A perfect wedding

We hadn't been to a wedding in a long time and were ready to attend another when we received the invitation to Chris and Nikki's wedding, the daughter of our good friends, Betty & Frank.

If the venue that the bride and groom had initially picked out hadn't cancelled and left them not only disappointed but scrambling to find another one, it would have been a dreary and windy day in May for an outdoor wedding. This day in June, however, was beautiful. A string quartet played as we all entered the courtyard where the white rose-lined trellis and white pathway strewn with rose petals awaited the soon to be newlyweds.

Nikki, who has always been a beautiful blonde, looked gorgeous in her strapless beaded gown. The groom was handsome in his tux. The bridesmaids wore pretty black dresses. The "officiator" of the wedding was a close friend of theirs and did a marvelous job of setting the tone for the wedding vows. The brother and sister of the bride also spoke a lovely tribute to the couple,who had been dating for a few years before taking the plunge into holy matrimony.

Betty looked smashing in a lavender tiered floor-length gown. Frank wore a matching cumberbund, hanky and tie, which were made from the remnants of Betty's dress, which had been altered. Both sets of parents have happy long-term marriages, so Chris and Nikki have good examples for which to follow.

After the wedding, we drove to a nearby venue, which had previously been a dinner theatre. An open bar and many hot hors' doeuvres later, we had a delicious sit-down dinner of beef, potatoes, and veggies. The cake matched their colors of black and white and cranberry. We all danced and carried on and had a great time. Met some new friends whom we plan to see soon.

The truest words we heard that day in addition to the bride and groom vowing to love one another were when the officiator said to Chris, "Every married man in this room will attest to the fact that from this day forward you will now be made aware of faults you never knew you had." We ladies just smiled.