RENAE AND DAN'S WEDDING

We attended the wedding of our niece, Renae, in Minneapolis on Saturday, and she was determined not to have a traditional wedding that cost a fortune, so she did it her way. It was in a pretty setting in a park, and started with her longtime male friends as "flower girls". They sprinkled rose petals down the carpet aisle from a cardboard box labeled "fruit jars", which caused a chuckle from the attendees. (I'm not sure if the box was planned or not.) She wore a white dress, but didn't want the traditional gown, so hers had a black waistband and she wore black shoes and jewelry. The bridesmaids wore sundresses that they could wear again. (As a side note, she and her sister Rachel, were the flower girls in our daughter Heidi's wedding almost 20 years ago, and all the girls could wear their dresses again. Their mother Linda told me recently, that the girls wore their dresses until they didn't fit anymore, and then Rachel wore Renae's. I hope that little bit of practicality influenced her to choose it for her wedding.) She also chose to do her own flowers obtaining them at the farmer's market, and she did a great job. Here are the girls in a "formal pose". Her sister, Rachel, is on the left.

The reception was held inside and outside, at an apple orchard. As you entered, you picked up a piece of "birch to set at your perch", otherwise known as a placecard. Some of us relatives were surprised when we found our wedding pictures hanging in a picture frame on the table-Don and I are on the left in the second row.

We were treated to a "picnic type" meal with hamburgers and brats, two kinds of potatoes and two salads. She doesn't like cake, so her mother made sugar cookies and truffles. She had yellow and white daisies in fruit jars on the tables. She wanted it to be casual and comfortable, so she and the bridesmaids danced in their cowboy boots. Everyone had a good time. Here's Don's brother Marvin, and sister Teresa.

The bride and groom with Grandma.

We all prayed that she'd have good weather and she did, until part way through the reception, when it suddenly just poured for a few minutes. It didn't dampen any spirits, because it was followed by a beautiful rainbow! I prefer to think it was sent to her from her Uncle Dick.

They did do a few traditional things, such as cut a small 2 layer cake, with a wooden bride and groom on top, made and painted by her father, the first dance, the dollar dance and a slide show. When it got dark, they had a bonfire down by the river and served s'mores and everyone lit the sparklers they were given. It's hard to see, but the bride lit the first sparkler.

Traditional, like our recent, Allison's, wedding (where I had camera trouble), or non-traditional like this one, we're just happy the girls were able to live out their dreams and have a wonderful start to a great marriage!!!