The couple paid for my airfare to Atlanta and I flew out there with my second-hand black, boxy, modest lady skirt suit and my heartfelt, hand-tailored wedding ceremony. The wedding took place only a month & a ½ after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11th and I was glad to be on the same flight as another wedding guest, a strapping fireman + a half a valium + a screwdriver (it’s good to be non-denominational as mild drinking is allowed). I landed and we went to Waffle House to gets me some grits and sweet tea! I was part of the wedding pack (well, the guys’ side actually, as usual), and we all celebrated by clubbing in Buckhead the night before. Y’all are so clean, well-mannered and nicely-dressed in Atlanta.
On their wedding day, beautiful Bride C. was 100% in Southern Belle, Georgia Peach mode with her platinum blonde, corkscrew-curled hairdo and her corseted, buxomy bridal gown complete with white gloves, of course. Groom J. was in a tux with a pink ribbon tied around his ponytail (yes, we are from California) and the Bride’s son, little E., in a matching mini tux. The Bride walked down the aisle to the theme from The Princess Bride and I nervously began the ceremony. We incorporated a spot in the ceremony for J. to make an oath to the Bride’s son, as he’d become his father with the marriage. Very sweet! My lovely Bride looked a little - or actually a lot- nervous but we made it through. I closed the ceremony with a Hawaiian blessing (also nerve wracking to say) and voila! Weddings with Aloha joined our First Couple.
Happy 15th Anniversary to J. & C., still happily married, and to all “My Couples”: younger and older, all-male and all-female, the second chances, and oy-they-finally-did-its, and those in-between that I’ve served with Aloha these past 15 years. Mahalo!!