Not RTW… but 20 Years of Marriage!

I’m not sure if YA Highway is doing a Road Trip Wednesday today. So there’ll not be a RTW today on the blog. But that’s okay, because today my wife and I are celebrating 20 years of marriage!

December 14, 1991 was cold, even for the North of England. My wife’s family, fresh off the plane from the States (North Carolina, to be precise, where the temperature was probably at least 10 degrees warmer), wore their coats throughout the whole ceremony, and for most of their time in the UK. But no amount of chilly weather could dampen the warmth of the occasion. Wifey looked beautiful. Her dress was a silky, cream colored gown, hand-made by her aunt, who is a former seamstress and very creative. The bridesmaids dresses were all hand-made too. Yes, we were young, poor (we had both just graduated, I was working a seasonal job at Toys R Us, and she was working as a care assistant in a old folk’s home), but we wanted to be married. We didn’t care about having a big fancy do. A Scottish minister friend of ours who was pastoring a church in that city was willing to perform the ceremony (in his kilt, no less). Their organist provided the music. Family and friends provided covered dish refreshments after in the fellowship hall. Another friend baked a traditional English wedding cake (fruit cake with marzipan and hard white frosting), and I believe there was a regular cake too since my wife hates fruit cake.

There were speeches, the cutting of the cake (and me nearly slicing my bride’s finger by pressing down too hard on her hand), and a honeymoon in nearby historic York (which was wonderful that time of year). The minister and his wife bought us our honeymoon. We didn’t get to the hotel until after 10, but the hotel provided us with a platter of sandwiches and a bottle of champagne. We spent three days in York, just enjoying each other’s company, walking around the shops, touring the Viking excavations, and having the best time.

And 20 years later, I’m still having the best time. 🙂