We were invited to a family wedding last weekend. The “additional information” on the invitation said to dress to a Wes Anderson theme. “Who is that, I asked?” Once my family explained it to me, I forgot all about it. My week before the wedding was so full of social events, it was unusual. Monday, a birthday party for a grandson at his family home, a black tie dinner at Farmington Country Club on Tuesday.

Wednesday, I rested. Thursday, there was a large dinner at Glenmore.

Finally, it was Friday and time for the rehearsal dinner. It was a busy day for me, so I decided to lie down for a few minutes before leaving the house. I was supposed to be there at the dinner at 5:30. After a welcome nap, I barely woke up in time. I threw on a black sweater over my black turtleneck sleeveless top. I was all in black, but my bright turquoise jewelry popped. I changed my earrings into special turquoise owl ones. I redid my hair on top of my head and sprayed Shalimar eau de cologne. And, of course, I put on fresh lipstick. Honestly, that was the extent of my preparations. I forgot about Wes Anderson, but by accident, my outfit was great.

The evening was perfect. After all our wild weather lately, Friday, October 11, was such a perfect day. The view of the lake and the mountains from the venue for the dinner was picturesque. The guests felt as if they were actors in a play or movie. Dressed to the nines, they were enjoyable to watch. Everyone was colorful. Wes Anderson would have approved. We sat at wooden tables in a U-shape. Each smaller table seated six people. The servers served food to our individual tables, and we passed it to our tablemates. The food appeared as fantastic as the costumes of the partygoers. It looked and tasted like nothing I had ever seen. And every bite was heavenly. I wish I had kept a menu because there was one on every table.

Coleman and his Fiancee sat at the center, surrounded by family. Lots of family, all dressed in colorful shirts, socks, and belts of shades not normally seen at the dinner party. Laughter and good cheer surrounded us. I felt the presence of those missing (in Heaven) shielding us from bad weather or any unpleasantness. After toasts to the bride and groom, new guests began to arrive. Many of the newcomers were out-of-town guests who needed to be entertained. They were ready to party!

Among these later comers were my grandson Finley and his wife, Meghan. They brought their 4-and-a-half-month-old daughter with them. This little angel is my first great-grandchild! It was thrilling to see her in the flesh after all these months. Because they live many hours north, I had not seen her yet. That excited me and made me very grateful. I went home to a good night’s sleep.

The next day was the wedding. It was an absolutely splendid day, once more, clear and fresh with no humidity.

Again, I took a nap, and since there were four dogs perched around me on the sofa, my nap was fitful. It was nearly a disaster because my son Robert called out to me, “Mom, it is 4:30!” The wedding was scheduled for 5:00 PM. I panicked but quickly redid my hair and threw on a different silken poncho and exceptional aquamarine earrings. It was a bit spooky. I was really late when I walked into my closet to find something to wear. I barely looked at my clothes, but just reached out my hand to one of the shelves with my many cover-ups. The one just seemed to leap into my hand, and I quickly closed the closet door. I swooped that very lightweight silk scarf over my head and watched it settle over and across my body in a filmy flash of color. It was perfect—the absolutely perfect choice. I cannot help but think my mother in Heaven put that piece of silk in my hand just when I needed it.

The wedding was as unique as the rehearsal dinner but even more dramatic. The most surprising thing to me was that one of my granddaughters and the bride’s brother officiated at the ceremony. They both recently became ordained for this purpose.

Other things that struck me: The groom walked his mother, Andrea, down the aisle, and she looked enchanting. He seated her next to her husband Charley, my son. Charley, who is very handsome, was also appropriately costumed for this unusual wedding. The bridesmaids walked down the aisle on the arm of the groomsmen, except Isabelle had two half brothers, one on each side. All the bridesmaid’s dresses were completely different. They were so pretty I could not take my eyes off of them. Then, Dayna was walked down the aisle by her father. Her bridal dress was so pretty and classic. Just gorgeous. I admired it as she glided past me.

The outdoor ceremony atop a hill was charming and thoughtful and brought tears to the eyes of many a guest. It was a HAPPY ceremony. Love radiated out from the wedding party to the rest of us. My heart swelled in my chest, gratitude once again engulfing me.

After the ceremony on a hill not far away, we all trundled back to the wine-tasting area of Chisholm Vineyards. We were met by fantastic food and drink. This was all well before dinner was served. Lots of photos were taken, people laughed and told stories and admired each other’s wildly colored clothes. There were oysters, freshly shucked, a sumptuous buffet of pre-dinner goodies, cheeses, and antipasto. There was a bar where they served margaritas and some other exotic alcoholic drink. There were soft drinks and beer as well. As the sun went down, we found our assigned places at a long table under the arbor on the other side of the wine-tasting rooms. Someone came over and called each table when it was time to go and get our food. It was unique and plentiful. I was seated with a couple of my children, a son-in-law, and my ex-husband with his wife. What a lovely evening for a seated dinner outside. The moon could be seen rising over the trellis, giving a romantic glow even though it was not quite full yet.

The bride and groom danced with their parents and each other. The company danced too. Instead of a cake, they had what looked like hundreds of donuts. They were placed on dowels on a door, painted bubble-gum pink. The party went on, but I did not. My engine was running low, and I left after that with little left to spare.

What a lovely day and a happy couple! What a super family I have! How lucky we all are to live in this gorgeous countryside. How fortunate we are to have each other.

Copyright©. 2024 Bonnie B. Matheson