As the couple exchange

　　wedding vows they will be

　　affirming their love and

　　making a commitment to each other.

　　All the spectators are

　　there to wish them well.

　　As the time approaches,

　　I think back to other

　　family weddings over many years.

　　My older sisters were

　　all married in the same church

　　and as brides they

　　carried a white Bible

　　decorated with tiny roses.

　　The receptions for their weddings

　　were all held in

　　the same church basement,

　　as there was no large

　　banquet hall in the local area.

　　The feast was usually catered

　　by a group of church members.

　　Todays wedding reception will

　　be held in an arena

　　that will be decorated

　　with just the right amount

　　of fall flowers in

　　wonderful arrays to give it

　　dignity yet a touch of glamour.

　　The table decorations will

　　be a masterpiece. One of

　　the table decorations will

　　be small pumpkins, used as

　　containers for flowers that

　　were collected from family gardens,

　　surrounded by a large wreath

　　made from long stalks of wheat.

　　There will be a few coloured leaves

　　placed inside the wreath.

　　Maybe they will use

　　oak and maple leaves

　　to show the splendour

　　of the autumn colours.

　　The colour of the outfits

　　that the bridesmaids are

　　wearing will be

　　fall colours as well.

　　The ingenious decorations will

　　be appreciated by the many guests

　　attending the festivities.

　　At each place setting

　　there will be a special paper napkin

　　with the bride and grooms name

　　printed on it and

　　the date of their wedding.

　　It will be carefully

　　folded placed on top

　　and of a linen napkin.

　　This will be one

　　of the souvenirs the guests

　　will have to commemorate

　　the special wedding day.

　　Also at each place

　　will be a few after

　　dinner mints for the guests.

　　A miniature tree will also be

　　placed at each persons place.

　　The intent is for the guests

　　to take the little tree home

　　and transplant it to

　　a special place. In this way,

　　our environment is also improved

　　and the tree will become a

　　living tribute to the young couple.

　　The groom will carry

　　her across the threshold

　　as is customary for

　　a young couple as they

　　begin their new life together.

　　The honeymoon plans will

　　take them to the west coast of Canada.

　　They will have a week

　　of privacy far away

　　from friends and family.

　　They will inhabit a condominium

　　in the town of Whistler,

　　British Columbia, in the Rocky Mountains.

　　They will feel as if

　　they are royalty living

　　in a mansion in this little bit

　　of paradise on earth.

　　Thereafter, they will return home

　　to Ontario where they will reside.

　　Their original plan to

　　spend their honeymoon on

　　board a yacht in

　　the Mediterranean Sea was abandoned

　　when world circumstances dictated that

　　our country Canada was a safer choice.

　　Earlier this month, as

　　I thought about the forthcoming marriage,

　　and knew that I would be

　　unable to attend, I decided

　　to write a message to

　　the young couple. The intent

　　was that the message would be

　　read aloud during the

　　wedding reception. In the message,

　　I wished them well and

　　urged them to cherish

　　each other every day.

　　As the couple exchange

　　wedding vows they will be

　　affirming their love and

　　making a commitment to each other.

　　All the spectators are

　　there to wish them well.

　　As the time approaches,

　　I think back to other

　　family weddings over many years.

　　My older sisters were

　　all married in the same church

　　and as brides they

　　carried a white Bible

　　decorated with tiny roses.

　　The receptions for their weddings

　　were all held in

　　the same church basement,

　　as there was no large

　　banquet hall in the local area.

　　The feast was usually catered

　　by a group of church members.

　　Todays wedding reception will

　　be held in an arena

　　that will be decorated

　　with just the right amount

　　of fall flowers in

　　wonderful arrays to give it

　　dignity yet a touch of glamour.

　　The table decorations will

　　be a masterpiece. One of

　　the table decorations will

　　be small pumpkins, used as

　　containers for flowers that

　　were collected from family gardens,

　　surrounded by a large wreath

　　made from long stalks of wheat.

　　There will be a few coloured leaves

　　placed inside the wreath.

　　Maybe they will use

　　oak and maple leaves

　　to show the splendour

　　of the autumn colours.

　　The colour of the outfits

　　that the bridesmaids are

　　wearing will be

　　fall colours as well.

　　The ingenious decorations will

　　be appreciated by the many guests

　　attending the festivities.

　　At each place setting

　　there will be a special paper napkin

　　with the bride and grooms name

　　printed on it and

　　the date of their wedding.

　　It will be carefully

　　folded placed on top

　　and of a linen napkin.

　　This will be one

　　of the souvenirs the guests

　　will have to commemorate

　　the special wedding day.

　　Also at each place

　　will be a few after

　　dinner mints for the guests.

　　A miniature tree will also be

　　placed at each persons place.

　　The intent is for the guests

　　to take the little tree home

　　and transplant it to

　　a special place. In this way,

　　our environment is also improved

　　and the tree will become a

　　living tribute to the young couple.

　　The groom will carry

　　her across the threshold

　　as is customary for

　　a young couple as they

　　begin their new life together.

　　The honeymoon plans will

　　take them to the west coast of Canada.

　　They will have a week

　　of privacy far away

　　from friends and family.

　　They will inhabit a condominium

　　in the town of Whistler,

　　British Columbia, in the Rocky Mountains.

　　They will feel as if

　　they are royalty living

　　in a mansion in this little bit

　　of paradise on earth.

　　Thereafter, they will return home

　　to Ontario where they will reside.

　　Their original plan to

　　spend their honeymoon on

　　board a yacht in

　　the Mediterranean Sea was abandoned

　　when world circumstances dictated that

　　our country Canada was a safer choice.

　　Earlier this month, as

　　I thought about the forthcoming marriage,

　　and knew that I would be

　　unable to attend, I decided

　　to write a message to

　　the young couple. The intent

　　was that the message would be

　　read aloud during the

　　wedding reception. In the message,

　　I wished them well and

　　urged them to cherish

　　each other every day.