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!