.
Punctuality is not optional at a wedding – it is
crucial. This thought played around my
mind like a cricket hopping inside a can as we sat stationary on the A509
highway. We had arrived at Bedford with
hours to spare. It made sense to go into
Milton Keynes for a bit of shopping before the ceremony began.
We did not calculate for the vehicle collision that blocked
two of three lanes. And so as we crawled
along the road we knew fate was not in our hands. And the sister will not have been impressed
if her brother didn’t find his way to the manor in time for the wedding. But all was well. We arrived at the Premier Inn hotel and the shuttle
bus had waited on our arrival. A mad
scramble as we checked in. Some last
minute attire modifications and we were boarded and on our way.
Moreteyne Manor House was occupied by Thomas Snagge in 1562
and was handed down the generations until it was sold to Sarah Churchill,
Duchess of Marlborough in 1715. It ownership passed through several hands until
it was sold to the existing owner, Mr E.J Hillson in 1948 for a sum of
£7500. Between 1983 and 1985 building
works transformed it into a fine restaurant and wedding reception venue.
And because my sister and her partner and her son had been living in the
area together for three years without dispute and with much love and grace –
here we all were together in celebration of a wedding.
Apart from the bride, my partner and I must have been the
last of the attendees to arrive. To see
the family of both sides all finely dressed and in form – such moments are not
common and clearly we were all with great excitement. But this was no trivial occasion. Silence and solemnity as the gravity of the
ritual took hold – a union of two people and a uniting of families. This was a secular ceremony and as the lady
of the register conducted the marriage binding my mind was cast back to a
passage of the Corinthians.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
As I stood there taking in the ceremony and as the two adults
and one child were united into a unit of family – I couldn’t help but feel
proud of the sister that had traveled so far and achieved so much in her
years. A lady with an eye for style and
a mind for concepts and numbers – those with ears to hear will do well to note
her advice and follow her suggestions.
After the wedding the feast was consumed and the Champagne
sipped and the speeches delivered. A
band played music and the families and friends danced and celebrated. A happy wedding and a happy couple. I wish my sister and her husband and my
nephew much happiness in their new life together.
Peace To All
