Tonight was the wedding rehearsal for Megan Dieschbourg and Trevor Parker and there are all kinds of things worth writing about . . . including the great joy of being a groomsman for only the second time in my life and the great fun I’m having with my colleagues in that endeavor . . . or the delight of being together again with Trevor’s and Megan’s folks, who are all such wonderful people . . .
But when I went into iPhoto to see what photographs my wife had taken during tonight’s rehearsal, I found myself absolutely bedazzled by the picture you see above. This is the bride-and-groom-to-be rehearsing the Michael W. Smith song that they will be singing tomorrow during the wedding – and although those of us eavesdropping tried not to let on too much, it was breathtakingly beautiful and also so touching. I only hope that the emotions of the moment will not intrude too much and prevent them from singing as they want to sing. I want everyone at the ceremony to hear what we heard tonight . . . the gorgeous blending of two voices, so perfectly symbolic of the blending of these two beautiful lives.
People were rather surprised, I think, that Kathy and I didn’t sing for our wedding back in 1991. I think it was Kathy who vetoed that possibility from the get-go, believing that she could have managed little more than some on-pitch sobbing rather than singing – and why inflict that on the congregation when we had a legion of musically gifted friends only too happy to lend their voices to the proceedings? It’s funny, by the way- Kathy blubbered her way down the aisle (and her folks, who walked her down, appeared to be almost carrying her down the aisle, so overcome with emotion was she) but once the wedding started, she was solid as a rock and I’m not sure she shed another tear, while I proceeded to fall apart as the service progressed, to the point of croaking out my vows with a lump in my throat the size of a toaster oven. I was so happy and so amazed – and it really got to me – and it made me SO relieved not to have to try and sing through all of that. (We sang during the music program which we had upstairs after the reception.) We’ve managed since then to sing for some very very tough funerals – none tougher than Daniel Conner’s – but somehow that feels different because you are singing with this incredible sense of responsibility and obligation to the family in question. . . it’s almost as though it’s a matter of life and death that you keep the emotions at bay and get that song properly sung. But weddings are different and I’m not sure there’s quite the same sense of “mission” – which is why most brides and grooms (wisely) choose not to sing for their own weddings, even if they have the talent to do so. But if I had to wager, I think Megan and Trevor will be just fine tomorrow…and chances are it will be the bridesmaids and groomsmen who will be blubbering through the whole song – and I’m likely to be leading the charge!
So fire me.