A Stone's Throw: Hot wedding

Do you remember the old "society columns" in which "Little Miss Precious Plutocrat motored to Birmingham yesterday with her mother, Mrs. Pomposity Plutocrat, for a day of shopping and luncheon with her aunt and cousin, Mrs. Genuine Gotrocks and little Miss Hotcha Gotrocks."

I do not think I ever aspired to be that kind of columnist, but you never can tell where fate will thrust you. In a different way my newspaper space has temporarily morphed into a kind of "society" column. That is, "society" as in weddings. And that is simply because I am having so many weddings in my family this year.

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Last weekend took care of the second in a series of three. The first was in Boulder, Colorado, in May. This one was in Madison, Mississippi -- or Pocohontas, or somewhere out in the country from that. Both were outside. Both were for my grandchildren. This recent one was for the marriage of my granddaughter, Leigh Rogers, to Christopher Loecher. Someone had told me there would be a barn in case it rained. Well, the barn was a lovely pavilion, and it did not rain.

But it was hot!

You can pretty well figure it is going to be hot in Mississippi in July. The hosts had prepared for that; pretty little fans were presented to guests as they walked down the "aisle," which was a curving gravel path ending at the edge of a lake where chairs and an altar were set up on a wharf, dock or float. I do not know the proper terminology.

It was lovely, but it was hot. Doug and I had married in July, also, many years ago, before the church was air conditioned. Someone had quipped that we were not wed, we were welded! I trust Leigh and Christopher are welded, also.

The wedding was at six o'clock, but the summer sun shone brightly and shimmered on the glassy surface of the lake. Tall trees on the hill swayed in an occasional breeze around the shaded pavilion, but the shade did not extend to the water. It was truly beautiful. It was also hot.

The service, however, was short, and we recessed back up the little hill to the shade around the pavilion where a great buffet was served and a very fine band provided good music. Both food and music were also hot.

We were lucky to have a table where our little extended family could visit with other family members we see far too seldom. My only sister and I have only four cousins. Two of them were able to come. Most of our children and grandchildren were there also, so we had a rare significant gathering. I have always envied people with a large family. At last we had something resembling one! That was really hot.

The wedding was lovely, lush and green. Truthfully, though, I do not know how everyone found the venue. Those of us who did not know our way around were treated to a great solution to that problem -- a party bus! The bride's uncle, who is a native of Jackson, located and rented a bus, and added the "party" definition. He "got us to the 'church' on time."

The whole wedding weekend was al fresco. The groom's family live way out in the country on the other side of Jackson with a lot of space around their house. They had a relaxed, casual rehearsal dinner complete with yard games like horse-shoes and croquet. It was innovative and fun. But, or course, it was also hot.

I use that word "hot" often and advisedly. It describes the weather, true; but I use is also as a compliment. It was a fun wedding. It was hot.

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