A different plan...wedding story Part two

My wedding story... (see Part one first)

Let's see... where was I.  Oh yes, we planned the perfect wedding.  But no matter how perfect our plans seem to be, sometimes God has other plans.

In late August 2005 a huge storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico forced us to evacuate the city to Twin Lakes, a Christian camp where I had worked as a camp counselor.  Many of our friends and community were with us, including my pastor.  At the time, evacuation seemed to me a big nuisance.  We had just evacuated for a previous storm that turned into nothing to us and a trip that would usually take 2 hours took an entire day.  The day before we left, we moved all of my belongings into an apartment that we would live in after we married.  All I wanted to do was stay and settle into the new place.  Good thing that my fiance had better judgement than me!

We began talking about our wedding plans the night before Katrina hit.  Our city was in the bulls eye and we knew that New Orleans would not be able to recover quickly if hit.  We knew that all we had would be lost and we didn't know where each of us would go if that happened.  We decided that if Katrina hit, we would be together as we started rebuilding life rather than apart.  On August 29th, our original wedding plans were literally wiped out. On August 30th, as we were all trying to figure out where we would go from there, Adam and I told our pastor of our plans.  None of us knew where we would go next, but Adam and I knew we would be in it together.

My friends planned a great service as Adam and I drove to town to find a place to take showers (there was no electricity or running water at the camp due to the storm).  When we made it back to the camp, we were amazed at how everybody worked to bring this together.  The kitchen workers brought a few wedding dresses that fit me, one very similar to what I had chosen.  They made a cake (in the dark).  We had juice for the toast.  We had a full wedding service with a friend playing guitar to lead us in worship.  My "big brother" walked me down the aisle and gave me away (this was in the original plan).

After the wedding and reception we took wedding photos around the lake. We stayed our first wedding night at the camp in the new Pastoral retreat cabins.  Very luxurious, even without hot water and lights. :)

Here we are cutting the cake.  Notice the floral arrangement made up of debris from the hurricane.  I had a bouquet to match.

The toast with our camp juice.


The vows.  Me in dress with bare feet. Adam in shorts.


With such a fun story, it would be cool if I could say that we lived happily ever after.  But anyone who has been married a day, knows that in real life marriage is no fairy tale.  We are two great sinners saved by an amazing God with even greater grace.  Marriage has been a place of refinement for both of us, as God works to change us more and more into the image of His Son... I suppose this calls for a part three.  :)