A wedding expert, I am not.
When I was growing up, I don’t even remember going to all that many weddings.
I went to the wedding when my Uncle Butch married Aunt Terry. I was still pretty young at the time, but if anyone knew my uncle, you knew he was had an independent side. So his perfect match was going to need to be a woman with a little independence — and a sense of humor — of her own.
I don’t remember a lot about the wedding, but I do remember they were a perfect match. If you ever wanted some incriminating stories on myself or my siblings, Terry still knows them. And fortunately, she’s not going to tell anyone who will get us in trouble.
The wedding that probably stands out the most when I was younger was when my cousin Kyle married the love of his life, Laramie.
I don’t remember the exact venue where the wedding was held, although I know there was a pretty good crowd. I was warned in advance that this wasn’t going to be the exact type of wedding I was used to seeing.
I was also warned not to be surprised when a few Aggie traditions were on display.
“A few?”
That’s like saying Samuel L. Jackson utters “a few” swear words in movies. It’s like saying NBA games feature “a few players” who can dunk. Or that Santa Claus eats “a few” cookies on Christmas night.
It was, in fact, not “a few.”
I found out quickly what they were talking about when “The Aggie War Hymn” came on the speakers.
I never knew (even now with an Aggie daughter, I’m still not sure) what “Hullabaloo, Caneck, Caneck!” means. But I certainly heard plenty of Aggies singing it.
There was the swaying back and forth (sawing Varsity’s horns off) and a variety of other Aggie traditions from start to finish.
And oh, yeah, even as a lifelong Longhorn fan, I have to admit there was a beautiful ceremony, as well.
That’s one night I think I learned this whole Aggie thing might not be for me.
It’s also the night I realized that most Aggies are some good people — even if I never caught on to the whole “Howdy” thing myself.
Kyle and Laramie went on to have a great marriage. Between them and their kids, it gave me good practice of when I would have to buy Texas A&M merchandise when my own daughter Sierra went off to college this past fall.
And who knows? One day I might be walking her down the aisle at her wedding where the Aggie War Hymn is being played.
I say all that to point out that a wedding is a special thing, and at least in my opinion, the theme of it should be important to the ones who are getting married.
There will always be plenty of people giving advice for a wedding. But it’s important to remember that the ones who matter are the ones saying “I do.”
You want the traditional church nuptials with your lifelong preacher leading it? Go for it.
I’ve been a groomsman, best man and a guest in churches across the state, nation and even in another country.
My brother’s wedding had a beautiful backdrop in Monterrey, Mexico. My sister was married with a spectacular view of mountains in Tin Cup, Colorado.
The wedding is special, and hopefully just the start of a beautiful life with each other.
So, no. I’m no wedding expert. But I do enjoy hearing about how couples make their special day a little extra special.
My wife started taking pictures in weddings when she was a teenager and never stopped. And she still has that little extra gleam in her eye when she talks about the various ideas that come along with a modern-day wedding.
With all that in mind, in this month’s Charm, we take a look at what makes weddings today so unique.
Reporter Will Lanigan talked with the Rev. Steve Killam and the Rev. Jack Knox about the shift in weddings in today’s world.
They take a look at how most weddings are no longer in churches and places of worship. However, especially here in East Texas, many still want clergy to officiate, which reflects many people’s value of the religious component of a wedding.
Nicole Bradford offers up a list of wedding venues that can be perfect for a wedding day. They include Steel Pines, Zion Hill Baptist Church, Buck Creek Hall and the Old University Building in Nacogdoches.
In this issue, we go beyond just the actual wedding date.
My wedding ring pretty much stays on my hand unless I’m typing or at various places where it might be a hindrance or a danger.
Everybody doesn’t have to worry about misplacing that ring when they take it off for a few minutes.
How?
That’s because their wedding rings are tattooed on their fingers. I know first hand through my friend Doug, who has a traditional ring but also has a tattoo on his left ring finger.
Grace Juarez takes a look at tattoo artists, and those in the community who elected that option.
If you’re looking for actual rings and necklaces, Lufkin’s Kim Ogden has opened up her own jewelry line, which Will Lanigan also features in this month’s edition.
Also in this edition, you’ll get some advice from a longtime minister, Dan Eakin, who shares that being able to laugh can sure go a long way.
And when it comes to weddings, many brides will want to have just the right person to capture those moments with pictures.
The right person?
Gary Stallard, a longtime friend of mine, emphatically says that’s not him.
He doesn’t make any claims on being the ideal wedding photographer. But when he couldn’t say no to a recent request at a friend’s wedding, the pictures turned out being just what the bride wanted.
And oh, yeah. Speaking of unique weddings, I take a look at my own from almost a decade ago.
Our ballpark wedding seemed like a great idea until the weather forecast came out. But fortunately, all was well that ended well as I take a look back at the day I said “I do.”
We hope this month’s Charm will let you reflect on what made your own wedding day special or even spark some ideas for the day when you walk down the aisle.
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon next month, this is a good time to talk about love, so we hope you’ll enjoy what makes those ceremonies unique in their own ways.
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