Life has happened in this room.  In this room, she’s painted her fingernails and applied mascara and talked on the phone and read many a book.  In this room, she has prepared for recitals and partie and high school dances.  In this room, she prepared for her last day of high school, her first day…

Her day started on time.  Early, even. Everything was in place, everything was ready.  Nothing stood between her and an exceptional wedding day.  Nothing.  Not even a little rainy drizzle could dampen the electric excitement building in the Parlor of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Staunton, VA.  Besides, all that happy sent the rain clouds scampering…

The other girls drank their mochas and cappuchinos and black coffees.  She sipped hot chocolate. The other girls had matching fuschia tshirts.  She had a a light pink shirt to almost match her sister’s white one. The other girls had high heels.  She did too…kind of. As sister-of-the-bride, Abbie took her responsibilities seriously.  She had…

Naomi’s wedding day dawned even more spectacular than anyone could’ve imagined.  The sun shone,  the peach blossoms flourished (several weeks ahead of schedule!), and everything ran right on schedule.  It felt like a smile from heaven, blessing the day and all it would hold.  While Will played piano, guitar, and football (respectively) and while Naomi…

Down a flight of black paneled stairs, through a lobby still decorated for Christmas, around a corner, past the fellowship hall, down a utilitarian white block hallway, and into a cozy parlor complete with fireplace and artwork.  She was mere steps from the room where her groom waited to meet her in the church, and…

He probably didn’t understand the great honor it was to be the only man allowed to see her in her wedding dress before her wedding day. In fact, other than a few minutes of enthusiastic greeting (a greeting which jeopardized the intricacies of the lacework), he pretty much ignored her spectacular dress. He was more…