Kaela, elegant as a city sunrise, said yes to Slade, our grandson, the country boy with dust on his boots and devotion in his heart. One day she came a knockin’ at his heart’s door and he knew she was the one.
A great love story met resistance before it reached the altar. A hometown country boy from Pagosa was not part of her city family’s plan. “My daughter will not be married in a barn, in some smelly, little, unheard-of, backwoods town.”
The day before the wedding, they allowed me to pray over them. Then God bent low and spoke His blessing into two hearts in love. He uttered words the stars themselves could only whisper, words no human ear could fully unravel. He placed His hand upon their hearts and lifted away the cruel and hurtful words that brought tears to youthful cheeks for six months. What had wounded them was healed. What had burdened them was made light. Peace came like a holy sunrise.
The celebration began, a gathering no one would ever forget. Family members flew in from New York and convened, staying at Pagosa’s finest. Friends came from Arizona, glad to escape the desert heat, and joined the wedding rehearsal and festivities at the restaurant, where the music of the mountains seemed to sing. California and Colorado families drove into our little mountain town to witness the joining of two lives into one.
A barn had been generously loaned for the night by a loving family, with tender hearts toward the Wylies. Their casita became a dressing room for the wedding party. And it was as though God’s unseen host of angels came alongside the Wylies. Broom in hand, they swept every trace of barnyard dust off the large woodchip floor. A working barn that housed live animals was transformed into a castle for a princess.
A few friends labored alongside until four o’clock Saturday evening, just one hour before the guests arrived, preparing a celebration only the Lord could have fashioned through loving hands. The barn became a Hallmark movie set. Kaela’s affection for old 78RPM vinyl records set the tone and even the walls echoed the love of framed vinyl hanging in glee. One hundred twenty black records, gathered from local antique stores, served as charger plates and place mats, giving every table a touch of vintage charm on gold floor-length tablecloths, mint green and beige fabric stretched across the long center with baby’s breath peeking out from greenery.
A photo room tucked among hay bales in one of the horse stalls turned into a whimsical corner, filled with antique hats, bolos, funny glasses and old suitcases for family portraits. Those posed and playful pictures will become Christmas cards and live on as treasures for years to come.
Flower baskets concealed water faucets. Even the lit portable toilet, complete with a flushing toilet, disappeared behind a black curtain. An old red pickup truck parked in a corner served as a background for camera shots.
Al Wylie strung lights across the ceiling and set up enough amps to carry the band through the night. Not a single detail was overlooked.
A local restaurant served a delightful meal. A wedding cake was scrumptious with chocolate fudge and white frosting. Even the hidden pigs and horses did not make a sound for fear of breaking the silence of love that had come to their home.
Six months earlier the bride-to-be had agreed to a barn wedding, though she had her own vision of grandeur. She wanted elegant formality — long dresses, suits and ties. I told her then that Pagosa Springs was a place of Wranglers, blue jeans, ponytails and unshaven faces. People might show up in denim and cowboy boots, though our local cowboys know how to clean up for a western barn dance wearing their best shirt. Still, she stood her ground, “Not for my wedding. I want formal.”
And formal it was. Al and I were provided with proper attire by our daughter, who brought suit coats, long dresses and everything we needed to try on in the privacy of our home. We selected that which suited the occasion beautifully. I told the family we better get some pictures. This family has never looked so good.
The local women wore long dresses, while the Arizona girls came in sweet short dresses with western boots ready to dance with their cowboys. Everyone added their own charm to the evening.
Then the moment came. The bride, radiant in a sleek, strapless wedding dress with a split skirt that revealed one long, tanned leg and white heels, walked down the carpeted runway on her father’s arm to greet the sparkle in our grandson’s eyes. They stood in front of an arched garden trellis framing Square Top Mountain in the background.
The vows were sincere, deep in grace and full of love. Bride and groom promised each other they would never again find themselves alone. I do not doubt for one moment that this union will stand the test of time. They were not merely married that day; they were sealed in devotion, held together by something stronger than sentiment, and more lasting than circumstance.
I sat on the edge of the dance floor in my walker seat, swaying gently to the music and watching the young people dance. The music moved through the barn and through my heart. My Sweet Al kept his promise. Our youngest daughter took her daddy onto the dance floor and danced with him.
The western band, the Pocket Aces from Arizona, played 45 minutes beyond their scheduled time. The guests refused to quit dancing. Every song brought more people to the dance floor.
Johnny Lee, the country singer who recorded “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places,” said, “You know how good a band is if the people are dancing.” The dance floor was never empty the whole night.
This band was clearly making its mark in the country music world, but that night they felt something even sweeter — the love of the people. They saw the care Al and Allison gave throughout the evening making sure their son and daughter-in-law had the wedding of a lifetime. Before the night ended, the bandleader announced that the Wylie family would always have a standing invitation and backstage passes to any and all of their concerts.
Final brushstroke: This is a union blessed by God. Love will sustain them. The Wylie family has embraced Kaela as their own, and she will always be loved. After all, heaven has set its seal upon their hearts.
Views expressed do not necessarily represent those of The SUN.
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