once in a lifetime:The Wedding Day Pt.1

As the wedding day was upon us Ashley had a pretty good idea of who and how many invitees would be attending. It was not a huge event but around 100 were possible. The most significant no show would be my mother, brother and sister in law who were driving from Detroit. 3 days before they were to leave my brother Dennis, left work feeling ill and went to hospital where after diagnosis the Drs. told him he would  not be going anywhere, he had major blockage in at least 3 arteries so he needed a bypass, ASAP, like on Monday day after the wedding. All plans were off for travel and luckily they were able to cancel hotel reservations. So this would be a big blow to having all grandparents there. At 82 My mom was nervous about making the trip by car but was gonna go for it. They all would be missed but the show must go on.

Now on the positive side, my dad, Step-Mom Beverly, and sister Jeanne would represent Symon's side of family from Detroit area.. At 82 my dad is still used to road travel and up to it but Jeanne would do most of driving. Cousin Erin, my niece was still going to make the trip from San Francisco and represent for her dad, bro Marshall and step-mom Jo-Ellen. Erin and Ashley have been buds since being little ones, becoming closer as they have grown into young women and Erin was to be one of the speakers making a toast.

Sisters gettin ready!

By Saturday night all family were in or around Salem. Soaking up sights, sounds and smells that are unique to Boston area. Several of Mary's family, Ashley's aunts and uncle, cousins made the road trip from Michigan, Wisconsin and were among those ready for a party. My BFF and world traveler Bill had managed an invite and had arrived before anyone, staying in an AirBnB in Salem by the sea waiting anxiously for us all to arrive. His plus one would be an old friend from Fraser, Deborah who lives in Portland, Maine and would fit right in with this crowd.

Sunday came quickly as Mary and I drove in from Framingham taking the same basic route as the Boston Marathon does into town. For me a somber reminder of that day in April and the aftermath for the people of Boston. This day of course was about life moving and new beginnings. We all had our itineraries from the bride with our times and responsibilities for he day from the Bride. We had joked at dinner that someone had hinted at some Bridezilla in Ash but I came to see it as her skills as a wedding planner and eye for detail. My first job was dropping Mother of the bride off at the Salon in Jamaica Plain where sissies were already under their makeovers for the main event. I took a quick pic and moved back to Ashley and Sherry's place in JP where only Andrew, Sherry and myself would be hanging out til load up time and leaving for the wedding site in Peabody, near Salem. Sherry was reviewing or writing her vows and I my piece I would say during the ceremony.  We all would soon be back packing the flowers, table and hall decorations, wedding dress, and all our stuff into 3 vehicles and heading to Peabody.
After Sherry ordered and picked up lunch for everyone and Mary, Callie and  Ashley's return home. We began the packing process as Ashley's co-workers Doug and Kelsie came by to lend a hand and car space. Kelsie assisted Ashley with a lor of the wedding planning and both found a love for it in the process. Kelsie was several months pregnant but worked right along with us all in the prep. Soon cars were full and our rental would try and follow Sherry and Ashley thru Boston streets and highways to Salem, Peabody and the Smith Barn property. Sherry warned me she would probably lose me and she did somewhere after we passed Fenway Park on a game day. Our GPS would take over and navigate again. Even after a near accident in a tunnel and a missed turn we, Mary,Callie, Andrew and myself made it to the farm where the wedding would take place. It was a sunny, warm and slightly humid day as we began the unloading and merged with caterers and Smith Barn staff to set up the decor. Other friends of Ashley and Sherry pitched in as they arrived. The barn was warm but great breezes and well placed fans would keep it pleasant as we worked. As we finished, Mary and our daughter's would head over across the street from barn to where wedding ceremony would take place to get dressed and final bridal touches would take place.

Smith Barn ready for a celebration

This gave Andrew and I a chance to catch our breath and relax for a bit until we needed to get ready. Sherry would get dressed over in the small historic house too. When done Ashley and Sherry would do all of the "first look" photos as the photographers had arrived. Mary's family had arrived and we awaited my dad, Bev, Erin and Jeanne's arrival along with other hotel guests on the shuttle from Salem.

