Melissa and Bill's wedding

Wedding It was Saturday morning and we weren't sure what to do. Suzanne ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060029 was lounging on the couch and Benjamin and Sarah ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060030 were on the computers when Jane ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060031 came home and spurred us to action. So, David ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060032 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060033 got dressed up and announced that wheels up time would be 1400 hours. This caused the rest of them ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060034 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060035 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060036 so that we could get to the church ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060037 on time. We even had time to pose for a few pictures ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060038 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060039 before following these people ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060040 across the street ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060041 and to the church. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060042 Once we got in, we got the feel of the place ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060043 and knew what hymns were being sung. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060044 The sun filtered through our pew ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060045 as we waited for the proceedings to begin. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060046 The ushers brought a flower for this lady ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060047 and then amused a baby ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060048 while the cameras were ready to record things ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060049 and a few stragglers arrived. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060050 Billy's parents were seated ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060051 as was Melissa's father's wife. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060052

So, it was time for the main event. The groom and best man were waiting with the minister ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060053 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060054 and flanked by more groomsmen ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060055 while the bridesmaids began to enter ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060056 and assemble one by one on the stage ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060057 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060058 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060059 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060060 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060061 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060062 so that everyone stood ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060063 and blocked my view of the bride entering ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060064 The ceremonial candle was lit ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060065 and the wedding could begin ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060066 much to the amusement of this little boy. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060067 The minister addressed the couple ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060068 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060069 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060070 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060071 as the crowd watched ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060072 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060073 and then they ascended to the stage ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060074 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060075 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060076 to face each other ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060077 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060078 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060079 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060080 and take their vows as the bridesmaids ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060081 and groomsmen ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060082 watched. At this point, the minister asked that all photography stop. So while we were happy to have to have our pictures, we knew that a good thing was over until we made our way outside.

Once outside, we were able to get our pictures at will as the newlyweds greeted people ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060083 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060084 in the non-receiving line receiving line and the photographer took the occasional crowd picture ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060085 before getting back on focus with the receiving line ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060086 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060087 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060088 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060089 and then a glimpse of the bride's father. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060090 After a few more crowd shots ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060091 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060092 and one of the bridesmaids ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060093 it took a major effort to capture the man with the Nascar tie ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060094 even though I could not see his tie yet. This was interrupted when the cameras focused ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060095 and the bride and groom re-emerged from the church ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060096 to be greeted by bubbles ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060097 and more bubbles ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060098 after which I caught at least a small glimpse ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060099 of the Nascar tie and then returned to the bride and groom. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060100 After all, it was their day. They were still there ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060101 as was the crowd ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060102 as we captured the bride's father ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060103 on his happy day. It took a few tries to get a picture of this lady's ink. She kept lifting her cigarette to block the view ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060104 and then the final picture was from too far. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060105 So we crossed the street ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060106 and headed home.

We came back to the relief fire house ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060107 station 303 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060108 a few hours later for the reception. Things began with this salad ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060109 and then we took a picture of the others at our table -- a bridesmaid's husband and his inlaws ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060110 who work at Verizon and watched Melissa grow up from when she was this high. Bridesmaid/Groomsman pairs kept entering ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060111 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060112 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060113 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060114 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060115 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060116 though I did pause to record this lady's ink ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060117 while waiting for the bride and groom to enter ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060118 and dance too fast for me to capture ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060119 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060120 As others danced ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060121 we recorded the other people at our table ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060122 who are the Allentown Caging folk. Then I got my main course ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060123 and a picture of the bride and groom ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060124 up close but in questionable light. The bridal bouquet got thrown ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060125 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060126 and caught by someone who was blocked from my view. The cake appeared ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060127 ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060128 and was fed to one another in light ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060129 and in darkness. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060130 The final event recorded was the tossing of the bride's garter. He tried to find it ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060131 reached higher ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060132 to the amusement of the crowd ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060133 reached a little higher ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060134 to Melissa's concern and then pitched the garter ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060135 to someone we couldn't see.

We ended our evening with a picture of Kristen's parents ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060136 and a tasty piece of wedding cake. ../../../Sabbat/10.06.01MelissaWedding//PA060137

Good luck to Melissa and Billy. Have a good life together!!