“It is such a happiness when good people get together — and they always do.” 
– Jane Austen

I want to tell you about the coolest wedding ever.

I can honestly say that I’ve never attended a wedding that made me want to write about it.  (Not even any of my own.)  But this one?  This one was screaming, “Blog about me!”  And so, I must.

These are my friends Jim & Rebecca.  As you can see from the picture, they are standing in a theatre, which happens to be where they met.  And thus, where they decided to have their wedding reception.  And let me tell ya – this gal can throw a party!

After a beautiful, traditional, standing-room-only ceremony at a gorgeous little church, everyone headed over to the theatre for the reception.  Not only were the drinks flowing and the many varieties of yummy food waiting to be gobbled up, but the “activities” were a blast.  First and foremost: a photo booth, complete with costumes and accessories.  Oh, how much fun we had in this thing!!  See?

Now, you know it was a different kind of wedding reception when my boyfriend Richard’s 12-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl later bragged to my daughter about having to miss the fun.  (She had back-to-back dance recitals that day – her dad had first shift duty, and I later took over for the second.)  Ask yourself how many times you’ve ever heard a kid telling another kid how much fun a wedding reception was.  It even got the ultimate seal of approval from Richard’s son when he deemed it worthy of the TLC show “Four Weddings.”  If a 12-year-old says your wedding is worthy of a TV show, I think you’ve probably done something right.

(FYI – if you’re local and ever want to have this awesome addition to an event you’re having, you can contact the “Prints Charming” company [How cute is that!?] at 336-469-1313.  Couldn’t mention this without crediting the people who made it happen!)

So, in addition to the uber-cool, kid-approved photo booth, there were also little collages set up around the theatre with memorabilia taken from the various shows that Jim and Rebecca have been involved in with Ashe County Little Theatre during the past three years that they’ve known each other.  As a member of this theatre myself, I had such a great time looking back over the memories.

Which brings me to my own little personal recollection of the Jim & Rebecca story.

Jim and I were involved in another theatre together for a few years, and had both talked about our desire to join Ashe County Little Theatre, but had never taken the plunge.  Finally, I decided to audition for a show…but didn’t make the cut.  In fact, I blogged about this if you missed it (https://missyspublicjunk.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/rejection/).  I came back and pouted to Jim that it looked like it just wasn’t meant to be to be a part of that theatre.  Well, as time went by, Jim made his way over himself (I think his first role was in Twelve Angry Men.)  He was thrilled to be a part of the group and often sent me messages about upcoming shows.  I finally found my way back myself and was cast in Harvey.

Now, Jim had told me about this woman that he had met here at the theatre and was quite smitten with, so I was anxious to meet her.  Imagine my surprise, when in walks Rebecca, the director of the show I wasn’t cast in a few years before.

Of course, we laugh about it now.  And I told him at his wedding that he is officially forgiven for being a “traitor.”  😉

But seriously – at one point while I was walking around this beautiful reception in this theatre that has become my second home, I couldn’t help but be overcome with a deep sense of destiny.  You know?  Jim and I both felt a pull to this theatre…and my, how much our lives have changed since we found our way to it.  I, too, met the man I love here.  Not as an actor, but as a friend of a fellow actor.  I first laid eyes on him at this very building.  First held his hand in the fourth row.

Little did Jim and I know how much we needed this.  By finding this theatre, we’ve found our way home.

Here’s to many happy returns for this beautiful couple that I am honored to call my friends.

***

“We need a witness to our lives. There’s a billion people on the planet… I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things… all of it, all of the time, every day. You’re saying ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness.'”
– From the movie, Shall We Dance?