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Rachel and Wes' original wedding plans were for April 25th and a guest list of two hundred. When the covid lock down began we thought it would be two weeks and then we'd be finishing up the details for their big day. The date kept getting extended and finally it extended to April 30th and we realized we would have to postpone their wedding. We were to get out of lock down on the 30th, then it was May 8th, so a date was set for May 16th.
We knew we couldn't do a large gathering, so we kept it immediate family. Rachel and Wes had to give up so much in regards to their plans for their wedding day that I wanted to make sure that it still had all the special things of a big celebration - loved ones, beautiful flowers, good food, a first dance.
During the times of uncertainty of whether we could have this wedding, we prayed, and we had to wait. It was hard to have so much be unknown. We talked and planned, and cried some tears, and we prayed. God moved in amazing ways.
One of the first problems was that all of our state and local licensing offices closed in early March. They had not gotten their marriage license yet, with the wedding at the end of April, and their was no warning that offices were going to close.
Two weeks before the wedding they found out that they could now set up an online interview to get their license. They still had to mail in some paperwork, but the license came three days before the wedding!
The other issue was ordering flowers. The floral supply in NJ was not shipping until after April 30th, and then when the lockdown was extended we were unsure if they would ship until after that. But they were able to ship, so I was able to order all the flowers needed for the floral work - bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and table arrangements.
Our pastor was willing to do the wedding and we were able to use our church building, as there is a religious exemption for gatherings.
A big desire on Rachel's part was that she would be able to get her braces off before the wedding. This was supposed to happen back in April, but now we thought it wouldn't happen. The weekend before the wedding dentists and orthodontists were able to open again if they had ppe. Our orthodontist office had donated theirs, since they'd been closed, so they had to wait for a new shipment to come in before they could open. The ppe came in and they got Rachel in on Friday morning! She also got her clear liners! A huge miracle!
We saw all of these things as God providing what we needed just when we needed it, even to braces removal. We are giving Him all the credit!
So now we have a new son, and a radiant daughter. They are so happy, and so are we!
Here is a link to watch a recording of the wedding in full if you are interested.
I know some of you have been praying for us since this all started and we thank you! Some of you have seen some of these photos on Instagram, so I hope you don't mind seeing them again. These are all just people's candid shots. We can't wait to see the professional photos!
A beautiful and very special wedding! Our God is so good and faithful!
ReplyDeleteI have been praying and prayers were answered in every detail of this wedding. She is beautiful and he is handsome, the setting is gorgeous as are the flowers! I know you enjoyed it and I am thankful that all of the plans fell into place, although a little different but still perfect. Get some rest my friend, HUGS!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely occasion it turned out to be. The bride looks beautiful, and the flowers are perfect. So glad it all went well, even if not what you had originally hoped for.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. God is indeed so faithful. Congratulations!!!
ReplyDeleteGod bless your marriage. Always put God first in everything and you will bring glory to HIM in your relationship.
Delightful and faith-building to read all the ways God worked on their behalf. My favorite story is the one about braces removal. So like God to know what is important to a woman. Love to all...thank you for sharing your special day with us.
ReplyDeleteDelightful and faith-building to read all the ways God worked on their behalf. My favorite story is the one about braces removal. So like God to know what is important to a woman. Love to all...thank you for sharing your special day with us.
ReplyDeleteBEAUTIFUL!!! Congratulations!!!
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful, congratulations to all!
ReplyDeleteI love how He worked it out so beautifully for you all. Congratulations to the happy couple! Beautiful flowers! Beautiful bride.
ReplyDeleteThe wedding may have been small, but it was absolutely beautiful!! What a wonderful testimony this story will be when it is told to future generations! Rejoicing with all of you!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the photo of the happy couple walking down the path! It makes me smile every time I see it!
Yes, absolutely beautiful -- all of it. What a blessing. God is so good, and He is always in the details -- even in the midst of a pandemic. They will have so many stories to tell their kids someday about how God worked to make their wedding so special. And yes -- the photo of them walking down the path is simply amazing. It tells a story for sure and is a lovely metaphor for the future.
ReplyDeleteI saw the photos on IG and am happy to see them again here. What a wonderful celebration!
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