(Due to length Wedding Day, a fathers perspective, split up in 2 parts) Pt. 2 follows ...

once in a lifetime

I couldn't pass up this opportunity to return to the blogosphere after Mary and I walked our oldest daughter, Ashley Kay down the aisle to wed  her "best friend" Sherry. Since my last blogs just about a year ago involved my telling of my heart attack experience and request to the divine powers that I make it to the wedding this summer it was an excellent time for an update and share our experience in a wonderful event in Peabody, MA.
As with most stories there is much to tell in little side stories that went on along the way there and back. Our trip to Boston would be our first trip driving since we took Ashley and all her stuff 5 years previous to a new job after graduating college with fair trade importer Equal Exchange. One difference younger daughter Callie was riding with us on this road trip. We also carried other precious cargo destined to be part of the wedding and some of Ashley and Sherry's shower gifts Ashley was not able to transport back with her on the airline in May. Let me just say our trip to Jamaica Plain was memorable for driving in daylight, heavy downpours, sunshine, rain, quick service rest stops, singing-grooving to Sirius radio, laughs, text exchanges w/ relatives driving to Boston too, almost being a part of other's road rage and as we entered Western Mass. a lovely rainbow rose over the mountains in the eastern sky, a sure sign of good fortune.. Fitting not only for the wedding we would attend in 2 days but for the recent Supreme Court ruling from earlier in the week that gave rights to gay and lesbian married folk. We would arrive in JP just as dark was settling in and our GPS guide brought us to our destination despite Boston's trying traffic setups.
As expected Ashley and Sherry's place was full of both pre-wedding anticipation and wedding stuff, ready for last minute alterations and transport to wedding, most of which Ashley and Sherry had created and prepared in the days prior. As we were all quite tired I don't remember us doing much that night but adjusting piles and discussing Saturday's plans of golf for me, Sherry, Rada and Tony, Sherry's dad and obtaining and preparing flowers for the wedding by Mary, Ashley, Callie,  Mary P, Tracy and Jenny, Sherry's mom and sister. Rada and Mary P. are close friends of the brides who helped in so many ways. Rada would be doing the presiding over the ceremony and Mary would be supervising and creating many of the flower arrangements with help from the others. We knew we would be up early and at em so we would try and get some sleep after our long journey.

It would be the first meeting of the families today and our golf tee time was at 10:00 so there was not a lot of time to dawdle. After bfast we were off, I rode to the course with Tony and it would give us a chance for the dads to talk before we hit the links and watch our daughters get married. A chance of rain was in forecast but we were optimistic golfers even if our playing partners had little or no golf experience. As the day went on Tony and I would get to know one another and learn more about how we all arrived at this place in both families history. We would carry on with clubs in tow.
Carry on we did, as the moms and sisters were picking, purchasing and preparing flowers we golfers were bonding at an old course north west of Boston. The golf was fun and as we finished 18 holes sunshine was coming out. Rada and Sherry acted more like caddies and chauffeurs the second nine but it still made for fun and getting to know each other better. Upon our return we learned the remaining women enjoyed their gathering of the flowers to be used in the wedding.It was a meaningful time for all, as evening fell we went out for a nice dinner in Jamaica Plain. We all had jobs assigned for the wedding day as Ashley had it all spelled out from hour to hour. Mary and I had a room reserved in Framingham, 30 minutes away so we headed out after dinner and Andrew, Callie's beau, had arrived as Sherry volunteered to scoop him up from the airport. They would stay at Sherry and Ashley's place.

the moms

 I am quite sure no one slept as well as needed before Sunday's big doings as anticipation was as heavy upon us as the humid Massachusetts air. So much planning and expectation precede most weddings and this was no different. It did have a sense that something special was happening on Sunday, as not only different cultures were bringing their traditions and families together but Ashley and Sherry and their friends were putting on a joyous celebration of love between individuals as a human thing not something legislated or controlled by federal or state laws. In the second part of this story I will lay out from my perpective, father of the bride, what I saw and took part in on June 30, 2013.