It was last Tuesday afternoon. My sister Stephanie was getting married that Saturday, and she was picking up her wedding dress on Wednesday. I was sitting in the emergency room watching the clock and the heart rate monitor. I had a fever and a pretty bad infection. The timing could not have been worse. Family members were flying in from all over the country. The wedding countdown was on, and I, the Matron of Honor was out of commission.
Then a member of the surgical team walked in and told me I would need surgery to stop the infection. I immediately burst into tears. He didnt know what to do. Is this about the wedding? he asked.
Duh.
I was not missing the wedding. My killer toast was planned, I had a great dress to wear, and an adorable ring bearer to dance with. I wasnt missing it. I wasnt going to miss the rehearsal or the rehearsal dinner either.
Tuesday night faded into Wednesday and all day I waited for surgery. I delegated my Matron of Honor duties from my hospital bed. There was signage to complete, labels to print and pictures to frame. Friends even found me a pair of shoes when the ones I ordered online arrived too small.
Through it all Stephanie remained calm, and I remained determined. I told every person who came into my room that I was leaving Friday morning. I told them so many times that it was written in my chart. She has a wedding on Saturday.
Each new nurse that came into my room would say, I hear you have a wedding to go to, and I would tell them that it wasnt just any wedding. Its not just a wedding. Its my sisters wedding.
Just in Time for a Beautiful Wedding
True to my word I made it out of the hospital on Friday morning, and true to form I danced my way out of the room and down the hall. I was there for the pre-wedding manicure and the rehearsal and the dinner. I was there for the morning make-up and the prosecco toast to the bride.
The weather held for a beautiful outdoor wedding at Linganore Wine Cellars and everything was absolutely perfect. My husband walked by my side and then we both watched as our adorable little ring bearer made a triumphant run down the aisle before heading into the hills laughing and screaming.
Stephanie was a beautiful and happy bride. Her wedding dress fit like a glove, and more than that, it fit her personality. The guests danced and ate and talked and laughed. It was an exuberant celebration that was made all the more special for my family because of one simple fact; we were all together.
So brides, as you plan your weddings and as you get bogged down in stress and details, remember, if you can, what really matters. Remember that weddings get people up out of hospital beds and out onto dance floors. Weddings bring people together, and thats really all there is.
There isnt anything else.
{Lindsey}