I am perhaps that unusual woman who did not spend her childhood dreaming of her wedding. When I was little, I thought I’d like a gown as 
wide as the church aisle, all satin and with beads and sparkly doodads. And I’d have ten bridesmaids and a groom in a tux, and the church would be full of friends and family. Wow! Cinderella would have been envious.
Then I grew…and then I stopped growing. A five-foot-two bride doesn’t suit a heavy satin ball gown as wide as church aisles. And while I had a lot of friends, did I really have ten that I wanted to be bridesmaids? Probably not. Plus, we didn’t have a lot of money and weddings, whatever else you can say about them, can cost a lot of money. A friend once said, put the word “wedding” in front of anything and the cost jacks up 200%.
Maybe the thing that changed my mind about weddings most was Jack, the man (boy, at the time) of my dreams. He was practical. And not one for fancy ceremony or big crowds. I came
around to his way of thinking and each year we dated my wedding dreams became more conservative.
Add to that, we decided to get married and set the date for nine days from that decision. Nine days is not enough time for a big shindig. No one was very happy with that timing, but we put aside everyone else’s vision and had the wedding of our dreams, with close friends and family. I already had a dress, bought on sale for $75. We held the service in the chapel where Jack went to school, just after sunset. About 70 people attended. Chunky candles filled the chapel with the scent of magnolia. A neighbor played the organ and later, cake baked by local Mennonites was served along with apple cider 
at Jack’s parents’ house. We went camping for our honeymoon. The whole wedding, pictures and all, cost less than $500. And it couldn’t have been more perfect. For us.
I understand why other people want something totally different—I did myself for years. What I ended up with is a far cry from my little girl imaginings. But we grow and change, right? If we had do-over we’d go to Las Vegas and get married by Elvis. What fun those pictures would be to look back on!
It wasn’t formal or fancy, but I ended up with the wedding of my dreams. More importantly, I got the man and the marriage of my dreams. And he did wear a tux! What could be more perfect than that?
Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.
Dee
Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!
Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!
pew to pew. Since I’m five feet two inches, such a dress was not in the cards. But I did find a dress I liked okay and I got it for $75, so I was happy. I made my headpiece and bouquet from silk flowers and a yard or two of tulle, and told my bridesmaid to wear whatever she wanted. I was not Bridezilla. In fact, I didn’t care all that much about the wedding—I cared only for the groom. Is that weird? Yeah, maybe, but I watch all those brides on Say Yes to the Dress and wonder sometimes if they care more for the wedding than they do the marriage. I didn’t have 
that bridal moment when I first tried on the dress—I didn’t really care what I wore so much. It was white, it was long and demure, and it was cheap. ‘Nuff said.
front of everyone. But when all was said and done, I kissed everyone except hubby—my maid of honor, the minister, the best man. Hubby said I was about to head for the organist when he turned me and took my up the aisle.
Next spring, hubby Jack and I will be married 46 years. Considering that we dated for nearly seven years before that and had met two years prior to dating, we’ve known each other, dated, and been married almost 55 years. When I say it feels like forever, you can understand what I mean. When I say that it feels like yesterday maybe you’ll know what I mean, too. When we were falling in love, saying we’d be together forever sounded so easy. Hahahahaha! How naive! It hasn’t all been easy but it’s all been worthwhile, and made easier by being able to laugh, both at ourselves and with each other.
Mexico once, for a harried, scary trip (do they have the concept of stop signs down? Not that I could tell.). For almost eight years, we were hardly apart except to go to the bathrooms, living in an 8 x 8 foot truck cab. There were times I wanted to murder Jack but I never considered divorce. (I’m sure he never wanted to murder me—I was the epitome of the perfect traveling companion.) And if you’re prone to divorce at all, driving a truck together will get you there faster than a CHP officer can write a speeding ticket. Those were great days!
After not graduating and leaving Virginia Military Academy in his junior year, Jack went back to school at age 63. Far from not graduating, he got his diploma and graduated summa cum laude! I’m so proud of him.