When you talk about weddings it seems that everyone has one or two things that happened when they were saying their “I Do’s” that they will never forget.  There is a wedding story around every corner.  Some sad, happy, funny or even horrible.  I have shared many things in my life with my readers but don’t think I ever shared my wedding story.   Mine is one that has it all rolled into one.  Happy, sad, funny and even the horrible.

Let’s go back to September 20, 1997 to a little country home in Two Harbors, Mn.   We chose this day because of a very special woman in my life, my Grandma.   Grandma passed away in 1992 and I wanted to get married on her Birthday which is September 21st, but because that was a Sunday we chose the next best date, the day before, the 20th.  We decided to get married in our yard because neither of us is info big fancy church weddings and to put it mildly.. we are rednecks!   We had a friend of the family come and roast a pig, and my Mom, Sister and I made all the food, and another friend who owned a liquor store supplied the booze.  We had borrowed some outside tents from another friend and the day was going to be perfect.  September is not hot here in Minnesota but generally really nice and comfortable.  We had everything all set and were getting excited.

 
We had decided we were only going to invite family and a few close friends to the actual wedding, but had sent a ton of invited out for the reception which was going to be held in these tents attached to our garage.  We had a stage set up in the back of the garage for a band, tables and chairs packed into the tent, and the food cooking away.  See that big pig smoker.  Yes, we actually smoked a whole pig.   Well, the fun began when the weather started to turn that day from what we thought would be a nice 70 degree day, to a windy 50 degrees at noon.  This temp change and new found wind started to make a problem for the tent walls.  We had to gather up rocks and bricks to hold those down.   The pig smoker doesn’t work to well when it is windy so that started to have issues as well.   But, the day goes on.

Even though we only invited a few to the actual ceremony, some how all of a sudden we were getting calls from friends asking if they could come because they heard that so and so was coming and pretty soon we had a yard full of family and friends.  That was fine, but unexpected.  But, again we rolled with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got married by a guy that my Dad went to high school with.  He had become a pastor and it was special to us to have him be the one to marry us.  Not to mention he was my farrier for my horses.  (this screams redneck)
In the picture you see left from right, Grandma (on Dads side) and Grandpa. (RIP), Mom (RIP) and my Dad.  Then my very pregnant sister, Me, Tony and Todd (Tony’s Brother) and of course our Pastor Jim.   It is hard to see in this picture but that tree was in full colors and so pretty.  That is why we chose to get married in the yard in front of that tree.  The ceremony was so perfect and the weather was holding it’s own.  It was a bit cooler, about 50 degrees still but the sun felt good.  The wind died down during the ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the wedding party after we are finally husband and wife.  Such gorgeous people.. right ?   LOL  If you can’t tell, my colors were purple and yellow.  Yes, Vikings colors.   My dress was not the traditional long flowing white gown.  Hubby always talked about how he loved a woman in a suit dress so when I found this dress at the bridal shop I knew it was for me.  It is a sleeveless dress with a very sharp jacket all with an overlay of lace.

Well after the ceremony people started to show up because on the invites I said we would eat at 5pm.  Well, due to the weather here was another hiccup.  The pig was not done.  So, since there was no food we broke out the booze.  (not a good idea).  Finally after a few hours of everyone drinking and laughing and drinking more the pig was done and we all could eat.  Let me just say, that pig was worth the wait.  If you have never had fresh smoked pig you just don’t know what you are missing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is us at the table set for the wedding party.  That is our son, such a ham!  LOL!  Hard to see this now, as he is almost 21.  Wow!!
The food was so good, that we hardly had any leftovers.   Just a little ham and some buns and cheese.  That was good because it is less to put away.    Our cake was made by a local lady who did cakes for a side job.  We wanted a simple cake and that is what we got.  But, just because it was simple doesn’t mean it was bad.  This was the best cake I have ever eaten.  Oh how I would like one now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we ate, we of course did the cake cutting.   Always a highlight of a wedding watching the Bride and Groom shove cake in each others face.  Well, as you can see by the leather jacket Tony is wearing, the weather was not nice.   It was cooling off fast and as the sun went away we were down to about 40 degrees.  Brrrr… that is not weather for an outside wedding.   Everyone was wearing winter jackets and gloves and shivering.  So, we had to start the furnace in the garage and get some large heaters from our brothers house to heat the tents.   It was horrible!  When the band showed up and the music started it did start to warm up in the garage with body heat, heaters and people dancing.  But, by the time the band started (this is where it gets bad), most of the guest were so drunk.  Between the eating late, drinking early, being cold and all that the booze hit lots of us (including me) hard.   So, for me I remember bits and pieces of the night but not much of it is good.   The rest of our evening ended with of course a wedding dance, and then lots of dancing and laughing and of course drinking.  The temp kept falling and it got below 30 Degrees by the time all the guests had left.  Tony and I gave our home to our family and we stayed in our camper for our wedding night.  Well, the camper had no heat so we froze.  Well, thanks to the booze it didn’t take long to pass out once I went to bed but waking up in the morning was not fun.

I loved our wedding day, but our wedding night I have wished many times that it could be a do over.  I never danced with my new husband once, but danced with lots of others (so I am told).  I fell down while going to the outhouse (again, redneck) and the back of my dress was a stained and muddy mess.  Two friends of mine had to help me into my house and literally change my clothes.  I honestly don’t know how much I drank but know it was more than a glass of champagne!  I do remember at one point drinking a whole bottle of champagne myself.  I have never been one to hold my liquor so once I started I was pretty much a goner.

Well, we did something right on that cold night in September because almost 16 years later we are still together.

Do you have a wedding story?  A memorable moment or one that you would like to forget?  Come share it on the Lionsgate Facebook Page.

Check out the trailer for the new movie The Big Wedding. #BigWedding

An uproarious romantic comedy about the ties that bind, THE BIG WEDDING centers around Don and Ellie, a long divorced couple being forced to pretend that they are still happily married at their son’s wedding. Among all of their family and friends, the hoax snowballs, culminating in a series of surprising outcomes on the way to “I do.”

“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Lionsgate via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Lionsgate.”