This weekend, one of my husband’s dear friends got married.
The first of three of his friends to
get married this summer. He was the first of his college friends that I was
able to get to know extensively during a summer stay with Walker’s family in
Dallas, and consequently, one of the most down-to-earth people I know. He has
been a steadfast friend to my husband for the past three years. They even got
to share a best man, who was their RA freshman year. 
His fiancé was one of the
first girls I connected with at JBU, and she opened up her dorm room for me to
stay when I visited Walker in the fall. I quickly discovered that she is a witty,
intelligent, book-loving writer who shares a lot of similar passions. I was
incredibly excited to be able to celebrate the kick-off of their marriage with
them, and even though they’re going to be living far away from us (Texas is
just too attractive, I know), it is good to welcome another pair of friends
into a growing fold. Our lovely friends from Colorado (the best man and his fiancé) came to stay with us the night before the rehearsal, and rode with my husband to pick me up on Friday afternoon. We made our long drive and had a mishap with Google maps when our phone service cut out. This tiny town was far from what we suburb people like to call civilization, but aside from the dusty gravel roads and spotty street signage, the place was gorgeous.
The wedding rehearsal was our introduction to two unknown
families of two people we know and love, with familiar and unfamiliar faces
tossed together like a starkly contrasted but somehow perfect salad. This being
the first wedding I attended without being part of the bridal party, I took
full advantage of the occasion to take pictures. The place was oozing with
opportunity to experiment with natural lighting! My wanderings with my camera
during the rehearsal drew attention. On the wedding day, I was mistaken for the
official photographer by the father of the bride. Which, with a flattered ego,
I promptly denied. I practice with the hope that one day I will be good enough
to justify getting the equipment I would need to get to the professional level.
The wedding day was quite hot. While my husband was off partying with the groom, I got to spend a lot of time with two lovely friends, a wife and almost-wife of other groomsmen. We did everything from petting horses to steaming tablecloths to listening to dubstep, and I enjoyed every moment of it. When the wedding finally began, we got to kick back, relax, and enjoy the evening.
Delicious raspberry lemonade and food accompanied dancing,
and as the weather cooled down, the party heated up. The best part of the night
was the conversations we had at the table, with good friends and family. The
night finished with fireworks, and thus our friends’ marriage began.
A marriage cemented with Christ is a building block toward a
brighter witness. Seeing them this weekend join their lives together was the
reason we celebrated. The reason we celebrate every day is because Christ
washed us of our sins, and we can stand before him pure like a bride before her
husband. Love won when Jesus died and came alive again, and love wins every day
that we testify to His love. Congratulations you guys.
