Rehersal for Casey's wedding, Friday night...

By the time that remaining members of the wedding party, early Friday evening, Shalene, Casey, Sandy, Larissa, Jacquie and I were tired, very tired, as we'd worked since the early morning cleaning, erecting canopys, and putting up decorations. Tired as we were, we could look inside the house, and outside, into the back yard, and realize that most of the work was finished, as it was only a matter of dotting the "I's" and crossing the "t's" on Saturday morning, the day of the wedding.

Left: Larissa, Rebecca and Sandy decorate the wedding arch, located under the big top tent. Right: Larissa makes sure the arch is in the proper position.

Left: Deb, Charlie, Jess and Sharon have arrived and are helping us get ready for the wedding. Right: The author takes a moment to hug his "step-daughter wannabee," Nicole Conry.

Now that we had all of this extra help, it was time to marshal our recruits into service, and help us finish the wedding decorations. Note that the phrase"wedding party" means the-day-before-the-wedding workers, along with their spouses, girlfriends, and significant others. Since it was early evening, we alternated between relaxing, chit-chatting, and putting up decorations. Actually, by the time most of the recruits arrived, there wasn't a lot of work to do, as we'd already taken care of the majority of it during the previous long day. I did commandeer a couple of the guys to set up the canopies behind the big top tent, as to provide a area of 20 by 40 feet to be shaded from the hot valley sun, on Casey's wedding day. So after the canopies were erected, it was a matter of sitting around the patio, in the shade, cooled by the pleasant breeze of the misting fans, until the minister arrived for the wedding practice, and enjoying pleasant conversation. It was interesting to note that most of the principal players of our "new" family were present, so Friday night turned out to be a huge family get-together.

Left: The wedding party and guests mingle on the patio. Right: I snap a photo of Larry Sutter, who is the minister for Casey's wedding.

Left: Well, it's a little out of synch, but the wedding party assembles on the patio for the rehearsal. Right: The wedding party rehearses under the big top tent.

When the minister, Larry Sutter arrived, we decided to get down to business with the wedding rehearsal, as the socializing would come later. Larry had written a script of what was to happen, so it was just a matter of doing things, by the script, and taking care of last minute details. Since I had no formal role in the wedding ceremony, I was free to do what I like to do the most: Take endless digital photos, over 300 of them just Friday night alone! I relished my role in taking digital photos of the wedding rehearsal, and just being able to, finally... relax.

Left: Check it out: We have 80 chairs lined up perfectly. Right: Larry tells Tim and Casey that this is where they will be tomorrow, in only about 18 hours.

Left: Casey, Larry and Tim, can't stifle a laugh during the wedding rehearsal. Right: With some of the catered pizzas in the foreground, the wedding party and guests take a break from the hot evening in our air conditioned family room.

We spent about an hour rehearsing the wedding, and then it was time to socialize, and enjoy some of the six, or was it eight?... extra-large pizzas we'd ordered from Papa John's Pizza to celebrate the occasion, and to provide food for everybody. As the sun was going down, it was time to head out to the patio, and relax, chit-chat, gossip, and enjoy everybody's company. Casey is very much of a non-drinker, and she requested her wedding to be "dry," but when the sun went down, she gave me the ok to open up the bar, which I did, with much of my characteristic enthusiasm in these sort of endeavors, to furnish beer, and the finest mixed drinks, to the masses.

Left: The wedding party assembles for the event, under the big top tent. Note that the auxiliary canopies haven't been erected as of yet. Right: Deb Bess, Tim's mom, is escorted in practice by Rory Morris, down the sidewalk towards the aisle.

Left: Sharlene is doing her part to practice, as she's escorted by Tim's uncle Dave Pelfrey, but she has to catch up on the latest gossip on the phone. Right: Paris Markovich and Tristen Pierce practice for their role in the wedding.

The remainder of the evening was party, party and more party, as it was a night of pleasant conversation, enjoying my well-equipped bar, and in plain words, just a lot of fun to enjoy the company of family, extended family, and close friends.

Left: We've opened the bar, and now its happy hour on the patio, after the wedding rehearsal. Right: Look what's become of our family room, as the balloons have been filled with helium, the room has been decorated, much of the furniture has been removed, and the room is now ready for our guests...

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