Processional
Over the holidays (while still in Athens), it worked out for us to attend the wedding of a dear family friend's youngest daughter, Laura Merriem (Gaultney) McCalvin. Everything was so lovely, from the ceremony to the gorgeous backyard reception (think "Father of the Bride" cozy/chic/homey/fabulous), but the thing that might have stuck with me the most was the music as Laura Merriem walked down the aisle.
{photo by once like a spark photography}
*How bout that dress, BTW? Sooo pretty....
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On my wedding day, I walked down to the very traditional and lovely "Trumpet Voluntaire". It felt so grand and glorious--I loved it (of course whenever I hear those notes now, it gives me chills!)
{photo by Zoomworks}
*My wedding day -- 11/6/04
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Laura Merriem's was such a personal wedding in every way, so the fact that the processional was not necessarily the norm was not surprising, but that's what I loved about it. A small acoustic band, with a girl and guy harmonizing, set the stage, then just prior to the bride's entrance, they began playing Phil Wickham's "You're Beautiful"...
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGlTzH9xkXQ
The wedding day version was more acoustic and subtle than that version, but it was positively soul-stirring. Her entry was not the normal long-pause, trumpet blaring while everyone grunts to stand, rather, she came in right after her bridesmaids, in this lovely, understated way. The perfectly timed words to the entry propelled the humble moment to jaw-dropping as the bride was suddenly among us. Of course, seeing a bride on her wedding day step across the threshold onto the aisle is pretty much always breathtaking, but the accompaniment to this bride's processional (not to mention how gorgeous she looked) truly brought on the tears, as the words and music crescendoed into that first glimpse of white...
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"When we arrive at eternity’s shore Where death is just a memory and tears are no more We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring Your bride will come together and we’ll sing You’re beautiful"
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There are few pictures more poignant and more hopeful than that of a bride. Whether single or married, when we know the Lord, we are that bride, not only beautiful but now complete.
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On this "Wedded Wednesday", I wanted to share a couple recent posts from a blog of a sweet friend of mine. Lindsay of "The Sweet Christian Bride" is a wonderful writer, and I always love her content. First, in this blog entry, I am the girl that discipled her, and then here, I love that she linked to Jay's words for his Valentine's posting.