Ryan & Sarah's Wedding

September 6th, 2006

On Sunday I returned from the weekend wedding of my brother Ryan to his new wife, Sarah, in New Mexico.

The Albuquerque area surprised me with its natural beauty. The city lies on a gentle rise in the western shadow of the Sandia Mountains, with the muddy stream of the Rio Grande trickling through the middle of the city. As you head east, you cross a series of hills covered in scrub trees, green grass and bright yellow wildflowers. The area where Ryan’s in-laws live is refreshingly free of tract housing, the order of the day being small acreages with naturally winding dirt roads that conform to the topography. It rained several times during our trip, and several locals commented on the unusually wet summer they’ve received.

The wedding itself went off without a hitch. Upon arriving at the LDS temple, the recommend-carrying guests made their way inside while Josh and I snoozed in the waiting room. (For more about the restrictions on entering Mormon temples, click here). After the ceremony everyone came out front and the photographer did her thing while the rest of us looked skyward at the impending thunderstorm, hoping it would hold off long enough to get all the pictures done. Finally, we left for the restaurant and had lunch with both families and assorted relatives.

That evening a reception was held at the local LDS chapel. It was fairly low-key, with background music (piano) by Sarah’s brother-in-law and a touching vocal solo performed by her grandfather. Overall I can say I really liked her family. You never know what you’ll get with a long-distance marriage like this, but they were very real, down-to-earth people who were fun to be around. I suppose if I’d had any objections they would be too late by this time!

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