09-27-24

Kansas Snapshots by Gloria Freeland - September 27, 2024

Wisconsin wedding

Driving through the gently-rolling farmland of Wisconsin, it couldn't have been a more perfect day - sunny, in the low 80s, with a slight breeze. We admired the iconic barns, while wondering aloud when the ripening corn and soybeans would be cut. Turning south onto Round Lake Road, we were treated to the sight of two cranes and a dozen or more ducklings feeding on a nearby pond ringed with cattails.

Husband Art and I were on our way to a family wedding. I was looking forward to having no role other than to enjoy and observe. Ryan, the groom-to-be, was the son of Art's cousin Kris. His intended bride was Brooke, his girlfriend of 15 years. Ryan and his sister Hannah were with us on our trip to France in 2014, and we've enjoyed keeping up with them and their siblings, Ben and Sarah. Sarah had traveled from Switzerland to be there.

We arrived 45 minutes early, waiting in the car until daughter Katie and husband Matt arrived from Madison. They drove separate vehicles because we bought Katie's Chevy Cruze and were going to take it back to Appleton.

By chance, Katie and I wore dresses of similar colors - oranges, reds and blues. I had debated between two long dresses, and Art had prodded me to wear the brightly-colored one, saying it made me stand out. I was unsure because it seemed to say summer more than fall. But he was right and I received a number of compliments.

The venue was an idyllic country setting, complete with a stately barn and a stone silo. Wooden chairs and an arch decorated with white roses and greenery had been set up on the lawn on the east side. A bit farther was Round Lake surrounded by green hills.

Art said he hoped Kris didn't end up looking like Minnie Pearl from the old "Hee-Haw" TV show. Kris had discovered before the wedding that her dress was the wrong color, so she had to quickly alter a different one. A couple of days before the wedding, I asked how it was going.

Then her sewing machine began skipping stitches, so she had to borrow one from a friend.

But she pulled it off and looked lovely in her black dress with a bodice sparkling with sequins.

We chatted with her and husband Jim, Kris's siblings, Chip, Dave, Marcie and Lisa, and their mother Sue, 92. We hadn't seen most of them since Ben's wedding 10 years before.

Official photographers were snapping pictures, but I took many myself, partly because I knew they wouldn't capture all the special moments, and partly because I just had to. I was especially taken with Charlie, the ring bearer, and Evelyn and Valerie, the flower girls. The three were completely absorbed in something on an electronic device Valerie was holding.

When the ceremony was about to begin, everyone made their way to the chairs. We initially sat on the east side, but the setting sun proved to be a bit warm, so we moved to a shaded row.

Promptly at 3:30, Hannah walked to the center of the arch. The bridesmaids in their elegant black dresses and Ryan and the groomsmen in their black tuxes joined her. Brooke followed on the arm of her father.

Hannah introduced herself and said we were probably surprised she had been selected to do the honors, then smiled and said, "But not nearly as surprised as I was."

She was a composed and articulate officiant, injecting humor here and there while maintaining a certain solemnity. She explained September 14 hadn't been selected out of convenience, but because it was the same date as when the couple went out for the first time 15 years before. Brooke was a seventh grader and Ryan was a year ahead. Hannah said the two have had their share of ups and downs, but they've always maintained a loving relationship that should stand the test of time.

After the ceremony, the photographers took the usual official wedding photos while I captured a few of my own. I took several of Charlie, who had filled a partitioned plastic box with various candies and was generously offering them to anyone who wanted one.

Dinner began inside at 5:30 in a long vaulted room with stone fireplaces and a ceiling of exposed wooden beams with hanging chandeliers. Tall windows let in the setting sun. The tables were covered by white linens and accented by greenery, vases filled with baby's breath, and votive candles in tall glass containers.

Each of the 22 tables was identified by a number, with pictures of the couple at the age of the table number. We were welcomed at Table 9 by photos of 9-year-olds Brooke and Ryan.

The meal included a salad, chicken, beef, green beans, roasted potatoes, and bread, all served family style.

Toasts by the couple's fathers and friends followed, along with comments by Ryan.

We slipped out before the cake cutting and dancing, as a brilliant purple-and-orange sunset settled over the scene. We now had two cars and I don't care to drive at night, particularly on roads I'm unfamiliar with.

On the trip to Appleton, I reflected on how enjoyable it had been to be part of Ryan and Brooke's wedding day. We were pleased to learn they would be honeymooning in Italy, as we knew Ryan had always wanted to return to Europe after traveling with us. Once home, they will return to work, Ryan at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Brooke as an occupational therapist.

The couple's Wisconsin wedding was beautiful, and we wish them many more wonderful memories.