The Lovely Couple

Two of my very best friends...

Sharon and I were at Hazen ABATE (June '04) checking out the 69 Band when Slim happened to stroll by. They seemed to hit it off, so our next get together was the Clarion County Fair for a bus demolition derby (July ‘04). But it was Halloween (2004) when Slim had to save Sharon from a very drunk and horribly obnoxious Shug that it finally took. Maybe they realized that pretending to be a couple felt kind of right. Maybe it was their practice honeymoon in Florida (December '05), that made them realize that a real honeymoon may someday be in their future. No matter how it happened, we are all glad that it did!

Slim’s been a close friend of mine for around 15 of the 30 years that we have known each other. While we never went as far as breaking into parking meters as his mom always worried might happen, we have had our share of mischief through out the years. Slim is one of those few people on Earth that I love unconditionally and could never do wrong in my eyes.

Sharon has been like a little sister to me through out the years. She is one of my friends that I know I can count on to be there any time, day or night. She knows more about me than most people and I know that my secrets are safe with her. I can only hope that she feels the same and that I didn't disappoint her too much as her Maid-of-Honor! At any rate, I am utterly pleased to officially be able to call her a part of the family!

As for the wedding, well, how many brides have friends willing to wear a hot-pink teddy (with hair to match) as they carry her train down the aisle? How many weddings include the women in the bridal party dying their hair to match their dresses? Or a bride with hair matching the colors of ALL of the dresses? They said it couldn’t be done~but as all that were there know, it was absolutely fantastic! A wedding as unique as the couple!

442 pictures later~over 27 hours of downloading them to Photoworks albums + editing, adding titles, organizing~they are finally ready to view! The smaller pictures shown are all found in the albums, in the event that you would wish to view them larger. Enjoy and please feel free to add comments~just be sure to leave your name while you are there! Also take a moment to sign their guestbook. Thanks!

And so, finally, I stand by the statement that for those that believe nothing good can come out of ABATE~seeing how happy Slim and Sharon are together, definitely makes one change their mind! I mean really, how many couples can get away with matching outfits and people actually think it is cute and not cheesy? These two were just meant to be together! :)

The Anticipation

It has been said that a few minor glitches in all weddings are mandatory and bring good luck to the newly wed couple throughout their years ahead. The ceremony was wonderful overall, but there were brief moments of confusion that we could have all done without...

We got to the site to discover an empty gazebo and empty chairs. Seems the guests had all mistakenly gone to the reception area, which thankfully wasn't too far and we were able to usher them to the proper place in time.

Then we were told that the guys weren't there yet, it was 15 minutes before the wedding was to begin, so we climbed back into the car to hide the bride. Hiding the car where they wouldn't see us, we waited and waited and waited...

Seems the guys were up in the bathrooms the entire time~convinced that the ladies were running late. The ladies were sitting in the car convinced that the guys were in a bar somewhere and had lost track of time...

Miscommunications are SO much fun!

And of course, none of us had practiced or even discussed the plans for the line-up~so there was a bit more of our pre-wedding confusion!

...Not to mention a very unhappy and crying young nephew of Sharon's that wanted no part of being on display in front of a bunch of people that he had never met before~who cares what Grandpa wanted! :)

Anyhoo, here are a few pre-ceremony photos.

Making It Official

"Between Harmony and Panic."
Sounds about right...

Not too long of a ceremony, just right. My favorite part was during the prayer when two-year old James came booking into the area~ Sharon's dress was about to become James's stomping ground~Matt's hand shot out, blocked James and rolled him down the hill~Absolutely priceless! Sadly, I'm not sure that anyone else saw it other than Matt and I...

After the Ceremony

The poses and photos that are always necessary before you are allowed to go change or eat...

Cake Cramming 101

Ah, the cake smashing... Cake really isn't supposed to be eaten through the nose!

Guess the cake took a bit of a tumble before Slim and Sharon even touched it~thanks to Amy for saving the day and making it appear as though it arrived in one piece! Slim's mom did an awesome job with the cake and that fiber optic cake topper kicks ass!!!

Getting Good Stuff

What's a wedding without a heap of gifts?

Funky Feet

Stylish or comfortable?

Perhaps you will discover your own feet lurking in these photos! There were at least two other people that felt the need to snap photos of the foot attire. It started out as a picture of Jasmine's grey and pink Converse and sadly, this is what it evolved into...

Random Shots

What a lovely bunch! Shots of the guests throughout the reception; shots of the bridal party; and those random shots that just didn't fit in the other albums...

The Dance

Where were the shots?!? Oh well, Plummer did great with the tunes throughout the entire day and alcohol didn't seem to be necessary to get anyone out onto the dance floor!

Guys and Garters

Hmm, I must have been decorating the car at this point~looks like they had a good time though (and explains all the whistling, hooting, and cheering that I had heard coming from the pavilion). Guess it was Sharon's cousin, Sam, that caught the garter...

Pimping Their Ride

A normal wedding tradition gone horribly wrong! We forgot our "decorating supplies" and were forced to make due with random items found at the reception and from our vehicles. Artistic creativity at it's best!

Sharon's car will never be the same...

Lost & Found

Just to let you know, there were several items left behind when it was all said and done. If you are missing anything worth retrieving, send me an email at basho6969@wmconnect.com and I'll let you know if we found it or if I have it. Thanks! :)

And Finally...

Thank you, to all, for being a part of their special day! Part of what made this wedding so perfect was the wonderful family members and friends that not only pulled together to help things go without a hitch, but also provided good company and great memories.

I think that just about everybody would agree that it was a great wedding, lots of fun and that you rarely see a happier couple or one more perfectly matched! One of the best things, in my opinion, was just seeing the way that they look at each other and how they light up in each other's presence.

Anyhoo, here's to once more wishing them all the luck and love possible to assist them on their journeys ahead!

Many blessings!