Our Wedding ~ Part One

We got up early that Thursday morning. There were still last minute things that needed to be done. Everything had to be perfect and the beds all made with their brand new bed spreads. Before long some of Mom's cousins from Oakland MD arrived. They would be taking care of all the food while everyone else was at the wedding.

While Mom told them about everything that needed to be done I went to get dressed. As I pinned my white cape and apron over my blue dress I couldn't help but think that this would be the last time I would be wearing white. I had always enjoyed wearing a white cape and apron to go to church during the months between spring and fall communion.

Once we were ready it was time to go to church. The rest would come later but the bridal party needed to be there at least an hour before anyone else. We had opted to not use the three seated buggy to go to church like they did at most weddings. We would walk instead.  There were dirty snow banks beside the road and the roads themselves were still dirty from all the salt and sand that had been sprinkled on them that winter. I hoped the passing traffic wouldn't send showers of dirt over our clothes.

Once we arrived at church we practiced walking to the front bench were we would be sitting and made sure that we could all stand up and sit down at the same time. Now there was nothing left to do but wait until church started.

We closed the doors to the little room we were sitting in so no one would see who was having part at our wedding until it was time to go into the main room.  LV and I sat by the window and watched as the guests began to arrive. Buggy after buggy drove in the lane and up to the porch to drop the women and girls off. As they drove past the window they would wave and smile. Vans started coming filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins from other communities. I had never seen so many people at our church before and they were running out of room to park.

A little before nine o'clock the bishop (my uncle) and ministers started walking towards the church house. It seemed different to see Daddy and my little brothers walk right behind the ministers but they wanted to sit on the front bench where they could see well.

As a long line of men followed we noticed that a few men were heading back out to the barn, Before long they returned with backless benches. They had run out of room for everyone to sit. Finally even those benches were filled and there was now standing room only. Once everyone was inside the church house the bishop announced that it was time to start services.

The song leader announced the first song and started singing. Little shivers ran up and down my spine as everyone else joined in to sing. I got up and walked to the adjoining small room and closed the door so the table waiters and our attendants could stay there until it was time to make our entrance.

As they left LV closed the door between the two little rooms and then sitting on chairs we waited for the next line of the song to begin when the ministers would come in to join us and talk to us. I had always wondered what they talked about on the morning of weddings and was now about to find out.

To be continued