Morgan and Paul
27 September 2024
As I get older the wonder in life increases beyond measure. And so does the pleasure. Only yesterday the great joy in my life was my little girl and today she is a beautiful woman with grey hair. And on Friday I attended the wedding of her son Paul to his partner Morgan.
Time is flying by and a new young couple stands ready to take on the world. I guess I am being too melodramatic. It must be the emotions of Friday have not worn off.
When Kathleen told me they were doing Paul and Morgan’s wedding at their home I was not sure what to expect. I assumed a quiet ceremony for a few guests and a snack afterwards. And when we arrived we drove into the usual place we park the car in front of the house. And it appeared there was no one there. It took us a minute to realize that everyone was down below in the field.
Susan and I parked in front of the house and wondered where everyone was. It was when we walked around the end of the house that we realised the wedding was to be below the house in the field behind. This is the view that greeted us as we walked down.
Before the pavillion the day’s events were posted prominently together with the seating plan for dinner.
Also outside the pavillion was a guest book and an Instax camera so guests could take selfies and attach them to their greetings.
Colin with his brother Frank.
Colin and Paul, the Groom.
Colin with his sister Kim and brother Frank.
And this is the latest Marr group picture. We are getting quite a collection of them! Back row from the left, Sean, Aiden, Laura, Ann, Gordon, Flynn and David. The front row from the left is Colin, Kathleen, John, Shiela, Holly, Susan, Me, Nora, Olivia, Cynthia, Sophia, Keiko. John, thrid from the left in the front row is actually Colin’s nephew and son of his brother Frank. I guess he got swept up in the oranizing of thepicture. But he is welcome nevertheless!
Me with my three oldest boys, Sean, Gordon and Flynn.
It was amazing what they were able to set up. The large tent was really neat, tables were set beautifully, there was a dance floor of oak (sort of), a DJ setup in the corner, and chairs outside set up for the ceremony.
A special pleasure for me was that all of my children were there. It is so seldom we can all get together anymore. Everyone is so busy with their own lives. But there we were, all together, with a free bar close by. It does not get much better than that!
The ceremony was very soon after we arrived and it was simple and very moving. I have to admit to a few tears. Of course it was all almost spoiled when I was told I could not take any pictures during the ceremony! So I didn’t. So how do you explain the picture below? Well, I’ll never tell. But I can tell you this: I obeyed the rules.
At the back of the field where the wedding took place pictures of Paul and Morgan were hung on the trees. It was an interesting display and created a great place to stand and talk with family and friends as we all did.
Morgan and Paul’s ceremony was beautiful. The weather was sunny and warm, the air was country sweet and the bride was beautiful. It was perfect.
After the wedding the Corvette the bride arrived in was parked on the hillside.
The bride arrived for the ceremony in a white Corvette which caused general merriment! The ceremony was informal and warm and the lady officiating made us all feel a part of it. We were a small group and so we were all close to the ceremony.
Afterwards there were lots of pictures being taken and I was able to take my own pictures at last. We had a couple of hours to socialise before dinner. We all carried our chairs into the tent and found our tables where we could leave our coats and purses.
Kate and Lori, the bride’s mother, had everything catered so that they could relax and enjoy their company. It worked really well and we were all able to visit with our hostesses throughout the evening.
The wedding photographer used the time after the
ceremony to take all of the traditional wedding pictures of both families. I grabbed my camera and stood back with my telephoto lens and took my own pictures. Since everyone was paying attention to the photographer’s instructions in all of my pictures no one is looking at my camera. Actually, I don’t think it detracts from the images.
Starting from the left side, Sarah, Colin, Kate, Paul, Morgan, the Bride’s mother Lori, Bride’s father Derek and then Morgan’s brother Cody.
From the left, Colin, Kate, Paul, Morgan, Lori and Derek on the right.
Paul with his Mom.
The Bride Morgan with her parents Lori and Derek.
A quiet moment between mother and daughter.
The Bride and Groom with Morgan’s family.
The Bride and Groom with the Groom’s family.
Paul with his new Bride and his family, Kate, Colin and Sarah.
It was so nice to see everyone dressed up for the wedding!
After the pictures were done we were left to socialize for an hour or more and some great snack platters were set out. They were elegant with dried figs, several varieties of really good cheese, some fruit, pickles. The snacks paired beautifully with a bar that had nice cold draft beer.
The way the reception was set up created an environment and atmosphere very conducive to good conversation. For me it was a so enjoyable to catch up with family that I don’t see often enough.
In this modern world we all seem so busy with our lives that we don’t spend the time we should with family. One of the joys of my Italian family into which I have been adopted is the time spent with relatives. But this afternoon at Kate’s brought that special closeness into this wonderful afternoon.
Three images of Paul with his family. On the right he is with Mom and Dad and his sister. In the middle he is standing with his parents. And on the right he and Morgan are standing with his grandmother Nora.
Susan and I take a moment for a do-it-yourself portrait. This small dressing table was inside the tent and was later used for serving deserts.
Tables were set when we arrived. This is our Table No. 1 near the head table.
While everyone was socializing after the wedding ceremony trays of snacks were set out and the bar was open. The antipasti were excellent. Lots of cheese, meat, pickles and crackers.
The tables were set in anticipation of the meal to come. We read our table number at the tent entrance and left our jackets and purses on our chairs while we visited with friends and family.
Dinner was buffet style and it was well done. We were a small gathering but the food was plentiful and really tasty. Desert was simple but oh so decadent! Cupcakes with way too much icing – fantastic! – and little cheesecakes. I had too many I am afraid. Coffee was excellent, and plentiful, and by the coffee urns were huge bottles of Carolan’s Irish Cream. It does not get any better than that!
Trays of Mixed Vegetables and Chicken with BBQ sauce. Both were really good.
Amazing fresh corn of the cob and mashed potatoes with cheese. Both amazing!
On the left of the picture is the fish which was very delicate. All the food was excellent for a catered meal.
Roast beef is always so nice when cooked in large cuts and sliced like this.
This is the plate I chose and it was delightful. The corn was so sweet!
The tent that had been erected worked out really well. The weather co-operated and the temperature was very comfortable. There were blankets set out for anyone who found the evening chilly and as the sun went down and the evening cooled they were very popular.
Morgan and Paul addressing the family and guests.
Colin and Kate welcoming everyone to their home.
Our beautiful hostess, Nora Kathleen Barchard.
Keiko with her beautiful daughters, Olivia and Sophia.
Sean extolling the virtues of a fine moustache.
Flynn and Gina.
Shiela, Ann and Gordon.
Sean with Shiela and Nora sitting outside before dinner.
About the time it became dark the DJ began to play some serious dance music and we all got up to dance. The party went on into the night but us old folks had to leave. We were tired and not able to keep up with the young folks. And more importantly, CoCo was at home alone and had not eaten all day.
The “Marr Family Pictures” is created by me, Flynn Marr, and is a private photo album of the Marr family and it’s offshoots.
The content is the property of R. Flynn Marr and subject to his claim of Copyright.
Copyright R. Flynn Marr © 2024