Brightwood Lights

We have yet to blog about our trips to Maine and Oregon for cousin & older sister weddings, but we’ll come back to those. For now, here’s the most recent update, of our August road trip and latest wedding adventures.

Simona and I left on the first leg of the trip on August 4. We drove from Atlanta to Nashville, where we stopped to have lunch with our friend and former church small-group member, Kyla. It was Simona’s first time in Tennessee, and a HOT day it was. Still, it was great to see Kyla and spend some time catching up with her.

Our drive took us through Kentucky, Illinois, and just across the Mississippi into St. Louis, Missouri. (KY and MO were new states for Simona, too.) She did VERY well on the drive but was quite fussy and unhappy about taking a quick peek at the Arch before checking into our hotel. Turns out, the poor girl had a fever and got sick upon our arrival at the hotel!

Fortunately, she felt MUCH better the next morning and got her wish of “Pfannkuchen” for breakfast, courtesy of IHOP.

The four hour drive from St. Louis to Iowa also passed quickly, and before we knew it, we were at Grandma & Grandpa’s! We even beat Caleb and Andreas, whose morning flight was delayed in Chicago.

We were quite happy to be in town for summer wedding #4, which was Caleb’s brother Wyatt.
Wyatt and Grace met as young children and grew up just a few houses apart from one another. Despite a shared childhood, they didn’t start dating until shortly before graduating from high school. They dated long-distance through four years of college and were married on August 7.

The wedding ceremony was a small, family event that took place in the woods behind Caleb’s parents’ house, next to the cabin at the back of the property. It rained the morning of the wedding, but that couldn’t put a damper on the occasion. Caleb made a handsome groomsman, while Simona did a wonderful job of spreading flower petals in the special dress her Grandma made for the wedding. And, most importantly, the bride and groom were thrilled to become Mr. and Mrs.

The flower girl and groom, waiting out the rain before the ceremony:

Wyatt even wore the same suit his father wore when he got married, almost exactly 32 years before!

The reception took place that evening, which allowed the kids time for naps (and us time to dry off!) before heading in to Cedar Rapids. We had a great time catching up with family and friends, though I unfortunately didn’t get to take pictures since I was mostly busy with the kids.

It was a privilege to watch Grace and Wyatt become husband and wife, and we were honored to be part of the ceremony and reception. We’re excited to have Grace part of the family, and I am excited to have my very first sister-in-law!

Congratulations, you two! We wish you many years of happiness!

(More on the rest of the time in Iowa and the remainder of the road trip to come. . .)

For those who are unaware, this is the year of weddings for our family. Between November 2009 and September 2010, we have 3 cousins and 4 siblings getting married. Not only are we attending six of the seven, but we also have “roles” in five of those six. Caleb ushered in his cousin’s Iowa wedding back in November and read Scripture in my sister’s wedding in Georgia in May. He will also be a groomsman for his brother’s wedding in Iowa in August. Simona made a dazzling flower girl for my sister’s May wedding in Georgia and my older sister’s June wedding in Oregon. She will be making repeat appearances at the August/Iowa wedding and at my youngest sister’s September wedding in New York. I am a bridesmaid in all three of my sisters’ weddings. We were “just guests” at my cousin’s May wedding in Maine and were unfortunately unable to attend my other cousin’s June wedding in Germany.

Confused yet? Overwhelmed by all of it? Just think of my parents- three brides in four months!

Despite all of the jokes about wedding marathons, wedding burnout, etc., we have enjoyed immensely the chance to be involved in such a major life event for so many people we love dearly. Plus, we’ve loved getting to see our extended family (especially on my side!) much more frequently than we normally would.

Here is the report on the first of the 2010 weddings.

L&S, May 8, 2010, in Peachtree City, GA
My co-middle-sister got married days after we moved to the Peach State. We joke that her wedding was so important to us that we brought everything we own when we came down from DC. My parents’ house was full of friends and family for several days, and we had a great time visiting with them. More importantly, it was a great privilege to be involved in the union of Linda and Sam’s lives. Caleb is thrilled to finally have a brother-in-law, as the female-skewed family is finally starting to balance out.

Caleb and I were drafted into helping with “Kranz binden,” or binding the wreath that is traditionally placed around the doorway of a marrying couple’s home. (A similar wreath is made by friends & family to mark milestone anniversaries, too.)

The wreath:

The official wedding festivities began Friday morning with a bridesmaid brunch at my parents’ house.

After getting our nails done (a rare occasion for me!), we had a short break before convening at our home church for the rehearsal.

This was followed by a beautiful, fun rehearsal dinner, which included the bridal party and family.

After the rehearsal dinner, we all headed back to my parents’ house for the Polterabend, which is the traditional German party that takes place in the days before the wedding. Typically, the wedding itself is attended only by the innermost circle, but the Polterabend is a more casual event that includes neighbors, colleagues, and casual friends. Guests break porcelain dishes on the doorstep of the marrying couple, an act which supposedly brings good luck. The couple then sweeps up the shard as their first act of working together.

Wedding day itself brought another full day of activity for the ladies, while I hear the men enjoyed a relaxed morning followed by a leisurely lunch. (I still think we had more fun, though. . . and hey- it takes time to look as good as we did!!)

Hair and makeup were first on the agenda:

After lunch, we got to put on our beautiful dresses for some pictures.

We headed over to the church for an elegant ceremony. Simona did a knock-out job as a flower girl, and the bride and groom were stunning.

The evening concluded with an amazing reception, complete with great food, a rocking band, and a happy couple.

Congratulations to the newly weds! We wish you many, many years of happiness. Welcome to the family, Sam!