Kadie and Stan’s Wedding: Magic in Michigan

I’ve just returned from St. Joseph, Michigan where I had the privilege of celebrating Kadie (my best friend’s daughter) and Stan’s marriage. The following is a brief account of the festivities that blessed me beyond words or photographs could capture:

The warm, generous hospitality of new friends graces me. This expansive three-story home provides a place for my best friend and her family, along with many of the wedding party and me, to stay. The house fills with family and friends who gather to set up and celebrate Kadie and Stan’s wedding.

Last night I closed my eyes while young adults chatted in the room across from mine.

This morning Barbie invites me to do my morning writing next to her. “I have coffee for you. Bring your cremora and come downstairs. I promise I won’t talk to you.”

“Ya right.” I mutter. “I know how that goes. We haven’t seen each other for a year and we’re not going to talk?”

But I wander down the stairs to where she nestles in a cozy brown velour couch and we giggle. I write, she interrupts to read parts of her favorite blog to me. I hush her and laugh. We gaze out the sliding glass window to where a hammock hangs from two trees. The scene is magical and we feel as if we are two teenagers once again.

The day unfolds with wedding tasks. An energy permeates the air, sounds of celebration ring in voices, “Bring me those roses for the bouquets, boutineers, and corsages.”

We spend our days creating beauty in the form of flowers, smiles, and heart-felt sharing.

Barbie’s creativity creates a magical wedding atmosphere. Bouquets of flowers hang from the trellis in mason jars.

There is something magical about a wedding, I muse.

A time when life stops and a parade of happiness passes by. 

Everyone who enters the rustic barn, where the reception is held, feels the tingle of heaven’s touch.

I’m enthralled by the beauty and yet the camera lens can only capture a sliver of the enchantment. Yes, this will be a wedding I will never forget and a special time with my best friend that will always remind me of the magic in Michigan.