by Annemarie Salisbury
Schmidt-Salisbury Wedding
Saturday, April 8, 2000 dawned not too bright and not too clear with a forecast for scattered thunderstorms in the area. Annemarie still had to go finish decorating a wedding cake that morning and Steve was at the ceremony site making sure all was going according to plan. The decision was made to have the wedding outdoors, as planned. It was a beautiful garden, lovingly decorated and set up by friends in the area. Unfortunately, Annemarie did not get to see much of it! She arrived by Cherry Van (her personal limo service), but had to wait at least 10 minutes, because of the many people who were still arriving! (250 guests were expected.)
At last the moment came. Grandmother Salisbury was seated by her grandson, Paul Salisbury; Emily Salisbury was seated by her son, Steve; and Elfriede Schmidt was seated by her son Reinhard. Both mothers then rose to light the 2 candles under glass lanterns, which proved to be a challenge because of the wind. Reinhard & Abbie Schmidt headed the procession down the aisle to lute music. Then came Jennifer Gesch Huseland as matron of honor with Paul Salisbury as best man. Following them was David Salisbury, nephew of the groom, posing as ring bearer. After a slight interlude, during which the aisle runner was rolled down and pegged into place by the ushers, Alexia Salisbury, niece of the groom and twin sister of the ring bearer, proceeded to toss dried rose petals on the path. As Annemarie's father came to get her, he helped carry her train across the lawn, and then walked her down the aisle to meet her beloved to the beautiful brass of Jeremiah Clarke's "Trumpet Voluntary".
The ceremony included a charge to the witnesses in the congregation to do all in their power to help Annemarie and Steve fulfill their vows. There was a reading taken from Song of Solomon, read by Butch & Marcia Phaneuf, former youth leaders of the couple. Dean Casey and Leah Christie both sang beautiful songs for the couple, the last as a benediction. And Willie Gesch, as presiding minister, did a wonderful job during his first wedding. There was a charge to the couple and a homily of a Three-Strand Cord. The cord, in this case, consists of a Steve cord, an Annemarie cord, and a Jesus Christ cord. A cordless lapel mike also proved to be a blessing, because Annemarie's voice, during the vows, was choked up so much that she thought she wouldn't be able to speak! As Steve and Annemarie regressed down the aisle, rain began to fall in bigger drops. They entered the van and heaven let loose. Everyone began running to save the food, cake, and punch out on the tables. The reception was very quickly transferred to the church's fellowship hall a few miles down the road. Everyone keeps saying that rain on a wedding day is a good thing. We truly had showers of blessing!
The bride's dress was a candlelight peau de soie, barely off the shoulders, with a chapel train behind. The dress was simple, devoid of lace or ruffles, with a few fabric roses to add elegance. She wore opera length gloves, a double strand of pearls around her neck, and a satin-edged veil. She, along with the bridesmaids and flower girl, was barefoot with toenails painted to match the blue dresses! She carried a bouquet of gardenias, blush spray roses, white freesia, and rosemary for fidelity.
The bridesmaids had long periwinkle blue dresses with rhinestone straps. They carried bouquets of blush spray roses, lavender daisies, and dark blue delphiniums.
The groom and groomsmen wore Eclipse tuxedos, which have no lapel, and are narrowly double-breasted. Their shirts had banded collars and they wore a black button cover surrounded with rhinestones as their only added decoration. They were not, to the groom's chagrin, allowed to go barefoot! Their boutonniere's matched either the bride's or the bridesmaid's bouquets.
The bride's mother wore a long beaded burgundy dress and had a wrist corsage of a cymbidium orchid with dark pink waxflowers. Her husband was handsome in a dark suit with bowtie and a bouttoniere of a sweetheart rose with dark pink waxflowers.
The groom's mother wore a long beaded royal blue dress and had a wrist corsage of a cymbidium orchid with dark blue delphiniums. Her husband wore a dark suit with bowtie and had a boutonniere of a sweetheart rose with dark blue delphiniums.
The couple spent their honeymoon at a lake house on Lake Marion in Manning, SC. The newlyweds will be located at Waxhaw, NC where the bride will enjoy being a housewife. The bridegroom is continuing in his work as a vending machine repair technician at Southeastern Vending Services in Charlotte, NC.
Many friends and relatives came from Germany, Canada, Peru, Bolivia and many parts of the U.S. including California, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Everyone who came was a special guest and we were privileged to have everyone there.
Thank you to all.