Last weekend my family and I traveled south for my granddaughter’s wedding. She married a man she met at PSU. He grew up south of Pittsburgh. They have dated more than six years. When she graduated, he followed her to Texas while she went to Texas A&M Veterinary School. He worked in Houston, while she went to school.

Carly chose to honor family memories during her wedding. She chose to wear my wedding gown which I walked down the aisle in more than 58 years ago. She had it professionally cleaned to whiten it. Her mother also wore the same dress more than 30 years ago.

For pictures she put on her other grandmother’s wedding dress to be pictured with her father’s family. She had a third gown that she wore for the reception. None of her dresses were new. Her bridesmaid went with her to the second-hand shops to purchase the third dress.

First, we visited the reception venue to leave off our cookies for the cookie table – a tradition of the groom’s family. We also set up a spot to take pictures. It was a beautiful painted background with beautiful bouquets made by her, her mother, and a family friend.

I asked her if she was throwing her bouquet. She said they were not doing that. Her bouquet was so big and heavy. It would have knocked someone out.

Next came rehearsal. Everything went off without a hitch. Even the flower girl did what she was supposed to do. She was really cute and took her part seriously.

I read from I Corinthians 13, the Love Chapter. It had been read at her mother’s wedding. I read it for her aunt and uncle and my daughter-in-law read it at my second wedding to Don. It is a beautiful passage with much for the bride and groom to think about. If you have never read it, may I suggest you look it up.

Her matron of honor sang. I knew the song she sang by heart since it was popular when Dick and I dated. It was Elvis’ “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”.

The rehearsal dinner was held in the hotel lobby and on the patio. The food was plentiful and delicious. This was the first time I met the groom’s family.

She had a marvelous set of wedding coordinators who saved all of us so much time. They set up everything and took it back down as well.

As for attendants Carly had her brother, Jared, and a college friend Kody on her side. Paul had his sister and a friend on his side. The girls each picked their own dress with a shade of green in it. Everything was very pretty.

It was wonderful for me to see my dress again. I am sure her mother appreciated that she wore her dress, too.

The wedding was fun. A delicious wedding dinner was served to the honored guests while the others went through a buffet line. The dance floor was really hopping all night long.

I missed the after party because I was tired. Kody played his fiddle and they sang out on the patio. He and his wife are marvelous dancers.

Her mother and I thought a wedding here would have been better, but with all the people who traveled great distances it was better to be closer to the airport. She had one attendant from California, several from Texas, one from South Africa where she is studying, and one came from Europe. These young kids sure do travel.

There will be no honeymoon right now since they both had to get back to work. Come to think of it, her mother did not have one either – only a trip back to Iowa for school. I did not have one since I married on the Saturday before Easter and had to be back to school on Tuesday.

You just do what you have to do. That is the way we have lived our lives.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell. Contact her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.