From Formality to ...Da Bears??

My niece/goddaughter Megan got married last Friday.  Here is that precious moment of a wedding, right after the bride has walked down the aisle, and her father gives her to the groom.  The parents and grandparents watch and say a little prayer to themselves...hopefully a prayer of thanks!

 Megan and Jeff are a great couple, another one of those matches-made-in-heaven!

 The formality of the wedding continued on into the reception at a lovely establishment on the Mississippi River in LaCrosse.  Every last detail was Classy with a capital C !

 Megan had two of her cousins, another two of my nieces (daughters of 2 of my brothers) as attendants.  Korrine has her hands on her hips with her back to the camera, and Crystal is 2nd from the right.

 Megan and Jeff put a lot of little details into the reception and dance.  They hired a few babysitters to watch the children present (if need be), complete with a candy bar, movies and popcorn!  Oh, and Wedding Bingo and prizes.  But perhaps the coolest detail of all was the fun photo booth with these fashion accessories!  Everyone in attendance was encouraged to get their picture taken in the booth.  Out came 2 copies of a strip of 3 photos; the first copy was for you to keep and the second was glued into a photo book which was signed and became the couple's guest book.  It was really clever!

 When the wedding party was formally announced before dinner, I had to snap a shot of the bride's parents, my sister Deb and her husband Arlie.  They threw a great party and are probably sleeping this entire week :)

 The kids were placed at dinner tables with their cousins, mostly by gender and age.  Here's the girls' table enjoying their chicken tenders ...

 ...and the boys' table waiting for dessert.  Have you ever had Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Cake at a wedding reception?  It was GLORIOUS :)

 Wynne and Garrison sat at the table with my sisters, brothers-in-law, Mark and me. We enjoyed salad, rolls, chicken or pork.  It was really delicious!  Marla, Julie, and I gave the "blessing" on the meal incorporating some lines from Chevy Chase's "Christmas Vacation" because it was shot in the same era as the groom's movie "Overboard".  Yes, Jeff was in "Overboard" with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell!

 Another fun (but unfortunate) fact about Jeff is that he is a Bears fan.  Growing up near Chicago will probably explain it, but still...Da Bears??  So my family's wedding tradition of initiating the newest "outlaw" into the gang had to run on the Packer-Bear theme.

Here's where it started to get ugly:  the other two Bears fans in the Outlaw gang tried to keep people from dancing with the Packer fans!

 I think this is the first time Mark found himself surrounded by other like-minded people singing "Bear down, Chicago Bears!"  The wedding party was all downhill from there;)

At any rate, Congratulations Jeff and Megan!  May you live a long happy life together, regardless of NFL affiliation!

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.   Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.--Colossians 3:17-19