and Thad were married quite awhile ago, in Hawaii, with only their two best friends present. When they got home, they had a reception for friends and family. Although their wedding was a success (not to mention very beautiful), it happened outside of the Catholic Church.
For situations such as these (and many others), the Catholic Church has a ceremony that officially recognizes the marriage into the Church, making them validly married.
Ardy told me most blessings are very intimate, involving the couple and their immediate family. However, once Ardy called her parents to tell them the blessing date, they did what alot of parents would probably do—called 50 people.
This blessing, for the families, was basically the wedding they never got to witness. Ardy wore a beautiful white dress and the string of pearls from her wedding day. The ceremony was simple—there were prayers, the exchange of the rings, and the vows were recited. I think the priest was tickled at the crowd and let them kiss at the end.
Although I've only known Thad and Ardy as a married couple, the ceremony made me a little teary-eyed. Their story reminds me that fate doesn't just exist in sappy movies; it's real! They met on a blind date—all Ardy knew about Thad was he was just divorced and had just gotten his braces off. Yet, now they are married and in love and when I'm with them, I have the greatest time. I hope someday I have a marriage as great as theirs.
After the ceremony, a crowd of people gathered at Ardy's parents' home, where there were trays of food and coolers of drinks. There was a wedding cake and even a groom's cake. The cutting-of-the-cake was the best part of the night...mainly because I could tell neither one of them were thriled about it, but they had to fake it for the photos. Plus, their champagne glasses formed a heart when held together and that made me laugh—big time.
But hey, the cake and champagne were delicious and so was the food (if you're reading this Ardy, can I get the recipes for the green beans and cole slaw? Thanks!). It was great to see all the people there supporting this great couple. I love you guys!
