Weddings

Weddings...weddings...weddings...this year seems to be full of them. We can't seem to get away from the royal wedding. First, they had to spend weeks talking about what it would be like. After endless discussions, they had the wedding and I thought it would be over but then they are determined to reshow the wedding and continue discussing every aspect. 

I have my own weddings to think of this year...both my daughters are getting married. No, it will not be a double wedding. They have opted to use the same location though. It is a treasure hidden away in the Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington. The Clise Mansion makes me want to get married all over again- it is like stepping out of reality and into a Jane Austen novel. 

My youngest daughter loves the gates. When she first went to the mansion, the only thing she could speak of was the gates. The gates are just the beginning to the experience of the Clise Mansion. 
 
 The Mansion is actually an old country estate built in the early 1900s. As I walked through the empty rooms, I could envision furnishings in each room and it made me want to take up residence...but then I was there to check it out for my daughters not myself.


As far as a wedding location...great...great...great! Did I say it was great? It has ample space, it looks lovely and it is affordable. The last reason is my favorite. Have you priced wedding locations lately? When you add up all the plus, plus, plus, you want to faint. The nice thing about Clise Mansion is they let you know up front everything you need to pay for and what you don't need to pay for. The staff are all courteous and helpful.  Any wedding held at this location would feel like a royal wedding. It is no wonder we chose this location for both my daughters' weddings. 


*All pictures taken from Seattle Bride

weddings - Japan 1995

The first wedding I went to in the United States was when I was almost 19. I thought I was at a funeral. It was so quiet. I looked around and wondered why everyone was so somber; afterall, wasn't this a joyous event?

Weddings in Singapore were quite the occasion. It didn't matter which cultural group was celebrating their wedding, there was always lots of color, music, and people. I grew up with weddings being wonderful, fun occasions.

Going to Japan, I was curious as to how their weddings were going to be. I found some to be quiet, serious occasions but also there were lively weddings. Since our church was a multicultural church we enjoyed all sorts of weddings. Filipino weddings- boy was the food good! Ghanaian weddings- can we say PARTY! Japanese weddings- a touch of class. Chinese weddings- traditional tea ceremony included.

I think my favorite memory about the weddings- no matter who was involved- was the way everyone joined together to make it the best day of the bride and groom's life! Everyone came out to decorate the hall. There were those who volunteered to cook the food. Others were ready to be an usher or to serve the food. Everyone did the part creating a wonderful day for all.

With all the countries I've traveled to, Japan included, I realize 'love' is a universal language spoken by everyone. Seeing love showcased in a wedding can be a very beautiful thing. Whether it is demonstrated in a quiet manner or in a loud manner, love shines magnificently for all to see.