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Wedding






Yesterday I acquired a daughter in law. This was a wedding that had been in preparation for a very long time by people who are details people. Basically, it was perfect.The venue was a large stretch of lawn in a secluded bay. The Weather was sunny, if mildly breezy. The picture postcard Hawaiian sunset appeared on cue, and there was even a tiny shower to provide a rainbow. Of course, table settings, menu, clothes and all that stuff were stunning. I'm sorry I can't tell you what Charmayne wore except that it was white and she looked like everyones idea of what the perfect bride should look like and my daughters went into raptures over her Jimmy Choo shoes. Nick wore a cravat which he managed to tie with help from Youtube. It was a rich, full, wonderful day and there were some highlights:
  • My first ever ride in a stretch limo; memorable not so much for the interior decor (chrome and spangles galore and a bar along one entire side) as for the skill of the driver in executing a u-turn on a busy two lane road
  • Watching the photographers at work. These guys were a step up from anything I have ever seen in New Zealand, and seeing them photograph the rings before the event was worth about a term in Photography 101.
  • Meeting Nick's and Charm's friends. If it's true that you can tell a lot about a person from the company they keep, then we and the Woos have very good cause to relax about our children.
  • Seeing my son make his vows. He was only two feet from me, but I could scarcely hear him. He was calm and smiling and focussed. He looked into Charmayne's eyes and with utter confidence and purpose whispered only to her.
It is a great blessing for me that I have now presided at the weddings of two of my children and both events were wonderful. Nick's and Charm's wedding was quite different from Brid's and Scotts, but there is one way in which they were very similar: I knew yesterday, as deeply as I know anything that these two people loved each other and that both had chosen well. So, today the marquee is packed away and the guests are in transit for London and Sydney and Auckland and Dunedin, and the real work of building a marriage begins: work that will empower and strengthen both as they become the people God intends them to be.
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Comments

Verna said…
Kelvin your description of the wedding brings tears to the eyes. What a wonderful day it must have been for all of you. It is also not difficult to imagine Nick whispering his vows just to Charmayne. May their life together bring them much happiness and contentment, and may they be blessed with great and tender moments of love and inspiration.
16 March 2010 at 00:53
Alden said…
It sounds from what you wrote Kelvin that it was all a happy and joyous time for you all. To preside over the wedding yourself must have been pretty special. I hope their life together brings them every blessing.
18 March 2010 at 09:03
Kelvin Wright said…
The most joyous thing was to see how my son - your godson - has grown. He had several of his workmates who had travelled from England to be there, including some for whom he is boss. He is confident, self assured, relates well to people, and now has a good relationship with a very compatible life partner. In terms of the tasks of early adulthood as Fowler, Erikson et al define them, he's done pretty well so far. In fact, when I compare him to myself at that age, I only wish i was that far down the track at 30.

In fact, that's probably the greatest joy of parenthood: seeing your kids more highly developed than you were at a comparable age. 3 out of 3 for me, so far.
18 March 2010 at 23:04
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