My Cousin's Wedding

It's been an exceptionally long time since I have written anything here, but it's just as well - I shouldn't be spending my whole summer in front of the computer, anyway.

I do want to take a moment to share the fact that I attended what had to me (for me) the best wedding I've ever been to last month in Edmonton, when my cousin got married. I'm surprised that it took so long, but he is/was a discriminating type of person and wanted to wait for the just the right person to show up. Needless to say, he met the right person - you know how you get the sense that a particular person is kind and honest and such (call it Spidey senses or gut feeling or whatever). Well, my cousin's new wife is like that. I wish them all the best and know that they will have a strong marriage.

What I liked most about the ceremony is that from start to finish, it was all a testament to God's goodness in their lives. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it - his wife is the only believer in her family, so what a nice witness it was for them not only during the ceremony but also during the speeches and such, to praise God's goodness. I'm sure there were people in the audience who were thinking why everyone in the wedding party was singing God's praises during speech time and sharing time. This is how it should be - God designed marriage, and this was just a celebration of two believers coming together to follow His will.

I've been to weddings between non-believers, and you really get the sense of the spiritual component's absence. And what do they fill it with? Evidentally, not much, as far as the drunkedness, borderline rude speeches and the overall sense that it was a glorified civil ceremony.

My cousin's wedding was different - not only in how it was conducted (they of course, had a huge say in this) but also in how the believers (and there were a lot on my cousin's side and a number from his wife's side - non family members. It was really a demonstration that you did not have to get wasted to have a good time. I didn't touch any drinks and still managed, on the sheer adrenaline of the moment, to spontaneously combust into a quick breakdancing routine on the dance floor (in my tuxedo - I was a groomsman). Not sure what came over me - must have been 25 years of pent-up breakdancing frustration, as one observer noted.

Things were just amazing from start to finish. We had great weather and the church was only a stone's throw from my cousin's house. We all got our tuxedos on at my cousin's place, and walked over to the church via the sidewalk.

The one area which I had some slight concern about before we flew in, was how my son would adjust to the whole thing. He was asked to be the ring bearer, and glady accepted. I wasn't sure whether he would get along with the flower girl, whether he could sit through the wedding, or whether he could adjust to the time changes. Well, I am so pleased that he proved that I had nothing to worry about. He not only got along with the flower girl, I think they fell in love. She was chasing him the whole time and they were holding hands and dancing and such. I told him not to fight it, it's not everyday that females will swoon over you, so enjoy the moment. He also adjusted to the time zone change without issue, even though we went to bed every night at around midnight mountain-time (2AM Eastern time, which was what he was used to). He sat through the wedding without problems though I think if it went 15 minutes longer, it would have been tough.

So my cousin is off to a well deserved honeymoon. I wish him all the best and want to thank him and his wife for putting on a fantastic wedding and reception. And may God bless them both as they go through this new stage of their lives together.