I didn't know who the groom would be, however I was pretty sure he would have black hair and brown eyes and if he had Indian blood in him that would be perfect!!! I put my order in for him when I was about 9 years old. It took 12 years for him to grow up, fall in love with me and ask me to marry him. All the time he was hiding in plain sight, as one of my best friends.
Tommy and I usually sat close to each other in class. We were forever getting caught talking or writing notes to each other. Having to write 500 times the sentence, "I will not talk in class" became the norm for me. I usually got caught talking on Fridays, because we had weekend plans to talk about, even though the plans we had, did not include each other. Mama could not understand why I had so much writing to do on the weekend. She thought it was awful I had to "study" so hard. So did I!!!
Time went by and we grew up. We fell in love and made plans to marry. I was going to college while Tommy was in the Marine Corps, stationed in Georgia at the time he proposed. At first we were getting married in June. That was fine with me, however I really wanted a Christmas wedding. Little did I know what I was asking when I suggested a December wedding. My poor mother almost had a nervous breakdown trying to get things arranged for us.
The weather would not cooperate at all. Winters in Kentucky are very unpredictable. As a rule, we didn't get a lot of snow, but when it snowed ---we were hammered. Everything would come to a standstill for several days. 1969 was no exception.
We set the date for December 26 at 4 p.m. The wedding would be in my church, The First Methodist Church, in Clinton.
Kathy Pulley McClure was to be my matron of honor and Jenny Cline was a bridesmaid. I had roomed with Jenny in college and we were very good friends. Kathy had been my best friend for years. I loved her dearly....still do.
Kathy tried to give me a shower the Sunday before the wedding, but unfortunately it started snowing that morning and did not quit for 2 days. The winds blew and the snow drifted. Roads were impassable. We called the shower off, it was too dangerous for anyone to try and come. This was the beginning of the week from Hell!!!
As the wedding plans unfolded, things out of our control began to pop up. The minister, Rev. Deal and his family spent Christmas with his daughter in Memphis. Snow made the roads treacherous to drive on and I worried for 2 days afraid the minister could not make it safely home. He barely made it there, but that was fine--he was there.
Aunt Donna came down with a bad case of laryngitis. She was supposed to sing for us. She started getting sick on Monday and by Wednesday couldn't talk--the wedding was Friday. I so love Aunt Donna, she did everything known to man to get well. It worked. Friday she sang my favorite wedding song, "Whether Thou Goest" perfectly.
At the last minute the Army almost canceled Danny Joe's leave. He got to Clinton the day of the wedding.
Kathy and her husband had an argument and were mad all week at each other. It was their first Christmas together and James was acting awful. I was just sick. I didn't want them arguing over my wedding, but they were. Jim refused to come to the wedding if Danny and Kathy were going to walk down the isle together. Of course they were----she was my matron of honor and Danny was the best man. He would escort her down the isle when the wedding was over. All this garbage because Danny and Kathy went together in high school.....four years in the past!
They made up on Thursday night. Kathy called me and said "no matter what she would be there". She assured me James would be there too. I wasn't thrilled with him as it was, however he came to the wedding and even congratulated us and gave me a hug.
When I woke up on the 26th, I was a nervous wreck--it had snowed again. Tommy had to get to Clinton from Union City. The roads once again were a mess!!! He made it without any problems.
On Christmas Eve, Bobby Brunswick's sister and her husband were killed in a car wreck. They were going to pick up their children's Christmas layaway. While we were having a wedding, Bobby and Bonnie were attending a funeral. It was so sad to think of the loss of this young couple. I didn't know them personally but on my anniversary, I always remember them.
The day turned out to be beautiful. After lunch the sun came out, most of the roads were clear by 4 p.m. Darla spent the day with me and we played with a kitten all day. I think Darla took her home to her house. I almost took her to Georgia with us. I am glad I rethought that idea. A kitten on a honeymoon might not be the wisest thing to have. Two months later, Tommy bought home a surprise from work. A tiny black and white kitten, we named P.J. She was our first pet.
At 4 p.m. the wedding started. The sun was shining on the snow and looked like diamonds scattered across the grass. The church was beautiful. It was exactly the candlelight wedding I had always wanted. As we stood under the arch and said our vows, the sun was in the process of setting. It cast subtle light on the stained glass windows. It was lovely. Soon the wedding was over and we were man and wife----for the rest of our lives.
The reception was in the church's basement. It was decorated beautifully. After cake and punch we left for Georgia. Our first apartment was waiting for us. I couldn't hardly wait to see our first home. We laugh now, because an 8 hour drive took us 3 days!!! And that was a good thing too.
Both of us are excited about the future. We still have a million plans and ideas. Places to go and new people to meet. I wouldn't have missed this for all the world. I am pretty sure Tommy feels the same way.
Thanks for sharing!!!! Such a romantic fairy tale.
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