Two weekends, two weddings

We've spent the last couple of weekends in the Milwaukee area at weddings. Our friends had a wedding celebration in their family orchard and our niece got married at the Milwaukee lakefront. There are so many different ways to celebrate a marriage. The destination, or the place you choose for this seminal event is a big deal. I know it really mattered to me that the place we got married spoke about us and represented our taste and our spirit. Our friends, F and T have a backyard orchard in their family that was planted by T's grandfather when he was in his 70's. T's dad talked about his own dad's decision to plant these trees knowing he wouldn't see them grow. The sun was streaming through those trees, the whole family stood in a circle listening to this story and T and F stood in front with their arms around each other. I was a puddle watching this speech as I filmed it with tears blurring my vision. F's dad got up and started his toast off with "some of my best friends are trees." Right on. And to top it off, T's stepdad then got up and read a poem that he had written called "Celebrate". "To celebrate the birth of smiles that brighten the faces and grace the union of Fayme and her favorite waxwing." Wow.

We stood on the Milwaukee lakefront and watched the bridesmaids practice walking across the lawn in their very high heels.   With a sparkling blue lake and sailboats lined up across the horizon, this looked like a perfect spot for our niece Kathleen's wedding. Ricardo and Kathleen's friends and family packed into this little Italian restaurant for the rehearsal dinner.  Almost half of the guests had come from Mexico, Ricardo's family, to attend the wedding. My husband and I sat and listened to the sprinkle of Spanish greetings all around us while we sipped great wine and had a wonderful meal.  When storms came rolling in the next afternoon, everything was shifted into a decorated but steamy pavillion next to the lake. Kathleen Scott became Kathleen Patron with cute bridesmaids in seafoam blue dresses and groomsmen lined up in their white Mexican wedding shirts.  My stepson delivered the ring and then walked down the row giving the groomsmen high fives.  Kathleen's dad got up later to give a toast and told a story about Kathleen catching birds when she was little.  Yes, she caught birds.  Ricardo read a speech he had written to his parents.  His dad gave a toast in Spanish and then toasts were given in French, Spanish and Chinese to celebrate the new couple.  As family and friends told stories and danced and celebrated, the party carried on.   They didn't get to have their ceremony in the spot they had planned. I'm not sure that it mattered.