Leslie Miller Smeathers

ABOUT THIS WEDDING

"The wedding was gorgeous. It had been hot/humid and stormy all day. About 2 hours before the wedding, the sun cam out and the temps cooled down. I was a little nervous but I love the bride and was just really excited to be there. Like I told my son-in-law, I can talk to anyone about anything so this shouldn't be a problem. The bride's step-dad kept calling me "Pastor". The bride's mother hosted the wedding in her restored Victorian home. The actual service was outside under a white arbor. The bride wore a very simple, ivory, floor-length, sleeveless, sheath dress accented by a silver "collar" type necklace inlaid with turquoise and coral. Her long, dark hair was worn down and without ornament. The groom was casually dressed in neutral trousers, jacket and white shirt. The sister of the bride and her husband were witnesses. Attendees were seated on the lawn in white chairs under a white tent. Champagne was served immediately after the ceremony and everyone retreated indoors for cake and hors d'oeuvres. It was a good thing too........10 minutes after the ceremony the skies opened and we had a major thunderstorm! The ceremony was very relaxed and simple but elegant. I used the script in the handbook with a few additions. The couple did not write their own vows so I used a slightly different one than in in the book. I also used the ring warming as part of the ceremony and read a short passage where the attendees respond with "I do" (the reading promises that all will support and help the couple in their marriage). I was given free-reign with this ceremony because the couple currently live in Paris (he's British, she's American but both have lived there for years) and were only in town for 5 days. We only had one session on Skype and exchanged a few emails. I didn't meet the groom until the day before the wedding! In the end, it was a beautiful ceremony and I was honored to be a part of their special day."

Leslie Miller Smeathers