Kenneth and Paige's Wedding

     I haven't talked a lot about Kenneth and Paige here on my blog, wanting to give them their privacy, but I got permission to share pictures of their wedding day.

     The wedding was much smaller than originally planned due to the whole virus thing, but it was  still absolutely perfect.

    I'm looking forward to seeing the professional photos once they're ready, but for now I'm happy to see all the ones taken with cell phones.

Kenneth, his lovely bride, and his siblings pose for the photographer.

The ceremony, we'll wait for the professional photos to get a picture of the entire bridal party.

The bride and groom.

Tables for guests were so pretty!

The table for the bridal party.

Kenneth and Paige's first dance as husband and wife. I loved watching them.

The mother son dance was something I did purely because Kenneth and Paige wanted me to. I'm glad I did, even if it wasn't the most comfortable thing I've ever done.

My sister-in-law, Emma,  made their lovely cake. 

Our Wedding ~ Part Six

After everyone was seated someone announced the first song and everyone joined in singing except for the bridal party. We sat and listened and visited with each other and kept an eye on the clock. A few minutes before the required two hours of singing were over LV asked one of the hostlers to announce and lead the hymn that would serve as a prayer before we started to eat.

As soon as it was sung LV's married siblings started serving everyone with a meal equally as big as the previous one had been. We had special food served to us again as well. Half way through our meal one of LV's brothers came with two cups filled with tomato juice and set them next to our plates and told us we would not be allowed to leave the table until the cups were empty. He knew LV despised all things tomato. When he wasn't looking LV opened the window behind us and dumped both of them out.

A little before we were done Uncle Eli Petersheim came to get the wedding cake. He and aunt Mattie would cut it and wrap pieces to give to all the cooks and table waiters. Eli and Mattie had always been very special to me, being some of the happiest people I knew of, and I had wanted then to have the honor of taking care of the cake.

Once everyone was done eating the young folks waited expectantly for LV to bow his head for silent prayer. It would be the first time he would be the one to signal the beginning and end of the prayer.

As everyone rose from the table to get ready to go home. LV and I went to get the gifts that we had purchased to give to everyone that had helped with the work on our special day.

As people drove away we surveyed all the dirty dishes. They could wait to be taken care of until the next day. All the cousins planned to spend all night visiting and playing games in the showroom. I knew from past experiences what great fun that would be, but we weren't single any longer and would not be joining in.

Our wedding day was over but we had the rest of our life to look forward to. Together.

Our Wedding ~ Part Five

It felt great being able to get back into the house and away from all the slow church songs that the uncles kept singing.  LV and I had to get sheets of paper ready with all the youth girls names on it so the boys could pick who they wanted to take to the table that evening.

We had just finished writing the names down when the first buggies with young folks  started arriving. LV handed the sheets to our hostlers and they went outside to where the boys were all hoping to be there early enough in hopes they would get to escort the girl they wanted to.

The girls came into the house to place their gifts on the table that was already overflowing with gifts. It simply couldn't hold anymore and they began piling on the floor around the table. It felt a little different to have all my friends coming by and everyone seemed a little uncomfortable not really knowing what to say other than smile in my general direction and then visit with whom ever was standing next to them.

Uncle Ezra came up the stairs and asked me if we have any white medical tape that he really needs some. I told him we don't but we do have bandaids. He said that would work and after I found a bandaid for him he left.

A little later he appeared with a huge barn broom and leaned it against the pile of gifts. Taped neatly to the handle was the bandaid where he had written "From Uncle Ezra"  I tried to suppress the laughter that wanted to bubble out, at that sight. Good old uncle Ezra, no one else would have thought to use a bandaid.

Someone announced that the boys were coming in already and all the girls went into the living room to wait until their name was called to be paired up with one of the boys. The boys piled their hats on a shelf in the sewing room and then stood waiting until the hostlers called their names.

LV's cousin Wilmer and my cousin Nathan were the hostlers and took turns calling one of the girls names. She would walk up to them where they told her who wanted to escort her. After she said yes they walked over to the sewing room door and called the boys name and together they walked into our big kitchen to watch and wait until everyone was paired up.

Once everyone was paired up one of LV's married brothers came to tell everyone in what order to go out to the showroom to eat. Table waiters, cousins, and steadies would go first and in that order. The rest could come however they liked to. We headed back downstairs and out to the showroom where the next two hours would be spent singing. This time nice songs. It seemed hard to believe that our wedding day was almost over already.

To be continued

According to the dictionary hostlers are men who care for horses for other people. I was surprised to know we used to use an English word for that. At Amish weddings two or three hostlers take care of the horses for the bridal party. Since we didn't drive to church they didn't have to worry about horses but they still played an important role of getting all the boys and girls paired up for an evening of singing and eating.

Our Wedding ~ Part Four

As soon as the last notes of a wedding hymn faded we rose and walked to the little room where I quickly got my shawl and bonnet and then we started walking home. We tried to hurry in order to get there before the guests started arriving.

