A Wedding Story ~ Friendship

The language of friendship is not words but meanings.

~Henry David Thoreau

This story begins with my sister, Shannon's, friendship with Larissa over twenty years ago. They were in sixth grade and became inseparable. Anne and Diana. They've stayed close over the years, through all of life's changes.

While Larissa has been sort of an adopted sister to me over the years, and I am so thrilled that she has been blessed with a truly wonderful guy, West, I have to brag a little (okay, a lot) on Shannon right here.

Shannon is one of those people who is good at just about everything she tries. And when it comes to events and weddings, she's in her element. Larissa is one lucky girl to have a friend like Shannon coordinating/designing/hostessing her wedding. Shannon did the graphic designing of the invitations (and even the signage at the wedding for dressing rooms and whatnot were beautifully coordinated). She did an obscene amout of gardening and design work on the yard and surrounding areas (including their little home into which they recently moved). She did the major design, coordination, and organization of all the elements (down to the tiniest little detail like saving a hummingbird's nest for photographing the rings in) that went into this event. She did all of the flowers. She did the paper crafting for the centerpieces. She coordinated the work-force and the scheduling of the day and ceremony. Her air-conditioned kitchen became a flower cooler/design studio, and the rest of her tiny house was the guys' dressing room. I can't even list all the things she created for this wedding and the work she did to pull it off.

If Shannon is stupendously amazing, her husband, Ben, turns them into a formidable team. This guy does EVERYTHING Shannon asks him to do. Not only the grunt work or lending an extra hand, but he has terrific people skills as well as aesthetic sense. Shannon trusts him with an enormous amout of tasks, knowing he's the guy to see them finished. Ben worked all spring on yard and house projects. He worked all week on wedding details. And he was RUNNING all. day. long. on the day of the wedding.