Wedding Prep

Starbuck, our youth pastor-slash-Starbucks barrista (hence his pseudonym) is getting married on New Year's Eve.

I've been puttering around a bit, putting stuff together for the wedding. And I've offered the services of my family, if there should be any need for heavy lifting, etc.

Yesterday, he put out the word that he needed help getting the church ready for the wedding service. You see, for the last few months, we've not had chairs-in-rows in our sanctuary. We brought in a bunch of bistro tables, with four or six chairs around each, and that's what's been filling the place. Sort of makes it kind of hip and fun, and yet also like sitting around the table with family. And different family every week if you want. I've met some great people, and turned guests into friends at the tables this fall.

But tables are kind of hard to process around, when you want to walk down the aisle in a big floofy white dress. (For the record, Starbuck is not the one wearing the floofy dress. He's wearing a tux with a white silk vest. Classy!)

Anyways, he wanted the tables moved, and the chairs put back into the more traditional row structure.

So we showed up with the troops, bright and early.

And within a very short time, the place was looking far more traditional.

Then Kelly and Nate helped Starbuck take down the big overhead screen. Scary!

(Skip was instrumental in cranking the cables out of the way, after all was said and done)

And then we got to decorate. They'd bought a bunch of little white Christmas lights, and we strung them down the outer walls of the sanctuary.

Look! I'm working!

ps. I am wearing the most awesome Christmas present t-shirt, too:

Then Starbuck took me aside. "Look!" he said, totally sparkling with excitement. "They're here!"

And he opened a little velvet box, and showed me their wedding rings. It was SO cool to see how excited he's getting.

I asked him if I could borrow the rings, just for a few minutes, and I took them up on stage, where the spotlights were shining down with some serious wattage.

At first, I thought they might look cool in the tree.

Nah. Not the best. But then I had another idea.

Someone! Get me a bible!

This is his ring:

This is hers:

And this is Skip, trying desperately to balance both rings at the same time:

Verdict: It can't be done.

So we settled for not-balanced:

The cool thing?

Starbuck just called, and asked if he could have copies of these photos. I have a tiny thought that one of them might end up on their wedding programs.

I'm totally stoked.