A wedding story
A true story, can you guess who Fran is before the end?
Fran was not invited
To the wedding
But she came anyway
After all
Her sister Agnes
Had attended my birth
So why should we all
Be so surprised
With another stormy visit?
We heard the news
Just a few days before
Her arrival at our door.
“Fran is on her way
Up the coast
Everyone take cover!”
We hoped she would go
Somewhere else
And spare us of her trouble.
But It was not to be
There was no doubt
Fran was not deterred
She was determined to come
She would not be late
My wedding would be ruined
Alarm set in
And worry reigned
What were we to do?
A stubborn bride,
I would not change
My plans for anyone.
My mother begged
My sister cried,
The in-laws shook their heads.
It was my dream
And I stood firm
The wedding would go on.
Without a change
In time or place
No matter what they said.
It would be outside
On the Mansion lawn
With the river flowing by
A beautiful place
Where I grew up
And played most every day
The chairs were set
The carpet rolled
And everything in place
For I had prayed
And I had faith
That all would be ok.
After all
What bride wants
To change her wedding day?
So on came Fran
With wind and rain
A full blown hurricane
Rehearsal day
We’re on the porch
Wondering what to do
To our surprise
The downpour stopped
Just when we were to begin
With a glance and a laugh
Of disbelief
We practiced at lightning speed
Rehearsal over
It begins again
We barely get inside.
All through the night
The wind howled and moaned
A deluge on my window
Morning came
It’s dark and grey
No weather for a wedding
But I have hope
The torrent slows
To a calm and steady drizzle
The guests arrive
The rain has stopped
The grass is windblown dry
All are amazed
There’s no rain here
This is the only spot
Where nature seems
To take a rest
To sit and watch a wedding
A day of memories
A moment of awe
Two lives entwined forever
A critical moment
The candle won’t light
The sun breaks through the clouds
The promise is sealed
With a kiss and a cheer
There’s not a dry eye in sight
Then little girls dance
The music is played
And everyone has a grand time
The hot air balloon goes up
The wind is to strong
We won’t be leaving this way!
Hop in the car
And drive into life
The showers begin again
But in our hearts it is sunny
Exciting and new
A happy beginning waits
Now no bride wants
A thunderstorm
Or clouds to mar her day
But garden nuptials
During hurricane Fran
Is something few can boast
It’s a grand adventure
A wild ride
A miracle to be sure
But most of all
It’s a gift from God
Who loves without condition
He loves you too
All your bad and your good
He longs to be your friend
So come to him
He’s a prayer away
Waiting to hear from you
Yes, this is a true story! I really did have an outdoor wedding in the middle of Hurricane Fran. Although it was downgraded to a tropical storm that night. Not many hurricanes and tropical storms make it up to our area of Pennsylvania. We are a too far north and west for most of them so it is a rare occurrence. However I still managed to be born during Hurricane Agnes, which was probably the most destructive to ever hit, and married during Fran, which wasn’t as big but exciting nonetheless. There were guests who didn’t attend because of the storm and it took a lot of the men in attendance to keep the hot air balloon from blowing off. But in the end it was a perfect day.
