Weddings are such hopeful events. I am thrilled when I am invited to one. When it is in my own family, it excites me even more because these days I know how lucky I am to have a family that also believes in marriage. It makes me so proud of them for doing the traditional and time-honored thing. Love and admiration for them all fill me to the brim. I am grateful for my family.

Saturday, April 25, was a special day for all of us. It was especially important to my daughter-in-law’s family, and the father of her first 3 children. Andrea’s only blood daughter, Isabelle, married Grayson Akaway in a charming ceremony at the bride’s home. My son, Charley, her stepfather, officiated at the ceremony. This happy event proves that blended families can have a wonderful wedding with a whole lot of very happy people in attendance. Isabelle’s three brothers, Coleman, Moseley, and Tom, and two sisters, Kathryn and Eve, were all part of the wedding, and the good vibrations were palpable.

The wedding was planned more than a year before the date, based on the time of year when their gorgeous wisteria arbor would be in full bloom. But due to the very unseasonably warm weather, it happened early. So those blossoms were still there, but just a bit tattered and not as fragrant as they were supposed to be.  The big problem with the wisteria arbor was that it is open to the elements if it rains.  And rain it did.

Luckily, the family opted for a large, beautiful tent to be erected close to the house, where the outdoor wedding ceremony was held. In a twist of fate, my son, the stepfather of the bride, was the officiant.  For this, he had to be ordained in some way to make it all legal. Here is a website that explains this: How to Become an Officiant and Officiate a Wedding in Virginia.https://www.provenance.co/post/how-to-become-an-officiant-and-officiate-a-wedding-in-virginia

He did a great job, I must say.  He has a voice that carries even without the microphone.  And he is passionate about marriage, commitment, and the pitfalls one can fall into, and the fact that marriage can be marvelous. His speech was thoughtful, accurate, and included humor as well as truth. I think he would make a great preacher!

The bridesmaids were so beautiful, it was hard to decide who was prettiest. Luckily, it did not matter; they were all gorgeous. Several were sisters of the bride or childhood friends from babyhood. They were all dressed in pink. However, they each chose their own dress in a style that looked good on them. The groom’s men were all dressed alike and appeared very dapper. The ceremony was outdoors under a spreading tree. The guests were seated on folding chairs placed in a semicircle in the gravel driveway. We faced the tree in the foreground, but behind it was the small lake near the house, which seemed to draw the eye a great distance. The tent was also in view. It had fairy-tale peaks and a lovely, sensual shape. Seeing it there, the guests could anticipate an evening of drinking, eating, and dancing ahead.  Behind the tent, the sky was darkening and becoming increasingly threatening with each passing minute.

The bride was a vision in a semi-sheer wedding dress with puffed sleeves and a girlish look, very pretty, very feminine. The dress suited the bride 100%. It was so unusual and yet traditional, I loved it. Her veil was short and did not detract from the lovely dress. Her flowers were unusually colorful for a bride. NOT all white but bright and cheerful and so “natural” somehow. She came down the impressive stone steps of the house on the arm of her father, Hunter. Both looked thrilled to be participating in this long-anticipated ceremony.

The ceremony was charming, poignant, and fairly short. As the bride and groom turned to walk back down the aisle, there was a rustling of people beginning to gather their belongings. The bridesmaids and groomsmen walked back down the aisle, and as I stood up to leave, I felt fat raindrops on my head. It was just a few, at first. One of my grandsons gave me his arm, and I managed to get up the incline towards the tent using both his arm and my glittering turquoise rhinestone cane. Just as I reached the cover of the tent, the heavens opened up, and it poured.

Thank goodness they had arranged for the tent. That was not part of the original plan. The reception was supposed to take place at the Tasting Room and the surrounding area at Chisholm Vineyards. The gorgeous wisteria arbor was supposed to serve as the overhead canopy for the dinner, which was serving well over 200 guests.    There was no solid cover, and rain would have come through the arbor onto everyone’s head. It would have been a disaster for the delicious dinner catered by C & O Catering. The guests would have been soaked. And it was chilly. Wet clothes and cold weather would have been a memory no bride wants to have. Though many guests braved the rain to eat at the raw bar, which was not under a tent. Such delicious seafood, oysters on the half shell, succulent shrimp, plump clams, and lots of sauces. But I missed it because it was just too wet for me to hobble over there. Luckily, someone offered me a plate of shrimp, an oyster, and a clam.

Instead of getting wet, the whole party was jolly, happy, joyful, and dry, accompanied by great music from a fabulous band, Right On. The food was served family style. It was delicious! Plentiful, varied, and perfectly prepared. We ate as much as we possibly could. I was surrounded by family, sitting next to my ex-husband and his wife, and across the table from my daughter and the groom’s mother. Family all down the line of the tables in the direction of the dancefloor. And people danced with gusto. It was chilly, and that always encourages people to kick up their heels. It was fun to see so many enjoying the dancefloor. There was some regret that I couldn’t join them. However, I had a lovely time during dinner and afterward. But I was still weak from a recent hip replacement. It had only been a little over 2 weeks since I fell, broke my hip, and got a total hip replacement. It seemed like time to leave. I rose and found a son who was ready to take me home.

That company was dancing energetically to the loud, enticing music as I left the reception. Most of my grandchildren were there, and a few of my great-grandchildren were there as well.  Charley, Andrea, Helen, David, Lilla, Chris, and Murdoch, with Susie all dancing, chatting, and having fun behind me. I walked on my son, Robert’s, arm with my sparkly cane, helping me put my weight on something besides the operated-on hip. It was a slow walk to the car, which he had brought up to near the tent. As we drove home, we could hear the music for a long time.

Apparently, they had an after-party with more dancing in the tasting room at Chisholm Vineyards. It was one of the best weddings ever!  So personal and individual, marked with the distinctive, unique style of the bride and her mother. It fit perfectly with the property and the bride’s house, and was truly a unique and unforgettable occasion.

A wedding to remember.

Copyright©. 2026 Bonnie B. Matheson