Laura and I joined the reception, Pastor Browning introduced us again, and then he said the blessing for the meal. It was served buffet style, so the pastor asked that the wedding party be allowed to go first, and then he took charge of organizing the order in which each table was welcomed to go to the line. The setup was perfect to move people through quickly.

We had an iPod setup for background music during the meal. As my family finished eating, they moved their instruments to the center of the room since we weren’t using amplification. They were done moving just as the last of the guests were finishing up their meal.

Laura and the two moms pulled together photos of the two of us as children, teens, and early adulthood. They added the pictures we had of us together and with the girls. They were put into PowerPoint to loop continuously and project them on a large screen. And, to my embarrassment, the photo of me in the makeup the girls playfully applied was there. I’m sure it was in the collection multiple times because it came up rather frequently!

My dad announced it was time for Laura and me to have the first dance, then her father would dance with Laura while my mother danced with me. Everyone was invited to join after that.

Laura and I moved to the dance floor as my family played “Amazed” by Lonestar. My brother Dan sang lead while the family joined in with vocals. The steel guitar, the violin, all of it was as good as the original. We moved slowly, basking in the joy of our embrace. The emotions of the day melted into a warm glow between us. Our touch was electric. Our love for each other was radiant and on display for all to see. It was another perfect moment etched in my mind forever.

The rest of the reception had normal events that happen at such gatherings. The only difference was my family’s music. I’d forgotten how beautiful and professional they are. I found myself missing those days. They were given lots of breaks so they could enjoy the party too. The iPod was set to fill in, but my dad had some other surprises. Nine of my nieces and nephews had been working together as their own music group. They ranged in age from seven to eighteen. They took over and played some sets, and they were spectacular. My brother Ron’s oldest son was getting almost as good on guitar as my dad, who has been his teacher. Occasionally other talented friends or relatives sat at the piano or played guitar. It was a glorious jam session. We’d have to do this again without waiting for a wedding to give us a reason.

I used the word “perfect” a lot, but that’s what the previous months had been. That day had been perfect to that point, but that night I expected the meaning of perfection would fall far short of an adequate description.

Throughout the afternoon, Laura and I would catch each other’s eyes as we visited with our guests. We’d make silly faces at each other clearly speaking of our impatience for the honeymoon to begin. We planned to spend our wedding night in our own bed at home.

Our bed! That had a wonderful sound to it.

Hanna and Mattie were going home with Laura’s folks to stay for ten days. The next afternoon Laura and I were flying to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, then driving to stay near Lake Louise. It was one of the most beautiful areas in North America, but I only wanted to see my beautiful wife.

Hanna, Mattie, and Laura’s parents were getting ready to leave around 4:30. We were hugging them all goodbye as Hanna had me lift her so Laura and I could both hug her. She moved her head back and looked at me in the eyes with a twinkle. Then she said, “You keep being nice to my mom, and thanks for being my dad!” She gave me butterfly kisses on the cheek and lips and pulled back into a hug. “I love you, Daddy and Mommy!”

I put her down and said, “We’ll call you and Mattie every night, sweetie. I love you too!” She walked off with her grandparents looking back at us several times smiling.

“The way you are with the girls warms my heart more than you can imagine! You’re quite a man, Ben Hawkins! And you’re all mine!” she exclaimed with a kiss.

“And you’re all mine, Mrs. Hawkins! Mind, soul, heart, and body! Speaking of which, shouldn’t we go and start claiming ownership of each other’s bodies?” I asked with a smirk and look of impatience.

“I thought you’d never ask!”

We went to say goodbye to the folks that remained. It was hard to say goodbye to my family. We lived far enough away that we couldn’t see one another regularly. And I couldn’t find the words to thank them enough for taking part in the surprise for Laura. Their contributions made the day a thousand times more special.

Sarah and Bobby were helping to coordinate putting the room back in order to make it ready for Sunday school activities in the morning. Only a few folks remained as we left to start our lives together as man and wife.