Thoughts on My Second Wedding Anniversary About My Rainy Wedding

On April 8, 2023, I married my best friend. It was a cold, rainy day on Easter weekend, and it was full of magic. The weekend before the wedding we realized it was definitely going to rain. The forecast predicted massive amounts of rain the Thursday through Monday surrounding my wedding day. Honestly, we grieved. So much time, energy, dreams, and money had gone in to planning our beautiful outdoor wedding. I just couldn't believe it. And not only was it going to rain, a cold front was coming through, so the high for the day continued to drop as we watched the weather each day. I was devastated.

I gave myself a couple days to sulk and cry because those feelings were valid. I believe it's important to give yourself a minute to process your emotions so you can move forward. Once Monday of my wedding week began, I chose to move forward with joy. Because regardless of the weather, I finally was getting married to the boy I'd loved for so long. But I still prayed for a weather miracle any time anxiety crept in to my head. In hindsight, worrying about the weather preoccupied my anxious mind and kept me from worrying about everything else.

God did perform a miracle, but it wasn't exactly what I envisioned. As we approached the 8th, the rain vanished from the forecast for Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. This enabled me to enjoy time outside every day the week of the wedding. I was able have a beautiful bridesmaid brunch, rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner without weather interference. I was able to have my sparkler outdoor wedding exit. Our travel day to Mexico on Sunday was beautiful. The rain on my wedding day whittled down to a window of 9am to about 6pm. It started the moment my sister and I left my house for the venue and ended during our reception.

You might be thinking how unfortunate that is. Give me a chance to change your mind.

By the time wedding day rolled around, the weather wasn't too important anymore. I was just so ready to be Mrs. James Quincy Wilfong III and whisked off onto my honeymoon. My bridesmaids and I got ready in the home I was supposed to get married in front of. listening to slow country music, starting a fire in the fireplace, and watching the rain brought calm and coziness into the house that settled my nerves. The high was in the mid 40s, but once I put my dress on I realized that I would have died if it had been much warmer. The cold kept my nervousness at bay and kept me from feeling claustrophobic in a tight, heavy wedding dress. When Jack and I had our first look, my nerves completely disappeared. I kept thinking to myself how romantic and intimate everything felt. It felt like a dream, and I was filled with so much joy and wonder. Despite the disappointment and bit of chaos that came with heavy rain on my wedding day, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with wedding day magic.

My dad and I had a special moment before the ceremony. The groomsmen used their trucks to usher everyone down to the property's stables where the ceremony and reception was to take place. The house was quiet for about half an hour after the crowd of family and the wedding party left. Mom, Dad, and I stayed behind until the ceremony was about to start. I sat down on a window seat in one of the rooms and looked out at all the rain. I was taking in the whirlwind of everything I was feeling moments before walking down the aisle. My dad came into the room and sat beside me. I muttered something about how I just still couldn't believe it was actually raining. He looked at me with tear filled eyes and said, "This morning God answered my prayers I'd been praying about today and the weather. He told me that the only thing that is going to shine today is you."

You see, God did answer our prayers. It was pretty obvious that His best for me on my wedding day was for it to rain. He allowed the perfect time frame. I'm sure He had lots of reasons for it, but one reason stands out clearly to me. For years I'd envisioned my wedding as a very intimate affair. I wanted it to be small and beautiful. As the planning began, we suddenly had 250 guests on the list and my intimate vision had turned into a very grand event. It felt like a lot of pressure. God used the rain to distract my anxious mind the week of the wedding. He used the rain keep me calm and in one place before the ceremony. He used the rain to give me the intimate ceremony I'd dreamed about years before. He used the rain to once again show me that His best for me is not always my Plan A. The rain brought disappointment, frustration, and chaos, but it also brought so much beauty, romance, coziness, and intimacy. Not to mention it was definitely a day no one there would ever forget!

As I turned the corner in the stables to finally walk down the aisle, the ceremony sight took my breath away. It seemed light a million lights and candles were hung from the ceiling almost like stars behind the white drapes. The flowers were stunning and set the stage. Candles were lit. Half the guests had to stand behind the seated guests. The rain fell onto the metal roof as the string instruments played Amazing Grace. It was beautiful. I'd never experienced a more romantic and intimate atmosphere. My wedding day was the most magical day of my life so far. I wouldn't trade it for anything! And heck, if the old wives tale is true, we have more than a lifetime of good luck and happiness ahead.