Sunday, October 18, 2009

Wedded Coverfolk:
Songs (and a Story) of Weddings and their Aftermath





This weekend, my wife’s brother got married: a wedding a long time coming, and as such, planned to the last detail. His blushing bride wore vintage lace in cream and brown, as befit the season and their shared love of the natural world, and for moment there, time stopped, like it should, when he in his best grey suit turned to watch her come up our impromptu aisle, her flower-girls tight against her, unsure of the attention.

The minister was lighthearted and blessedly brief, the speeches fine and poignant, and throughout it all, the weather held, though it was cold enough by the pond to chap the bride’s hands, giving our glad and gallant groom the excuse to warm then in his own: the perfect picture, framed against the fall-splattered mountains and the crisp orchards of still-green and bright, ripe red.

Afterwards, there was an appropriately exquisite locavore’s supper, of artisanal cheeses and pumpkin ravioli, spiced pork and cider, and dancing, under a post-and-beam canopy, amidst the wood and stone which have for so long defined the couple. When darkness fell too early, there were fireworks, bright against the heavens, and we stood as one, craning our necks to the sky, clapping and whistling, united in awe.

There’s nothing like a marriage, and nothing like the moment that marks its birth. But my favorite part of any wedding is the aftermath: when the happy couple has driven off, proud and slightly pale with endless anticipation, high upon their tractor driven cart draped in autumn leaves and grapevines, or a chain of glowsticks hurriedly constructed by the bride’s new niece-in-laws.

For there we are, the rest of us, united through our love for the dear and now departed. And so, trusting their judgment in the waning glow that the bride and groom have set before us, we turn to each other, and touch each other on the shoulders, before going back inside for one last drink and then another - until the conversation moves past small talk, and we double ourselves, finding sustenance in laughter and growing together, new family becoming new friends.



Cover Lay Down publishes new coverfolk features twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Sundays.

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3 Responses to “Wedded Coverfolk:
Songs (and a Story) of Weddings and their Aftermath”

  1. Paula
    October 18th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

    My husband and I sang at our own outdoor, somewhat hippie-esque wedding. Kate Wolf’s “Give Yourself To Love”. Then the reception featured “I Knew The Bride When She Used To Rock ‘n’ Roll” and, yes, “Whipping Post”. Good thing everybody had a sense of humor!
  2. Greenockian
    October 19th, 2009 at 5:03 am

    Well written! One of the outstanding memories in my marriage of 23 years is the after-wedding “do” back in our small house in Brighton. Friends and family filled the place to overflowing and my Polish father-in-law entertained us all with his Cossack dancing; my parents jived; my brother-in-law went for a walk and got lost requiring a search party in the days before mobile phones; my new bride looked fantastic; we laughed and danced and drank and didn’t want the day to end. Thanks for reminding me of how great it is to be the one person that another chooses “for ever”.
  3. Agnes
    October 28th, 2009 at 7:49 am

    Gorgeous post, beautifully written. Really enjoyed this.

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