Reub's journey

17 August 2014

The wedding

The last of our much-loved guests have left, the flowers have been sorted through until there are just a few still-presentable beauties, the bottles were recycled, leftovers consumed, and I have just looked at my camera. Daughter J's wedding, already receding in time, was a beautiful dreamy thing that I will always cherish, and even though I managed just a few photographs, well, the day is vivid in my mind. It was two-thumbs-up for her wedding at The Thyme Garden in Alsea, Oregon.
Here are a few details so that you can see too:


There were wedding bells, tiny ones, for every guest.


There was music, a swing band including the father of the bride, my husband.




 The venue was an herbal garden tucked away in Oregon's Coast Range, about 30 minutes from home. It shimmered, buzzing with honeybees, in late summer glory.



 The cake was lemon with cream cheese frosting, decorated with exquisite woodsy sugar-leaves.




 This child scored a fondant acorn and a delicate sugar oak leaf. I feel sure that she will remember these details forever.




 The groom is Canadian, and his mother and aunts baked a fruit cake with caribou, birds, and even Calvin-the-family-dog on top.



 Flowers were brought by the armfuls from the local farmer's market that morning. Dahlias!




 The bride's 2 year-old nephew had a quiet moment with her abandoned bouquet. Where did she go?



 There she is, dancing with her handsome husband...



 ...and (can you believe it?) her 96 year old grandfather. He made the long flight from Chicago to Oregon in fine fettle.



There was a real wedding photographer there, taking what I know will be amazing photos, and for that I am so grateful. I spent most of the time in a haze. The wedding was the sun and I was the planet Venus orbiting nearby, warm with the proximity, but watching from a distance.



I drifted through the weekend in an elated state, lit by the conflagration of family, friends, and love: a magical condition with an unexpected sharpness that brings me close to tears even now.



This wedding has passed, but may its loveliness and inspiration remain a part of all who were there.

28 comments:

  1. Congrats on your daughter's wedding. It looked like a wonderful day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda. I'm still basking in the day.

      Delete
  2. i feel your bliss. :) i was hooked by both cakes and the feeling of joy you shared. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! :) The cakes were wonderful. No left over wedding cake. Reminds me that I should tell the baker what a hit it was.

      Delete
  3. This was a beautiful occasion that none of us will ever forget! Thank you for all your love and kindness, Kerry and John.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Love you too, Merry! Thank you for coming so far to this wedding, and your help in making it possible for grandpa to come as well. Very special.

      Delete
  4. I think your photos are outstanding...they convey the story so well. Yes, it is a high that you slowly descend as you return to earth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tabor, I know that it has only been a matter of months since your son was married. I read about that with great interest!
      Slowly my feet are hitting the ground.Heck, I wasn't even the bride...what's up with this?

      Delete
  5. Oh wow, everything thing just looks beautiful.... all the wonderful, little details, decorations and the delicious cake. I like how your daughter did her hair too, so pretty..Lovely photos, thank you for sharing.. Have a happy week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Eileen! Isn't her hair pretty? The groom's sister, also the officiant, did her hair.

      Delete
  6. Memorable photographs - the bride looks so pretty in her stunning white dress. In fact brides always look most beautiful on their wedding day. Both your daughter and her handsome husband look so ecstatic in the dance pose.The 3 tier cake is awesome and delicious.Nice to see 96 year old grandpa in fine fettle and doing a dance number. Also love the pretty young girl and the cute little boys ( all with golden blonde hair).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RR, thank you so much. Weddings are such beautiful affairs, aren't they? Do you have photos of your daughter's wedding? I bet she was lovely.

      Delete
  7. It all looks like the perfect wedding! And similar to what my Oreonian daughter wants for her nuptials next year. Kerry, I know you were beaming with pride. A beautiful daughter and handsome new son-in-law. Congrats to all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Gail! If you have questions about wedding planning, ask them soon, before I forget everything!
      It was in all respects, a perfect wedding. Well, I did forget the sliced lemon for the wheat beer. But I'm the only one to notice that.

      Delete
  8. You captured a fine assortment of photos for happy memories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks AC. Just saw the photographer's collection & was wowed by what she saw. Really glad she was there.

      Delete
  9. Splendor in every picture and every word. I can't imagine anything better! The cakes! Wow.

    I'm glad you didn't spend all your time taking pictures. A wedding like that is rare and is a blessing, a gift to everyone who takes part. Thank you for including us!

    Mazel tov!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Reya! I'm glad you like the cakes! There have been times when you've been conflicted about cakes, but these were incredible & I bet you would have liked them. :-)

      It was good to not feel the responsibility of taking pictures, to just soak up the wedding itself. What a great party it was.

      Delete
  10. It looks like you had a wonderful time and such special details.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sounds beautiful. I love weddings. So much happiness and hope.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We can always use an extra measure of happiness and hope, right?

      Delete
  12. What a lovely, lovely account - I could feel the love as I read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Pauline. It was a festival of love for sure.

      Delete
  13. Oh Kerry.. these photos are so beautiful. What a wonderful event. Congratulations to all. And those cakes were works of art.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hilary! It was a fantastic, woodsy-fairy-tale party. I will never forget the magical cakes.

      Delete

Talk to me.