As if it wasn't enough fun to have a 3-day weekend and 2 weeks in Fiji...we weren't done yet!!! The one big thing missing on Wedding Weekend was Grandma Elsie. Grandma just moved into the nursing home less than a year ago. Aaron and I mulled over the logistics of getting grandma to our back yard wedding but it just didn't seem feasible. I really hated the idea of her not being there. She actually married Dad and Diane (not to each other) -- I just wanted her at the wedding to see it. I had imagined the beginning where we would say, "We especially want to welcome Grandma Elise for being here today..." But that just wasn't in the cards so we went for the next best thing: "We'll bring the wedding to you Grandma!"
A week after returning to work we packed up for second Wedding Weekend. Dad had done a lot of organizing and my good pal Heidi agreed to "officiate" (on her 12th wedding anniversary no less). She immediately nominated her boys to be in the wedding . Old people LOVE little kids and Morgan and Bed provided a lot of entertainment. My nephew Michael got to be in the wedding too which was totally awesome.
We arrived late on a Friday night. Our job before getting to bed was to make about 50 little vases of flowers that Mary put on the lunch tables on grandma's floor. Mary made goodie bags full of candy and had gotten permission to give them out to the residents. The plan was that the boys (dressed in suits and being really cute) hand out the goodie bags and invite the other residents to the wedding after lunch.
Dad arranged for the "metro mobility" van to pick up grandma in the wheelchair and take her a few blocks to a family restaurant for brunch with the family. Everyone went all out! Dad had his tux on again, Grandma dressed in the outfit Mary wore to Diane's wedding - so very nicely, and everyone came pretty much dressed for a wedding. Aaron and I showed up in our gown and tux. We walked into the little diner and everyone averted their eyes (good Minnesotans do not make eye contact...). People pretended not pay too much attention to our spectacle, but you could tell it was the sort of thing where they were pointing when we weren't looking.
Grandma was excited to see us and mostly loved that my gown had pockets! And I couldn't agree more!! She asked me what was going on and I explained that we were going to have a wedding at the nursing home. "Really!?! I can't believe it!" She was pensive, "Are you sure?" I told her were were absolutely sure. She thought again, "Ya know, I saw you in this dress and I thought you had made a mistake getting dress, but I guess you didn't!" We had that conversation a couple more times during breakfast. Later she explained that the activities board said "Elise and Family" and asked if I knew what it meant. I knew exactly what it meant. We were on the board!!! I explained it to grandma one more time. She seemed to pretty much get it and she participated in most of the conversations. It was great to be with her when she was pretty much "getting it".
Dad and Mary talked to the nursing home activities director and to our excitement our Re-Wedding made the official "Activities Board". That's right, we were "on the board" just as grandma had noted at brunch. The nursing home people were just awesome making us a wedding arch which was covered with white chaser lights, red garland, and cupids. Nobody has had such a cool arch outside of Vegas. We played crooner music to get people in the mood. The lunch room was full. The nursing station was full of staff staring at us. The chaplain came up and told us how she had brought her interns. That was an education for me because I didn't know preachers had interns but there you have it. The activities director from another floor was filling in and introduced herself. I had a bouquet and a corsage for grandma. The boys went around with candy and talked to the residents who, of course, loved it!!! We had absolutely no idea what we were doing. We huddled up with Heidi and talked about what parts of the first wedding we'd re-do. And then it was Show Time!
Dad got the attention of all the residents and put grandma in the front row. He explained we were renewing our vows today. There was the arch and chairs for the 3 boys in our wedding party. Andy, Dad and Michael (brother, not nephew) all took pictures. It was just about as much excitement and anticipation as the real thing!! And then it was time to walk. We processed down the hospital corridor. It was much longer and straighter than our first walk down the aisle. And this time it was Sinatra not Take Me Out to the Ball Game playing.
The boys sat in their chair and Heidi started the wedding. Aaron welcomed everyone and I finally got my chance to say, "We'd especially like to thank Grandma Elsie for having us today..." Grandma's marriage officient days aren't that far gone. She took the opportunity to give us a little talk right then and there. It was so awesome to get to hear my grandma tell us how happy she is for us and just to be able to give a little talk. We had a poem reading and then Aaron did his vows. I looked out and saw Andy handing grandma a tissue and then it was pretty much all over for me. Aaron was busy projecting his voice so the old people could hear him and I could hardly choke out a "of course I do!". Then it was my turn and somehow or another managed to say my promises back. And then as fast as it started it was done. All the old people clapped and someone turned the music back on.
We immediately got our hugs from grandma and then we tried to make some rounds and thank the residents for having us. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! It was so special. It was so everything. Everyone should do it!!!
Dad said we were talk of the town for a few days and we have are already trying to think up what would be an other good thing that would get us on the activities board!!!
