wedding at old fort jackson!

My nephew Jason wed Hannah Flowers, the love of his life, under the arch of heaven's blue true dream of sky.
I know his father, George, and his Pop, Frank, were there with us.
After all, it was a beautiful day for an open-air wedding at old Fort Jackson. Spectacularly beautiful, as the sky attests, and just crisp enough to confirm that fall had arrived.
Mama and Frank would have been thrilled by the family gathering. Not all were present, but both sides of our blended family were represented and that is a wonderful thing!
Back to the wedding!
Weddings, as you know, are fairly short. Even with prayers beforehand and prayers after, the actual ceremony is under fifteen minutes.

So, how about a couple of
"before" photos?
Here we have Jason with his mom,
my outlaw Bunny.
She was over the moon with joy!

Why wouldn't she be joyful?
Her son was not only marrying
the love of his life,
but a beautiful and sweet woman
was joining the family!
Here is Hannah and her dad,
moments before he escorted her
to Jason's side.

Here is one of my favorites!
My great-niece Ally
takes a twirl
in her role as flower girl
for her Uncle Jason.
Such presence for
a 6-year-old!
Fabulous,
simply fabulous!

There was even a Meatball
to join in the festivities!
Seriously!
That's the pup's name!
What a sweet dog he was, too,
so very well-behaved!

Now, let's skip
to the end
of the ceremony!
Here we have
the Mister and Missus,
smiling and greeting all!

I must add this photo, too.
Same scene, but
the black and white
lends a crispness
to the proceedings,
n'est-ce pas?
Even the details
of her dress
are more vivid!

Third photo is
the charm, right?
Hahaha haha!
Actually, I added this one
because I'm in it!
That's me in the long hair
and the black dress
with the gold dolphins,
talking to my outlaw Bunny.

Okay, I'm done with
these photos of the
new happy couple!
Groomsman Boone and
bridematron Emily,
loving parents of
the flower girl,
take their turn
strolling and smiling!

Inside the stone walls, the bride and groom stole a few moments to enjoy a more passionate kisses.
Ooh la la!
No worries, we were all noshing on deviled quail eggs, mini crab balls, and shrimp with grits. The open bar was an extra added attraction, too! Then they brought out the cheese and steamed veggies and prosciutto and fruit... Sure, the wedding party could take as many photos as they wanted!
(smile!)

Here I am, goofing off
with my brother, Harvey.
Actually, the only one that calls him by that name is his dear wife, Mary.
The rest of us call him Smitty!
He cares not what he is called as long as it is not late for dinner!
(smile!)


What a dinner it was, too!
Baked chicken breast with pineapple salsa! Roast beef! Macaroni and cheese!
The meats were excellent, but let me tell you - the vegetables were the stars of the show!
Collard greens with an extra zing, squash with lemon zest, green beans sauteed with onions, buttery broccoli!
Seriously, I could have dined on just the veggies and been very happy!
My stepsister Susan even gave me her collards... yeah!
After the meal, we moved onto the dance floor.
Literally!
First up were the bride and groom, of course, but you'll never guess the song they had chosen.
Trust me, you'll never guess it, so I'm going to tell you.
Beyonce and Jay Z 's "Bonnie and Clyde '03".
It really is perfect for them! Listen to the lyrics and you'll see.

Here, beneath the
Japanese-style light balloons,
the bride shares a
moment with her mom.
I wonder
what dance step
they were discussing?

No dance advice
needed for here!
Much merriment
with long-time
friends of
the happy couple!

Congratulations,
y'all!!
Sweet dreams!