It's Official: 3.26.10

The Wedding of James and Katie

It's official! March 26, 2010
6:30 pm

Finally, an official date.

Such a relief.

I was getting so discouraged because without a church, you can't set a date.

We picked the weekend before Easter because A) weddings that are not summer weddings are much cheaper, B) it wouldn't be a winter wedding, therefore no threat of snow ruining things, C) I already get a week and a half off from teaching because of Easter Break, and D) we really just didn't want to wait longer if we didn't have to.

There are more reasons, but those are the big ones. All that to say, that weekend really worked best for us.

However, finding a church proved to be a huge challenge. We couldn't use our church because it is all decorated for our Easter Passion Play. As it turns out, many other churches also have Easter cantatas - or Friday evening services - or Easter egg hunts (yes, Easter egg hunts. One church said no because their sanctuary would be filled with ... Easter eggs?. It's fine - it's their church. They are allowed to do what they want. Regardless, neither James emerging from Jesus' tomb nor a sanctuary full of eggs was really the effect we were going for.

Then it was no because of other scheduled church events, other wedding rehearsals, only if we used their organist.... Some said yes if we could use it at 3pm or 4pm, but we wanted it later to give people a chance to get home from work.

So, I was very discouraged.

I ran into my friend Naomi on Sunday and told her my dilemma. She said her former church might be available - it was a brand new building and her sister had just gotten married there. She'd check.

Well, that week was our school's Spiritual Emphasis Week, and I had just prayed with another teacher about all this wedding related stuff. Just knelt at the altar and laid it all out before God - He knew the beginning from the end, how it all worked out.

We said 'Amen, I walked out, and I ran into Jerry Margiotta, who just 'happened' to be doing some work on the building. And I just 'happened' to still be at the school at 4:30 pm, which I never am unless I have to be. He, too, asked how the plans were coming and just said, 'Katie, God wouldn't bring you this far and just leave you there. Have you thought about..." And he went on to name a church and pastor. I said no, and Jerry said he knew him well and would call him that minute.

About 3 minutes later, Jerry walked into my classroom and told me that we had a church. Ahhh! So excited! Not even so much that I had a church, but that God was so faithful to arrange that meeting, right after we prayed, just to show He was with us and would provide. Awesome.

Well, we had an appointment at Miller Place Inn the next night, thanks to Taryn, who had spoken to the banquet manager over the weekend for us ...and then, I read an email from Naomi. Didn't I get her voicemail? (No. No voice mail. Weird, but true.) Her church was available, at 6:30 - and they said we could use it! And, it was only 15 minutes from MPI. It would be so perfect if it worked out, I thought!

So, James and I went to MPI and LOVED it! James was the harder sell about this whole reception deal, but he thought it was perfect, just the kind of place he could see himself getting married in...and he was really starting to get excited. Awesome. (It's funny, because I had stopped at MPI over the summer and thought, 'Definitely no.' But when I went this time, I felt like I was looking at a totally different place. It was perfect. And the cocktail room is named 'The James Room.' He liked that. A lot, lol ).

They gave us an AMAZING deal...totally affordable for us and really just what we were looking for. It's quaint, cozy, warm...perfect for a March evening wedding.

After our meeting, we went to our 'Feasts of the Lord' class and the teacher had us all worship under the succot, a place of dwelling to remind us of thanksgiving and the reality of God's presence with us - and in us. I felt so grateful for how the Lord has just provided - and to be able to worship under this special tabernacle, together with my future husband. It was a beautiful moment.

The next night, I met with Tom of Thomas Paul Photography who Taryn also hooked me up with (After Jesus, she is the second hero in this story). She spoke with him (she helps him with weddings on the side), and he gave me an amazing deal as well. So much better than I thought I could afford.

So, in about a day and half, we had a church, a reception hall and a photographer. The 'big three' were done.

Things are under way... and it is starting to feel real now.

James has been spending a lot of his energy with the preparations for our marriage rather than just the wedding, and I'm so happy to have someone who cares about our future the way he does.

So grateful to God for how He is blessing us in these ways...