I Married My Daughter Last Night

WhiteStrat

WhiteStrat

Don't stare at the eye.
I know...with a title like that, you think this should be in the cave. But I knew it would make you take a look!

I mean: my daughter got married last night--to a great guy--and I performed the ceremony. We've been preparing and looking forward to this night for a year--with lots of preparing lately!

I'm a little less "sad" than I thought I'd be--perhaps melancholy is the better word. But I'm surprised at how unprepared I was for what it would be like to perform my own daugther's wedding. The church was packed--and yet it was as though it was only me and the two of them, looking into each others eyes, making commitments to one another & drawing strength from one another--all as a new chapter in life begins.

The honor was second only to being there when she was born...

Thanks for listening!

P.S. Now I'm broke! :D
 
WhiteStrat said:
I know...with a title like that, you think this should be in the cave. But I knew it would make you take a look!

I mean: my daughter got married last night--to a great guy--and I performed the ceremony. We've been preparing and looking forward to this night for a year--with lots of preparing lately!

I'm a little less "sad" than I thought I'd be--perhaps melancholy is the better word. But I'm surprised at how unprepared I was for what it would be like to perform my own daugther's wedding. The church was packed--and yet it was as though it was only me and the two of them, looking into each others eyes, making commitments to one another & drawing strength from one another--all as a new chapter in life begins.

The honor was second only to being there when she was born...

Thanks for listening!

P.S. Now I'm broke! :D
Click to expand...

I'd say your daughter has a pretty awesome dad.

I baptized my two sons. That was very moving experience to say the least, but I could never manage a wedding. Congrats, and may they have a long and happy life together. :)
 
Beck said:
I'd say your daughter has a pretty awesome dad.

I baptized my two sons. That was very moving experience to say the least, but I could never manage a wedding. Congrats, and may they have a long and happy life together. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Beck. If you're anything like me, baptizing your kids must have been both humbling and an honor--so I know you can relate.
 
What a coincidence! I married two of my friends yesterday!

It was the 3rd wedding I've done. It was a simple little thing in a gazebo in a park. It didn't cost me any money, so I guess I'm ahead of you there.

Still, performing a wedding is an honor! It is a greater honor to marry your kids, so you should be happy there!:)
 
PhilGood said:
What a coincidence! I married two of my friends yesterday!

It was the 3rd wedding I've done. It was a simple little thing in a gazebo in a park. It didn't cost me any money, so I guess I'm ahead of you there.

Still, performing a wedding is an honor! It is a greater honor to marry your kids, so you should be happy there!:)
Click to expand...

That's a great coincidence. And you're right--it really is an honor. I thought the honor was in being asked (and it was, to a degree). But being part of there ceremony was way cool.
 
PhilGood said:
What a coincidence! I married two of my friends yesterday!

It was the 3rd wedding I've done. It was a simple little thing in a gazebo in a park. It didn't cost me any money, so I guess I'm ahead of you there.

Still, performing a wedding is an honor! It is a greater honor to marry your kids, so you should be happy there!:)
Click to expand...

OK, excuse my ignorance on this. I'm not understanding. Are you guys ministers or something?
 
That’s okay—this one threw lot’s of people. I can't speak for PhilGood, but here's my deal:

No, I’m not a minister—at least not like the world defines it. But I am a believer, as are my family and my daughter and her new husband. While we do go to church, we’re what you’d call discontented with organized religion. We’re more into the community of believers in real life as opposed to dressing up and playing nice for a couple hours on Sunday morning.

Besides that, my daughter and her new husband grew up in different churches, and have only been attending their new church together for a short time—as such, they didn’t share a “pastor figure” (as in a paid minister guy!) in common that they wanted to trust this day to.

So, given our slightly different approach to Christianity, my son in law said to my daughter “Never mind the paid pastor thing—who’s the one we both look up to as a spiritual leader? Let’s ask your dad.”

I was honored, ‘cause I would’ve expected that from Audrey. But that Josh suggested it first, made it that much more special.

And just to avoid running afoul of the law, the marriage license was signed by a state recognized minister who was there in attendance. In spite of our current unorthodox views, both sides of the family have a fairly long & deep church history—and in our “flavor” of church they often grow and split. So we figure there was at least a dozen pastors in the church for the wedding. It was a kind of cool witness to the value of real family & community that I was doing the wedding.

