Sunrise, Sunset

Last Friday, Tamar and Marcus were married
The ceremony was very similar but not exactly like a normal wedding in the States. The pre-ceremony reception, wedding ceremony, and post-ceremony reception and activities all take place at the same location. That made transportation easy! After the processional, the bride and groom each sit with their families on the front row to receive the message/challenge from the pastor. After the message and a couple songs, the bride and groom rise and stand with their families under the khupa. There, they exchange vows and rings, and the groom stomps on (and hopefully breaks!) the cup. Marcus did a great job.

Almost, but not quite, my favorite part was the incredible bread, salad, meat, and dessert meal that followed. Isn't the food the reason most people go to weddings anyway?! The reception had the usual toast from the best man and the maid of honor, but this one was almost a program with the jokes, videos, and presentations that the bride and groom laughed through. The most fun was the accordion player who was the father of Tamar's brother-in-law. The was funny and played very well, but Tamar had been warned, "Don't ask for a few songs because you will get a whole string of songs, and when his wife gets tired of hearing him play, she'll start dancing." That is exactly what happened! The accordion wasn't the only music however, and the dj put on his music and let everyone in some traditional Jewish dances.

Now, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson are getting ready to move back to the States. They leave tomorrow just a few hours after I leave. Too bad we don't have the same flight, especially since they will be living just a few hours away!