This past weekend I attended the wedding of a dear friend whom I consider a brother.
It was in Charlottesville, Virginia which is a quaint, lovely city. Thomas Jefferson's estate, Monticello, is nearby and it is where the University of Virginia is located. The town is nestled in the mountains so the terrain is quite breathtaking. While I respect American history, it has never really been my favorite subject. The grass is greener on the other side so they say, plus everything in Europe is much, much older so I think that is why I have a desire to learn and live European history. My ancestors did come over from France and England so maybe it is an innate desire to connect with the past? I say this because I actually found Monticello to be a really great place to visit and it gave me new found respect for Thomas Jefferson. After visiting this place and seeing what a learned man Jefferson was, and hearing that he died with $100,000 of debt I realized that he wasn't just this white, male plantation owner who was born into wealth and who's family stayed wealthy. I recommend visiting the estate and learning about all of his accomplishes and the 3 things he wanted to be known for in his life. I will aspire to be like Jefferson and use my life to advocate for independence, true religious freedom and good, free education.
Back to the wedding, just wanted to get the history in there first because I don't want to take the focus off of the reason for the weekend.
On Friday we attended the wedding reception. It was in this cute restaurant called, "The Local". It was upstairs and there were lots of windows that were opened letting in a fresh breeze. There was an open bar and delicious cheese tray. The groom lived with my family 10 years ago as an exchange student. He is an only child, and his parents allowed him to follow his dreams and come over to the States for the year. They didn't know us and didn't meet us until after he arrived via Skype. It had been a long time coming for us to meet his beautiful parents. When we walked in his mom and dad were talking so their backs weren't facing the door. He tapped his mom's shoulder and when she turned around she instantly recognized us! She started to cry, as did my mom and I. We embraced in a big hug ... it was a magical moment.
The rest of the evening was filled with delicious food, beautiful toasts, and love. I am just so honored that I was invited to attend the rehearsal and blessed that I got to go.
Saturday morning is when we went to Monticello as I've already written about.
Then the wedding was at 4:30 p.m. on a beautiful green space on a 250 year old estate. There were blooming magnolia trees around and the mountains made a great backdrop for the beautiful couple and wedding party. Pretty white chairs were lined up with purple flowers tied to the end of each row. There were less than 50 people in attendance making the setting very intimate. The bride's dress was made by her mother and was simply stunning. But of course, it was so stunning because of the absolutely stunning young woman in it! At first I couldn't take my eyes off of the bride walking towards us.. but then I couldn't take my eyes off of the groom as he grinned watching her make the walk towards him. There were 2 readings, one was Union and the other was about a captain...both of which were beautiful and set the tone for the ceremony. The preacher performed a beautiful ceremony with relevant anecdotes and sweet blessings. My favorite part of the entire evening was listening to their vows... It perfectly summed up who they are and why they are perfect for each other. I have been to a couple of weddings, and this one just had a beautiful spirit. It was everything a wedding should be... two families joining together through the love of two people. It wasn't a show, it wasn't unnecessarily extravagant, and it wasn't witnessed by everyone that they and their parents know. It was the people that have impacted them and that had a stake in who they are individually and as a couple.
I have not experienced the type of love they possess for each other, but if I one day decide to marry I hope that it is to someone that compliments me, understands me, and makes me as happy as those two make each other. I want to have a rehearsal and wedding just like theirs in the sense of the spirit and rhythm of the weekend.
I am just in awe of this trip and the beauty I witnessed this weekend. While I do not believe in fairy tales or a soul mate, I do believe in destiny. And this couple was destined to be together. They challenge each other to follow their dreams, support each other along the way, and bring out the best in each other. I hope that every man and woman looking for a partner seeks one that does all of these things. That is where true contentment and happiness lye. Do not just look to be in a relationship... Look to fall in love. And let it be with the person of your choosing regardless of socioeconomic glass, gender, religion, or anything else that may inhibit you from finding your bliss.
Love,
Alyssa
