Image by epSos.de via Flickr

I recently attended the wedding of my oldest son and his new bride. It was the loveliest wedding I have ever attended. It was also the most unique wedding and definitely not your usual fairytale wedding. No, it was much more than that.

The lovely bride had her 4 sisters in attendance; three of them have Down’s Syndrome. The groom had 4 attendants, including 3 brothers of the bride, who also have Down’s Syndrome. The ringbearers were nephews of the groom, a redhead and a blonde. The little blonde boy was pushed in his wheelchair by his older redheaded brother. The flower girls were nieces of the groom. The sisters tossed flower petals as they made their way up the aisle, one on foot, the other in her wheelchair, being pushed by her sister.

The pastor at the front of the sanctuary wore a smile on his face as tears glistened in his eyes. Guests in the pews dabbed tissues at their eyes. 

In a society and generation such as ours is now, so concerned with outward appearances, this wedding defied all of that. I know some people would have chosen other attendants who would make for “prettier” wedding portraits. Having seen the portraits from this wedding, I can tell you that I have never seen “prettier”. 

For these special attendants it was the chance of a lifetime, something they would never have had the opportunity to do without the open, generous spirits of this young couple who invited them to be a central part of their wedding day.  

If I sound like a proud Mother/Mother in law, that’s because I am. I’m proud that my son and daughter in law have compassionate hearts. By including these individuals, Scott and Sonya’s big day became so much more than that. Everyone in that building was touched by what they saw and lasting impressions were made, for guests and attendants alike.

It was the most beautiful fairytale wedding you could ever imagine.