Courage, determination and love

I don't usually officiate at many weddings but by the end of the month I will have done five this year.  They're quite stressful occasions as everyone wants their wedding to be "just so" and some are even more "just so" than others.  

Yesterday I conducted two weddings and one of them will live vividly in my memory.  Like most of my favourite weddings it was on a very limited budget.  These are often the best because they allow family and friends to give of their time, their skill and their love to make the day special.  

Tilly has had a sad year.  They had hoped to get married a few months ago but the wedding was postponed because her father was ill and sadly he died.  However a few weeks ago she and Pete named yesterday as the day.  I knew Tilly slightly and was delighted to be asked to officiate.

Tuesday morning I got an e mail telling me that Pete had an accident on Monday evening and had suffered severe burns to his legs.  He wanted to go ahead so he was well dosed up on morphine and together we worked out the best way to do as elegant a wedding as possible given his limitations.

He was at church in very good time yesterday but he and his best man had managed to leave the rings at their hotel so we waited outside.  Then we got a message to say that the photographer who was also at the hotel had parked her car in such a way as to block the bridal car and she had managed to lock the keys inside the car so not only no rings - no bride!  Eventually she smashed a window and got into her car, bride and rings arrived at church, and the wedding took place.  Pete was obviously in pain but nothing could hide the love which they have for each other.  

There was another sign of love.  Tilly sings in the church choir so all the choir members came and sat in the congregation and sang their hearts out for her.  Not only that they wanted her to have a beautiful wedding so on Friday night they had all nipped into church and filled it with flowers. 

God bless you, Pete and Tracy.