Family Wedding.

We just returned from a weekend away to attend the wedding of one of our nephews on my husband's side of the family. Now....weddings in my husband's family tend to be quite the events. And this one was no different. Because most of my husband's family is Catholic, there is always a LONG mass.....and I am always intrigued by the rituals and chantings and other elements that go into a traditional Catholic marriage. The psychologist in me just stood back and observed people yesterday as they engaged in all of the ceremony....the standing and sitting.....the rituals surrounding the Catholic communion....the songs.....the role that the priest plays in the ceremony. Having grown up in evangelical Christian churches all my life, entering my in-laws family was really my first exposure to Catholicism. Much different than the weddings I grew up attending....and to tell you the truth, I feel that a lot of JOY was left out of yesterday's ceremony. But, nonetheless, it was a great time with family celebrating Jason and Kelli as they move to Denver and become the first grandchild in our family to marry. My sister-in-law and I were the photographers for the wedding, so it was a very busy and pretty stressful day.
I am convinced the wedding photographers are not paid anywhere near enough for what they do, WHEW! But we were happy to do it for this young couple as they work to establish themselves. Here were some highlights from the day:

The wedding was in an historic Catholic church (right next to my in-laws house) with the most amazing architectural features and pressed tin walls and ceilings. It is where my brother and sister-in-law (the groom's parents) were married over 25 years ago). While I do not align with many of the elements of the Catholic ceremony, I certainly appreciate the history and tradition surrounding the wedding.