On Thursday we drove up to Northwood, checked in to the Northwood Inn (highly recommended for a clean, comfortable room), and made our way to "Newberg" (the New Berg home, out in the country, as opposed to the old Berg home in town) for a delicious meal of soft shell tacos with vegetables fresh out of the garden. After visiting a while with Callie, her parents, two sisters, a brother-in-law and two nieces, we all changed into our swim suits and enjoyed the indoor pool. Our boys especially liked swinging on the rope attached to the ceiling before splashing into the cool water.
Friday morning we relaxed before heading out to the house again. Pete took the twins golfing; I helped Laurie with the reception seating chart while Philip played in the pool. We discovered that Michelle had missed her flight, but Andrew's flight would be right on time (Grandma & Grandpa Norling brought Andrew up in the little airplane because he had his first football game Thursday night). After I picked up the three at the little Northwood airport, we all got dressed at the motel and went out to the Draxton Farm for the rehearsal. First I led a rehearsal of "Be Thou My Vision," arranged by Callie's friend Emily and sung by the Berg and Stadem families. Plenty of people needed parts played, but it sounded fairly good by the time we finished. During the actual wedding rehearsal, I was distracted by texts about Michelle's situation and trying to make sure the groom's dinner would be served. The final word from Michelle was that she would fly in to Grand Forks at 4:40 pm Saturday. Britta and Aanna would pick her up and they would arrive at the farm by 7. Yikes!
On Saturday we relaxed at the motel before realizing that the groomsmen were supposed to get to the farm earlier than we thought. Photos took a long time, however - from 1:30 until 5:45 or so. The wind blew all afternoon at about 25 mph; that took the edge off the heat, but left the boutonnieres wilted. Fortunately, the ladies had fashioned extra boutonnieres so the groomsmen wore new ones for the wedding. Michelle arrived at about 6:40 and we took a family picture, then had some private time in the dining room of the Draxton house where everyone affirmed David and we prayed for him. The Bergs did the same in another room.
During the wedding, our rendition of "Be Thou My Vision" surpassed the practices. Maren Jacobsen sang a song Callie had written - a surprise to her. We served communion from four stations - bride & groom, best man & matron of honor, both sets of parents. Quite a few guests canceled at the last minute, so the crowd may have shrunk to about 300. (ha!) Afterwards, Callie & David rode around in a horse-drawn carriage while the ushers brought the chairs to the barn and I put a couple more pictures from today on the slide show. While we all ate delicious apple or rhubarb pie, a live band played several numbers, the attendants proposed toasts, David & Callie sang "Lucky," and we played the PowerPoint slide show. Then the dancing began.
I haven't seen crowds like that on a dance floor for a wedding reception. Of course the Stadem crew was well-represented. The Norling cousins boogied out there. Many Berg and Augie connections cut a rug as well. Groups of guests danced more or less wildly until midnight, when the DJs finished (David & Callie left half an hour before). We helped clean up for an hour or so and fell into our comfortable motel beds at 1:45 am. They're married!
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