Oh my! Weddings have changed since 1971!! My sweet granddaughter, Sadie, got married on November 25^th and it was a far cry from my wedding 48 years ago. And, it should be. After all, times change. What we thought was “cutting edge” is “old hat” 48 years later. Styles change, music changes, ideology changes, expectations change—things are different, right?

My fancy church wedding featured cascades of candelabras, lots of greenery and dim lighting to camouflage a not-so-attractive church building. As you can see from the pictures, there was a level of success achieved. It doesn’t look half bad. The bridesmaid’s dressed were handmade by my mom. That wasn’t unusual for the time. They were a beautiful blue velvet and stylish for 1971, however, I don’t know what to tell you about the head pieces. Seriously. What were we thinking? A flower on the top of their heads. Oh, well, you win some; you lose some. 

Johnny and I worked really hard on the music and songs by Elton John, Steve Miller Band and The Carpenters surprised our guests. (Does that music choice scream 1971 or what? I think so!) You can probably guess the songs we used. We were young and music was where it was happening, right? Trust me, getting Elton John approved at my small church was a pretty big deal, but my dad, the elder, was pretty persuasive and stood up for us. Go Dad! 

Our reception was held at a local restaurant. We had the traditional receiving line where every guest had to walk past us and give us a hug before they could enter the reception.  (Some things are definitely worth letting go. The only good thing about that is we got to see every single person who came to our wedding.) I don’t remember much about the reception except that long receiving line. In those days, cake and punch were the only things served. Well, except for the obligatory tray of mints and nuts.  After the reception, we changed clothes (another custom at the time) into our “going away” clothes. Johnny’s groomsmen were so sneaky and took his shoelaces out of his shoes. We thought that was so funny and over the top! Today, that wouldn’t even be considered in the list of “things we could do to rattle a groom.” 

But, Sadie’s wedding….wow! So precious and so beautiful and so God-honoring and so family-honoring and so 2019! As it should be. First, the guest were greeted at a welcome tent which featured drinks and a display of three generations of wedding dresses—Korie’s, my moms and mine. Many people said it was their favorite display. I might have to agree. It was pretty special.

Let me back up. The wedding was at Korie and Willie’s house. AstroTurf, greenery, and thousands of lights were used to camouflage a tennis court and turn it into a magical garden. It was successful. Any thought of it being a tennis court was erased at dark as those thousands of lights transformed the space into perfection. Korie and her wedding planners spent hours finding the perfect greenery to drape the chain link fence that surrounds the tennis court. They pulled it off!

Sadie’s dress was stunning. You might remember I wrote about our “Say Yes to the Dress” experience at Kleinfeld’s in NYC.  Well, the dress did not disappoint. As you can see, she was gorgeous. The dress was simple, but perfect for Sadie, who is a combination of stunning one minute and silly the next. She changed dresses for the reception because that is so her. She needed a party dress too! Her reception dress was made by Sherri Hill. You might remember, Sadie had a prom dress line with that designer for a while. It was perfect. Classic, but fun, and allowed her to dance and float around the reception, taking selfies with her many guests. (Again, a reminder we’re not in 1971 anymore.)

The bridesmaid’s dresses were perfect for 2019, too, as navy seems to be the color of the year. They were from the wedding line at Anthropologie so no handmade dresses for this group. Each bridesmaid could pick the style that worked best for them, which is another new trend. I really love this trend, especially when I look back at the many bridesmaid’s dresses I wore through the 70’s. Yikes! The only sewing I had to do for this wedding was hem two of the dresses. No biggie. 

The music for the wedding was provided by two guitarists from NYC, a piano player from home, and a world renowned violinist, also from NYC. The songs were instrumental, but all recognizable and perfect. It was absolutely amazing. As Sadie and Christian took communion, a worship song was led in the sweetest, softest tone. Sadie’s vows to Christian included references to both of her grandfathers and her great-grandfather, citing traits she saw in them that she sees in Christian. Christian’s vows declared his love and devotion to Sadie. Both could not have been sweeter. Tears were definitely shed.

Then the reception. Oh. My. Word. It started with the daddy-daughter dance which began as the typical slow dance, but took a turn when Sadie’s whole family took to the dance floor and danced to Apache, Jump on it. You might have to google it to see how crazy that song is. So fun! From that time on, the band kept the party going. If you’re looking for a rocking wedding band, check out Big Bling and The Funk Machine. The name alone should tell you something! The dance floor stayed packed all night long. Johnny and I took dance lessons for three months so we could be prepared, but we were not even prepared for the high energy of that night!! Over the top. We joined in, in spite of not being great dancers. That’s the good thing about being the grandparents. Expectations are low. Very low!

The food was provided by Chef John Folse from New Orleans. Wikipedia says he is the leading authority on Cajun and Creole cooking, so there you go. You know it was incredible. To add to the fun, there was a milk shake bar, a photo booth and plenty of tables, chairs and couches for sitting and visiting. It couldn’t have been more perfect!  All of this was inside a giant tent with a “glass” ceiling as it was November. The weather had been extremely cold leading up to the wedding so plans were made to keep the guests warm. But, Sadie continued to pray for 72 and sunny for that day and, guess what? It was 72 and sunny. Unbelievable! God loves to surprise His people.

Well, weddings have changed in 48 years. They are more extravagant and definitely cost the father of the bride a little more money. But what hasn’t changed is the reason for the wedding. Sadie’s wedding was also extravagant it the most important ways—it honored God above all else; it celebrated, not just Sadie and Christian, but every person who poured into Sadie and Christian over the last 22 years; it was a declaration of an unwavering love by two people who strive to put God first and desire to go out and change the world for good. While simpler, this was also the goal of our wedding in 1971. It should never be just about a wedding, it is about a marriage ceremony joining two families together, creating a new family to continue a legacy that values faith, family and friends. 

I wouldn’t trade my wedding for anything and I hope Sadie wouldn’t either. My husband of 48 years has stood faithfully beside me as I have grown and changed in so many ways. Now I’m a grandmother—a great-grandmother—who is still trying to make a difference in this world. I was eighteen at the time of my wedding and Johnny was twenty. I’m so thankful we took a chance on us.

 In the comments below, tell us a little about your wedding. Was it more 1971 or 2019? We would love to hear from you.