One Bride, Four Bridesmaids, One Marcus

Ya know what I don’t get about weddings? The whole wedding party thing.

I think everyone understands the notion of having your closest friends/relatives standing by your side when you get hitched. No brainer there.

But why is it divided by sexes? Like, traditionally, I (as the groom) am expected to pick a handful of my best friends to be by my side. Thing is, the typical idea of groomsmen limits those to, well, men.

What if my best man was (gasp!) a woman? If I hadn’t married Marvelyne, she’d have been one of the people who’d have been standing up with me-as a groomswoman. Groomsperson? Groomsgirl?

This weekend, I was honored to be in the wedding of my friends, Leah and Jamie, which took place in Kansas City, MO. And dig this…I was a bridesman. Or a bridesguy. Or a bridesdude. Whatever. I stood up with Leah.

Back in the summer of ’96, Leah and I were both freshmen to the Camp Mo-Val staff. That summer changed my life. And I know it was important to Leah, too. We became great friends and kept up that friendship for the last dozen years.

Back in college and wondering what might happen when I got hitched, I always had this dilemma. Some of my best friends were girls. Leah, Hilary, Kista…how could I get married and NOT have them standing with me?

Well, nevermind all that because when my own wedding day finally came, Leah stood up with me…but not as a groomsgal, as one of the officiants. Since our days of playing Giants, Elves and Wizards with kiddo campers, Leah had graduated from seminary and was officially “Pastor Leah.” And when she performed our ceremony, it was personal, meaningful and, above all other things…funny! I swear, our wedding is probably the only one in history where the minister used the phrase “crazy, granola-eating, tree hugging liberal” in the middle of the ceremony! Gotta love the non-traditionalist in Leah!

So, when Pastor Leah asked me to stand up in her wedding, I knew it wouldn’t be traditional…and I love that about Leah! So, me, a bride and four matrons and maidens of honor…gotta love the break in the traditional roles!

Oh, and lest you think this was TOO non-traditional…no, I did NOT wear a dress and hose!

Congrats, Leah and Jamie, and here’s to many, MANY happy years together!