The Wedding of Elizabeth Randall O’Shaughnessy and Joseph John Friel

Wow, my brothers first words to my mother and I at the reception were amazement of the sacrament. Everything that had led up to the wedding, the decisions about flowers, dresses, hairdos, his uniform, the wedding parties, all the excess, and he was astonished at the sheer sacrament of joining together with Beth for their life in the future. They are currently in Ireland for their honeymoon (I plotted the places and gave suggestion of things to do!) and will be back in Illinois on Wednesday. The wedding was beautiful and exciting for all involved. It was the first for either side and I am so glad the Reilly’s made it all the way out to share with my family and my aunt. The O’s are wonderful hosts who shared so willingly with all of us Friels and basically anyone who came along. The best hosts I’ve seen in a long time I believe (next to my friend Sam and her parents)

It was interesting finding my place in the middle of the hectic goings on. I was there as the only young girl on the groom’s side and not a member of the wedding party. I was the reader and really enjoyed that, but I needed to be different from the other girls. Beth expressed remorse at not having me in her bridal party. The last thing I wanted a year ago was get swept up into this world of wedding craziness. I loved being able to participate in the “four day festival of the wedding” but I doubt I would have survived a year of it. I don’t think we would have become such good friends in the course of the “festival” either if we had it lingering that as the grooms little sister I was in the party. I am better at identifying where I need to be in situations like this though, so definitely a learning experience.

It reaffirmed my desire to get married in Las Vegas or some other justice of the peace related place. If I ever post a date, place and time and tell my friends to be there, I certainly hope they realize it will be my wedding. I can’t justify spending that much time on one day of my life. I still miss my sister who is on her way back, already she is in Thailand. I hope for nothing but the best on her return journey across the seas to San Diego.