The Night Before

   The view of the Nashville skyline and the modern aesthetic of the Skyloft at Sambucca Restaurant set the tone for the Rehearsal Dinner.

 I kept the tables clean and simple and arranged yellow tulips 

and white tulips in clear rectangular vases -- nothing to take
away from the drama of the space

 The food was delicious and the desserts were divine!

The soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs.

Then the laughter and tears began...

At the end of the evening, The Husband and 

I crawled into bed satisfied in heart and spirit and full of expectant joy for the Wedding Day!

A Friend Loveth At All Times

   She is kind. Dependable. Thoughtful. Generous in spirit. Compassionate. Willing to undertake any task without complaint. A loving mother to her children and a good daughter. She loves well and sacrifices daily for those she loves. She laughs easily and readily and radiates a great deal of joy, yet life has not dealt her an easy hand. She became a widow with five young children when she was but a very young woman. She is the age of my oldest son, yet she carries the wisdom of the ages in her hands and her heart. She has much to teach me.
   This precious woman entered my life six years ago by rendering a service to me, and over the course of time she has become my dear friend. From her I have learned so much. We work on her language skills together, and I marvel that after what seems but a short period of time, we have progressed to the point where we are now working of the finer points of idiomatic English. She is smart and learns quickly. I think sometimes that if she had been born in a different place and a different time, she might have been a doctor or a professor. She does not voice these thoughts: perhaps, they are foreign to her, but when I see the quickness and rapidity with which her mind works, I cannot help but wonder what a difference an education might have made in her life.  And then I feel guilty because she does not feel cheated or deprived in the least; instead, she feels grateful and blessed. Incredibly blessed to be able to live in a place where she and her children are safe.
  It is hard for me with my overflowing refrigerator and cabinets stocked with food to fathom that my friend once lived in such poverty that she often went hungry. It has made her all the more determined that her own children will not know the same. I think I understand, but I cannot comprehend the desperation  that fuels her incredible work ethic. She has taught me a great deal about resourcefulness.
   Several women gathered at my home recently to honor this woman. It was a surprise. I found such joy in pulling the party together. I set the table with care. I wanted to use the things that I knew that my friend loved and considered beautiful. There were flowers and silver. And lots of pink. She loves these things. There was even a pink cake. We were all there to bless and honor our friend for her selfless service to each of us, but in truth we were the ones who received the blessing. My friend has told me a hundred times since that day that she has never felt so special in her life. I have had many special birthdays. My loving husband, family, and friends have seen to that, but seeing my friend revel in the joy of her very own birthday party may have been one of the sweetest days of my life. My friend said she felt so special and so loved. I am thankful. She is a treasure indeed.

 

The Princess and the Bride

    I have a new aunt. I call her Aunt Betta. She is married to my Uncle BoBo. I love them both very much. They make me smile. I was the princess at their wedding.

Aunt Betta gives the best hugs

But Uncle BoBo gives the best kisses

Here is Nonna. She helped me get my fancy dress on 

and took me to see Aunt Betta

Oh my, I have never seen a bride before

         I think Aunt Betta looks beee-uuuu-teeee-ful, don't you?

You might think I was a flower girl, 

but I know that I was a princess. 

Aunt Betta told me so.

This is my Mommy. I love her smile.
She is the best Mommy in the world.

 

  I think every Bride should have a princess by her side, don't you?

,

By the way, there was also a little boy in the wedding with me. 

We had jobs. Important jobs.

We had to walk down a very, very long pathway called an aisle.
He carried a pillow with a ring on it. 
I carried a ball made of flowers. 
I liked my ball better than his pillow. 
I could twirl it around on my arm.

  He is four. I am two. He wanted to tell me what to do. 

It didn't really work. I did my own thing.

All I can say is that it's a good thing 

that I got to be the princess...

because another little person is coming to live 

at my house at the end of the summer. 

I don't think I will get to be the princess much longer 

after that little baby gets here. 

But Nonna and Pappy have told me that I will 

always be their princess. 

At least somebody has it right.


all photographs were taken by the amazing Amber Beckham: amberbeckham.com

New Beginnings

   When God made the earth new it must have been a spring day. I'm convinced of it.


On their appointed day, the dogwoods were blooming and gently waving their arms hello

Source: google.com via Katherine on Pinterest

The brooks were babbling and the waves were thundering and each was singing its own song of praise to the Creator of it all.

Source: google.com via Carole on Pinterest

Source: thefuturebuzz.com via Breonna on Pinterest

From the tiniest creature to the greatest...each bore the stamp of His Majesty, the glorious Maker's mark

Source: Uploaded by user via Jeanne on Pinterest

Source: media.desicolours.com via Lisa on Pinterest

If you look with careful eyes, you can see it still

Source: sjfinearts.com via Lori on Pinterest

Time to Party the Night Away

    The Bride and Groom wanted the reception at the restored tobacco warehouse to be a relaxed and fun affair. It was. The Bride had the vendor string Italian lights and paper lanterns in green, yellow, and white in keeping with her spring color palette. It was vibrant and joyful. Each table had different vignettes of vintage items that made for an eclectic and interesting mix. Vintage bottles. Antique cameras and keys. Locks. Old silver. Lanterns. Birdcages. Books. Leather suitcases. The Bride had painstakingly assembled everything in the months before and then she and her mother had a party to pull everything together. Each table design was carefully documented with photographs, labeled carefully, and placed in numbered boxes. It was exciting on the eve of the wedding to see The Bride's creative vision suddenly come to life.

 





 The Groom was in charge of the band. He selected one that played "their" kind of music, whatever that is. They loved it.





Now they have photo booths at weddings. Apparently it is a lot of fun. The Husband and I never made it over there, I am sad to say.

You put kids in photo booths and funny things happen.

 Especially kids in grown up bodies.

It was a wonderful wedding, a wonderful party, and a happy day for a brand new Mr. and Mrs.!

All of the photographs on here were taken by the amazing Amber Beckham.
Check her out at amberbeckham.com