Several vans passed us before we got home but we were safely inside the house by the time the buggies started arriving. Daddy had set up numerous makeshift hitching places for people to tie their horses and they started filling up fast.

Our big diningroom table was piling up equally as fast with gifts. LV and I started opening them until Daddy came to tell us that it was time to go eat. Walking down through the basement and then out through the snow we entered the showroom where tables were set with the prettiest china we could find. We sat on the chairs we had placed for us and watched as Daddy started directing guests to their seats. The bishop and ministers were seated first. Usually they sat directly opposite of the bridal party but I couldn't bear the thought of having them directly in front of us and so we had made sure that there were no plates or benches across the table from us.

Daddy wheeled Grandpa in on his wheelchair and let him sit next to the bishop and closest to us. I was happy that Grandpa got to sit there. Somehow it made it seem extra special.

Once everyone was seated the bishop announced that it was time for prayer. The happy noise of talking and laughter ceased as everyone bowed their heads. Raising his head it seemed to have a domino effect as people raised there heads and started talking again.

Table waiters started bringing bowls of steaming food to be passed around the table. We had our own special server to take care of us and two special cooks who had prepared our favorite foods. But I wasn't hungry at all. Once everyone was done eating the table waiters quickly cleared the tables while the guests remained seated and Daddy and several of the uncles passed out songbooks.

For the next several hours we had to sit there and listen to them sing. How I wished I could we could get up and go back to the house but there were enough uncles and visitors from different communities who each wanted to sing their favorite church wedding songs the way they did in their community. They were sitting  in a place that blocked our discreet escape and we had no choice but staying seated. Church songs were fine in church but pure agony anywhere else.

Trying to tune them out we sat and visited with our attendants and hostlers until finally after several hours we had an opening and were able to leave the table leaving the men to continue their singing for as long as the wanted to.

To be continued

Our Wedding ~ Part Three

Getting up from the bench where we were sitting, we walked up to stand in front of the bishop. This was the moment we had been waiting for, for so long. The packed church house seemed to disappear and it was as if only LV and I were there ready to be married.

 He asked LV if he believed that it was God's plan to have me for his wife. LV answered "Yes."  Turning to me he asked "And do you believe that it is God's plan for you to have LV as a husband. I didn't doubt it for an instant and was happy to answer yes.

Turning to LV he asked. "Can you promise to take care of your wife in sickness and in health, in good days and in bad, in a way that a Christian husband should. After LV answered, "Yes." He again turned to me and asked the same question.

He then asked both of us if we promise to love and cherish each other until our loving God parts us in death. We both answered yes.

Asking the rest of the church to stand he read a short wedding prayer. As everyone was sitting down he reached for both of our right hands. Clasping them together he covered them with his own hands and said. "May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless you richly, today and for the rest of your life. I now pronounce you man and wife."

We turned to go back to our seats while the bishop read a short scripture about what was expected from a husband and wife. He then sat down and asked for the rest of the ministers to add any thoughts they had. I couldn't fully concentrate on what they were saying being filled with nearly overwhelming happiness. While they were giving words of encouragement and advice, Daddy and a few other men got up and went out to hitch up the horses. It was time for the cooks and table waiters to go get everything ready for the reception.

To be continued

Our Wedding ~ Part Two

The door to the little room opened and the bishop followed by the rest of the ministers came in. They shook our hands solemnly and then sat on a bench in front of the window. The bishop started by asked if anything had changed since one of the ministers had come to talk to us before they had announced our engagement.

We both told them that no, we hadn't done anything. I'm not sure what I was expecting them to talk about, maybe some good godly advice on how to start a home or something. But instead, what I heard made me feel like getting up and walking out I was more than a little bit indignant and embarrassed by all the things they were saying. Trying not to gag we managed to suffer through almost an hour of listening to them.

We both sighed with relief when they dismissed us and we could go to the adjoining room where our attendants were waiting. We were still too traumatized to feel like talking to anyone so we simply sat there and  waited until we heard the third song being announced. We all got ready to enter the church house once they started singing the third line. John and LV's cousin Rhoda would go first, LV and I followed them and then LV's cousin Timothy and his girlfriend.

As the third line started John opened the door and we walked in and sat on the bench that had been reserved for us in front of the ministers .

LV's Dad got up to preach the first sermon, He didn't really preach, basically he only told Bible stories starting with the garden of Eden and then how Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac. Once he was done every one knelt for a short silent prayer. LV's uncle read a short scripture and then it was the bishop's (my uncle John Henry) turn to preach. I had always loved listening to his sermons and today was no different as he preached about Jacob and how he worked for fourteen years for his wives, Boaz and Ruth, and several other examples of marriages.

In the middle of his sermon someone drove up to the church house with Grandpa Mast. They wheeled him in on his wheel chair and parked it next to the bench where we were sitting. I was so happy to see that he was able to be there.

At twelve o'clock John Henry said if we would still like to get married we can rise and come stand before him.

To be continued

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