The Reception

I wanted to include a few pictures from the reception to give you an idea of the "finished" gym decor as well as the beautiful spread laid out by Jenny Forrest and crew. It is amazing how a few yards of tulle, some poles, some lights, a lift operated by Bob and Jonathan, and some branches in vases can transform a gym into a lovely setting for a wedding reception.





So many of the hard-working ladies who prepared the food were friends of either Dawn's family or our family. Having them lovingly prepare the food was an added blessing. What I sampled was delicious! I didn't realize that as parents of the groom you don't eat much more than the bride and groom usually do. Maybe at Joel and Jenn's we should request a doggie bag to go! Ah, the things you learn from experience.




And when the groom is a pilot and you and your bride are headed for the mission field, the most appropriate topper for the wedding cake just might be a small plane. Dawn and Steven had also chosen to give out small bronze planes made into Christmas ornaments as their wedding favors. Seemed very appropriate.






Because the weather was so exceptionally beautiful for January, it made the outdoor portions of their reception greatly enjoyable. You never know when you plan a wedding for January in NC if you are going to have warm and sunny or cold and rainy or cold and snowy! We were so grateful for warm and sunny. Dawn and Steven had decided on a "bubble run" at the end of the reception for their "going away," although because we needed to finish with the photos, it was a "faux drive away." We all had great fun practicing for their exit and thankfully we still had bubble water left by the time they did exit the building.



Jenn, getting ready....











Beth, making sure her bubbles were ready to go...




















Love this photo, Julie!




















Kathy Kniffen had volunteered a pair of her white pigeons to be released for the "dove release" when they got to the end of the "run." (Technically, all pigeons are doves, but not all doves are pigeons.) Joel had shared in the reception of the symbolism involved in having doves, as doves always mate for life and show a willingness to work hard together. The Bible often refers to the dove as an animal representing love, loyalty, fidelity and honesty, as well as the Holy Spirit being symbolized as a dove and so the importance of their joint relationship with God being an integral part of their marriage.

However, if you want to actually release birds, you are to release white pigeons. Other types of doves are actively hunted by raptors, and are not very good at adjusting to new environments. If you released two white doves, chances are they'd huddle in a tree until a hawk killed them. That's not very romantic!

As it turned out, Kathy's birds seemed quite content to hang out on the church property and instead of going home as they had been trained to do, they decided to take up residence. That is until Kathy returned on Monday and took them back home! What a blessing to share this special day with so many who are special to us and to Steven and Dawn. We are greatly blessed with family and friends.