“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” – Mignon McLaughlin
I had the privilege and joy of seeing my oldest grandchild get married this weekend. The wedding was lovely with much smiling and a few tears too as I watched my granddaughter step into the next part of her life. But her wedding was a family affair.
My granddaughter is fortunate to be part of a loving family. She was an only child for eight years and then her family exploded with four siblings added in the next six years. She had to learn to be a big sister and she learned it well.
But increasing the size of a family doesn’t mean love is divided. It simply means love expands to include more. I’ve heard it described as how a candle’s light isn’t diminished because other candles are lit from its flame. That’s how love is in a family. The Lord supplies us with more than enough love to cover every child He sends us. And so when Sarah met the right guy and he gave her a ring and popped the question, she wanted a wedding that would include all her family along with her friends. So her mother and dad gave Sarah her dream wedding.
The perfect dress was found. The venue picked. The plans made. Those plans included having her sisters as bridesmaids and her little brothers as groomsmen. The girls, of course, were excited about dressing up in pretty clothes and having their hair and makeup done, but the boys, at ten, lacked some of that eagerness. While dressing up isn’t their favorite thing, they were more than ready to put on suits and ties to be part of Sarah’s big day.
Grandmothers and grandfathers get to be part of the show too and Sarah and Matt were blessed to have all eight of their grandparents able to be there to witness their marriage. Aunts and uncles added to the well wishers and so did cousins along with all those friends who feel like family.
Here is the rest of my family sitting around the table waiting to enjoy the wedding buffet.
And then there was that sweet first dance of the newlyweds before the bride and her father and groom and his mother had their turn on the dance floor. After that the dancing fun began for everybody or at least those who weren’t happy simply observing.
But eventually I caught a picture of the newlyweds taking some more dancing moments and I thought of the song “Save the Last Dance for Me.” My hope for them is that they dance through life sharing the ups and downs with more ups than downs and with love in each step. 
Do you cry at weddings?
I have to admit I got a little misty eyed at this one when the bride and groom read the beautiful personal vows they’d written for one another. As always, thanks for reading.