Kaylea's Wedding

August 22

Today my friend’s daughter got married. We drove to South Carolina last night for the rehearsal dinner. I was helping my girlfriend, Mary Katherine pull everything together for the big event and act as the wedding coordinator for the bride; which means I would make sure everyone was where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there.

The Wedding was at a plantation Called Tanglewood. It was an outdoor wedding and the grounds were stunning. My girlfriend brought a trailer and van full of decor, dishes, glasses, all the tableware, and more. We were hoping to be able to get some of the decorating done last night after the rehearsal dinner, but were told that is wasn’t a good idea. Since it is outdoors animals could come and make a mess, and the dew would make everything wet and cause even more work. So we decided to get there first thing in the morning and knock it out. This did not seem to be too difficult, we set tables for our women’s events all the time. Mary Katherine was going to make the bouquets that night in the hotel lobby. The wedding wasn’t until 5, all should go well.

It didn’t and yet it did. Mary Katherine couldn’t make the bouquets last night because the wrong flowers were put in her car and she was missing supplies. It was too last to go back to the plantation because it was locked up for the night. She was going to cancel her hair appointment with all the bridesmaids and her daughter, but it had already been paid for. When she got to the plantation and started the bouquets a few of the stems had such thick wire we needed real wire cutters. Neither of us had ever seen anything like it. Her other daughter’s boyfriend, Daniel came to the rescue and found wire cutters and cut all the stems. Amazingly the bouquets got done.

It has been calling for rain all week. Last night it was 80%. The wedding ceremony is taking place under the trees and the reception is under a tent. It was not looking good. All-day people are checking the weather. Thirty minutes before the wedding it’s raining, not hard but enough and it looks like it will get worse. We had all been praying all-day. Fifteen minutes before the ceremony Pastor Scott shows me his phone with the weather radar map. The storm was all around us, to the north, the south, and the west. The storm looked like a big donut with a big bite out of it, and we were in the middle. The bride walked down the path with clear skies and sun shining. God held back the rain. Mary Kathrine had been asking God to let His sun shine down. So he obliged. As the bride and groom were taking their vows the rays of sun broke through the canopy of the massive trees shining rays of sunshine on them. It was spectacular!

Several people that were supposed to be there to help set up were not there. A few of them ended up in the kitchen working to help the chef. Mary Katherine’s sister and I worked from 9:00 in the morning until just before the wedding setting tables and decorating. At about 1 o’clock Daniel came over and helped with everything. We were outside in the heat all day. No one complained, they just kept going. There was too much to do and not enough time or help. I was not worried. I have seen God somehow pull things together in ways I can’t explain. So, I knew He would do it again. Maybe not all that Mary Katherine had wanted would get done, but it would be beautiful, and it was. The tables all got set. Pastor Scott’s wife showed up and set the center table, hallelujah. We hung a wrought iron chandelier in the trees. Incredible! Another friend came and decorated the Iron Gate Mary Katherine brought. It was where the ceremony would take place. Breathtaking! We lined the path with lanterns and large vases with candles in them. So pretty. We had ferns hanging in baskets, and flower arrangements set out. We got done just in the nick of time. Praise God!

Mary Katherine’s sister hadn’t stopped until it was done. She was just going to watch her niece get married and then take a shower. I told her the wedding could wait. She at least had a chance to take a shower and get clean. Since we had all been running so hard we almost forgot something. But, since we took a pause for a shower, Mary Katherine remembered that she wanted to pray over her daughter before she walked down the aisle. I had made a wedding prayer shawl for Kaylea, and we placed it over her shoulders to pray. I closed my eyes and breathed. I was so tired. When Mary Katherine asked me to pray I asked God to give me the words because I had nothing left. I don’t remember everything I prayed, but Mary Katherine told me several of the bridesmaids were crying and so did Kaylea. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was wonderful. God never stopped fighting for us all day. He didn’t just hold back the rain, He did so much more.