The wedding!!!

A week ago today (Friday), I got vertigo and I’ve had it ever since. There was so much I wanted to do to help Serenity get ready this week, but I was unable to. She and Jose did a magnificent job of preparing everything they could in advance. Serenity’s sister, Katie, and Katie’s fiance, Adam, flew in from Wisconsin yesterday and helped wherever they could. Still, we had thought we’d have plenty of time to get everything set up and do a trial run for the technology today, but we ended up doing most of that at the beginning of the wedding. We had Zoom and WhatsApp to set up and everyone was very patient. I told Serenity that if there weren’t any problems during a wedding, there would be no stories to tell for years to come!

Mark brought Jose to me and asked if I could help him with his boutonniere.
One of Serenity’s dogs, Silly Putty, was the ring bearer.
Serenity trying to get the electronics set up and making sure everyone could see and hear
Let’s get this show on the road!
Serenity’s sister, Katie
As the only family member that was present, Serenity asked Katie to walk her down the “aisle”.
The bride and groom
Probably the only seated officiator ever, but they prepared that place for me due to my vertigo. We found an interpreter in Phoenix named Fernanda Guttierez. She interpreted over the phone and on WhatsApp for Jose’s family.
Katie’s fiance, Adam, was in charge of the ring bearer!
Katie and Adam had a moment of their own
Speaking to the bride and groom during the ceremony. Jose waited seven years for Serenity to accept his proposal, so I told the story of Jacob working for seven years to marry Rachel because he loved her.
Serenity and Jose had things they wanted to say to each other as well. Serenity read hers in both English and Spanish.
Jose has such a quiet voice that they had to step right up to the devices that were doing Zoom and WhatsApp in order for him to be heard.
Serenity getting the rings from Silly Putty’s hat
I, Jose, take thee, Serenity…
I, Serenity, take thee, Jose…
I now pronounce you man and wife.
You may kiss the bride!

By this time, our teeth were chattering since it was only 55 degrees out, so we moved the reception into our new RV. Jose and Serenity stayed out for a bit longer to speak to his parents in El Salvador. His father is on hospice which is why the wedding was moved up to this month rather than next spring.

Signing the marriage certificate
This doesn’t begin to show all the food we had. There were only six of us present but there was enough food, provided mostly by Jose and Serenity, to feed a full-sized wedding crowd!
Jose is an asylee from El Salvador, so most of the food was from his country.
Serenity presented Jose with a wedding gift
Jose had lost a guitar just like this in a fire several years ago, so Serenity bought a new one for him and had it turned into a left-handed guitar. That was the most Jose talked all day as he told the story of what he had lost in the fire that destroyed his other guitar.

Mark was operating both the camcorder and the cameras. There were some songs Serenity and I had chosen for a dance after the meal. That was recorded on the camcorder so we don’t have pictures, but Jose and Serenity had the first dance, then Katie and Adam joined them, and finally, Katie took the camcorder from Mark so that he and I could dance with Jose and Serenity.

Dios le bendiga, Jose and Serenity! God bless you in your marriage!

One thought on “The wedding!!!

  1. Oh, Denise! How wonderful! I’m glad you all were able to work things out with all the challenges. All the pictures are so beautiful!
    And I love the name Serenity chose for her dog.
    I hope you’re feeling better today.

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