Last but not least, since I’m a sound/music geek, I wasn’t about to pay some stranger to provide entertainment at the reception. They didn’t want live music, but my son and I dragged the rather large live rig and I went from pastor to DJ and rocked the second half of the night too.

People came away saying they’d never seen a wedding/reception like that before—that they felt like members of our family, truly celebrating right along side with us.

Sorry for such a long answer to such a simple question—I guess it’s obvious I’m a little proud of my family and how we do things.
 
No man, that's awesome. Thanx for explaining. I think that's very cool. Congrats!!!!
 
Wow that is really, really interesting. And very original too, is this beocming more commonplace? What a lovely act to be able to carry out.
 
TelePaul said:
Wow that is really, really interesting. And very original too, is this beocming more commonplace? What a lovely act to be able to carry out.
Click to expand...

That's hard for me to say, since my experience is limited to my circles. I kind of described this culture--Bible believers, Christians, but basically done with "church" as we know it. The interesting thing is that I straddle both cultures (I don't consider myself a hypocrite for doing so, because everyone knows where I stand)--anyway I straddle both cultures: my heart is beyond the walls of the church, out in the streets; but on almost half of the Sundays in a month, I'm with my wife in church. Even though the institution is wearing thin on her, she thinks me and my band of surly mates are a bit radical. But she'll come around. So in my circles I'm a bit unique in that I'm in both.

Anyway my point is, I've seen lots of baptisms, wedding & funerals in a church, done by the pastor--even when he's a virtual stranger, because "that's just how it's done." In the "radical" culture, I've seen 'em in rivers and parks and living rooms, officiated by and shared with real friends and leaders--folks who mean something in your life.

So in our case, we tossed the salad and did both: we did the wedding that was meaningful, with the people that truly are our community, but we did it in a big church, and shared it with those more comfortable with tradition.

Interesting side note: there were three groups largely represented at the ceremony: Christians Type A (the regular church kind); Christians Type B (the "we're done with church" kind); and non-Christians--my daughter and her husbands coworkers, lots of family members who think were goofy for being Christians, whatever. Of those three groups here's their reactions to our unorthodox ceremony: out of church christians: expected and liked it; non-Christians: didn't expect it but loved it--and it was a very biblical ceremony; but I got so many comments from total strangers about how "real" and "un-religious" it all was; Third group: Church going christians: didn't expect it (they just assumed some salaried minister would be doing it) and not so sure they liked it; no one would come right out and say it, but there was a definite sense of "you can't do that!"

So to sum up: not sure if it's getting more commonplace. But from my own Christian perspective, if families were the first unit of faith like they should be, it ought to be happening all over the place.

(Seriously, I'm done preaching now!)
 
I snagged some proofs off the photographer's website (hence the watermarks) so here's a peek into WhiteStrat's real life at my daughter's wedding (now my avatar will make more sense :)).

1.) My son walking my wife down the aisle
2.) All the friends and family.
3.) My daughter and I just before we walked down the aisle
4.) Me, my daughter & her beau--gettin' hitched!
 

Attachments

  • 01_ajmom.jpg
    01_ajmom.jpg
    28.5 KB · Views: 62
  • 02_church.jpg
    02_church.jpg
    24.8 KB · Views: 58
  • 03_meaud.jpg
    03_meaud.jpg
    22.8 KB · Views: 58
  • 04_ceremony.jpg
    04_ceremony.jpg
    21.3 KB · Views: 60
Last edited:
Four pic limit. Here's a couple more (yep, I'm a little proud!)

5.) My daughter and her new husband (great haircut on that guy, huh?)
6.) At the reception
7.) Me & my little girl--the father/daughter dance
 

Attachments

  • 05_audjosh1.jpg
    05_audjosh1.jpg
    22.1 KB · Views: 57
  • 06_reception.jpg
    06_reception.jpg
    28.4 KB · Views: 56
  • 07_meauddance.jpg
    07_meauddance.jpg
    20.8 KB · Views: 57
I had no idea you were of the bald persuasion, if I had known, well, well I wouldn't be typing to you right now, its the bald generation that is bringing us down........:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:





















































Did I mention I am starting to lose my hair, Darla said I have a bald spot on top of my head. :o:o:o:o:o:mad::rolleyes::confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top