j&k

My Brother Justin married my stunningly beautiful Sister-in-Law Kelsey on Saturday. The ceremony was held in a church we would frequent in the congregational days of our youth, filled with old friends and new family.

Justin laughed out loud mid-ceremony at my Dad’s pastoral officiating, after he made a comment about the music they chose from The Lord of the Rings, (“May the LORD be the Lord of your rings.”) Justin tried to hold back, but failed.

I smiled. All was as it should be.

The music J&K chose for the ceremony was perfect. Clay rocks the piano, and the violinist was equally impressive. We played the Sufjan version of “Come Thou Fount” with a mandolin, banjo, guitar, piano and xylophone, male and female vocals, with an acapella ending with the whole congregation singing.

Adrienne played a solo acoustic jazz-infused version of Blessed Assurance that you’d have to hear to believe. At the reception, my Mother led everyone in “Sunrise, Sunset” in celebration of my Sister and Brother-in-Law’s 5^th anniversary.

A red trolley took the wedding party to the reception site, a retreat center on Rabbit Bay, overlooking seemingly endless Lake Superior. My Mother and Sister and Kelsey went over the top with the planning, and it went off like butter.

In true UP style, we saunaed like Finlanders and jumped into chilly Lake Superior for three days straight. During the post-reception sauna, crowded with 20+ people baking at 200+ degrees, my Dad threw on 4+ ladles of water, causing everyone on the upper deck to assume a vertical fetal position or hit the lower deck, with the heat finally exiling ten people into the lake.

While it was painful for us, it managed to extract the signature wheezing laughter of my Dad, which is always worth the price of admission.

Tiki torches lit up the beach. J&K lit up the cameras.

Now, J&K are likely en-route to Europe, where they’ll spend the next three weeks honeymooning in Germany, Austria and Italy, including a stay at the Cinque Terre.

They are blessed. Congrats, Mr. and Mrs. Carriere.