Our Family

My family and I spent the day at the lake yesterday. Several other family members met up with us for a day in the water since the temperature was in the 90’s with high humidity. We all agreed that the only reprieve from the oppressing heat of the day was to be in the water. Swimming, paddle boarding, fishing, and socializing filled our time at the lake. As my daughter would say, “It was a good day!” Later on in the evening, two of my mother-in-law’s friends joined us at the lake for a glass of wine and conversation. As the kids played in the water and fished at the end of the dock, the adults kept watch over them while conversing about wine, camping trips, Arizona, among other things. But, for the last half hour or so, we discussed the eventful wedding day. Twelve Years Of Marriage Twelve years ago, on this very lake and property, my husband and I were married. We had decided to have an outdoor wedding on the lake because we both had grown up around this lake, love the beauty of the lake with her crystal-clear waters, and we love the history that surrounds the lake. Our wedding day had started perfectly. The sun was shining, the temperature was in the 80’s, the lake was as smooth as glass, and the wedding set-up was near completion. Preparation Family and friends had helped to prepare for the wedding the entire week before the big day. Small, smooth Lake Superior stones were written on and used as place-setting markers while larger rocks were used to number the tables. My father drilled holes through limestone pieces, and floral frog pin holders were attached to make beautiful flower vases to use as center pieces. A  large tent (covered 300+ people) was set up on the property and draped with tulle and white lights, while a dance floor was set up so we could dance under the stars. Three hundred and fifty chairs were set up in front of an alter that was adorned with a Christian-based runner my mother had made for the wedding. The make-shift aisle consisted of green grass sandwiched between yards of white tulle that lay like hammocks between the chairs. My mother-in-law and her friend constructed beautiful floral arrangements for the centerpieces that made the whole wedding site smell as though you were sitting in the middle of a garden. Everything was just beautiful. All we had to do was wait for the wedding to start at 4pm. The Storm Everyone had left the lake property by noon to go get ready for the wedding. I was at the salon with my best friend getting our hair done, my husband was with his groomsmen on the way to lunch, and the rest of the family had headed to their homes to get ready. As I was sitting in the salon chair, I noticed that the sun had disappeared, and a strong wind had started to blow in. The ladies in the salon started to chatter about the sudden change of weather. Within minutes of the sun disappearing, large raindrops started to fall, the sky turned a sickly-green color, and the wind picked up with a vengeance. As we sat and watched the amazing spectacle out the large windows of the salon, the rain started to fall in sheets, but it wasn’t falling straight down, it was blowing straight sideways. Garden pinwheels that a merchant was selling across the street, were pulled out of the ground and were carried down the street by the gusts of wind, and wood sculptures were tipped over. In less than an hour, the storm had ended. At that moment, we had no idea that the angry winds and rain had left the wedding set-up in shambles. Here we were, less than four hours before the wedding was scheduled to start, and everything had been blown apart. Straight line winds had torn across the lake, meeting the wedding set-up head-on. The large steel I-beams that held up the 300-person tent had literally been snapped in half, just like the tree behind the tent. All 350 chairs were scattered on the property, with the tulle laying in disarray around them. The tent canopy had blown on top of the small cottage on the property, and all 35 tables were overturned. White linen tablecloths lay scattered on the lawn, dirty and wet. Rocks and candles were strewn about, and the printing on the typed-out wine list at the bar had bled down the page, making it look like it was crying. My mother-in-law remembers arriving at the property and sinking down to her knees as she viewed the damage, feeling defeated. I remember my brother calling me shortly after the storm came through to tell me of the damage. My mother got on the phone at this time and said “Erin, what do you want to do? If you want to call it off and re-schedule, we can do that. If you want the wedding to go on, we will just make the best of it.” I replied, “Mom, I just want to get married. I don’t care about what it looks like, I just want to get married.” She simply said “I figured you would say that. Good, we will make it happen!” A Wedding Miracle My mother got on the phone and called as many family members and friends as she could, while my husband’s cousin got on the phone and called as many family and friends from my husband’s side of the family as she could. The great clean-up had begun. Within an hour, there were about 60 people who showed up to help. Parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, neighbors, and friends dropped everything and hurried over to the wedding site. Linens were brought to and from a dry-cleaner, tables and chairs were turned upright and re-organized, and tulle was re-strung.  The tent company brought Penske moving trucks to remove