One of my warmest memories is of my cousin's wedding in a tiny rural church. It was hot, the hottest I've ever been.
We had arrived early to secure a seat, while the wedding party arrived fashionably late and the several hundred people crammed into the building were already sweating. The minister completed the full hour long service and it felt like he appreciated having the crowd in the facility. I can imagine his usual congregation was only a couple dozen souls. The building's fans were probably enough for a small morning service, but multiply the number of people and set it in the heat of the afternoon and it remains a marker by which my family measures high temperatures.
Even with their potential for the unexpected, I love rural weddings. Whether held inside or outside, it seems to me creativity shines much brighter in small town weddings than in the city.
While an urban bride may hire a wedding planner and host a lavish affair at a swanky restaurant or club, a rural couple can have a ceremony and reception almost anywhere.
When it comes to food, I don't think anyone can compare to a small town catering operation. I've enjoyed many banquets served buffet style in arenas, tents and former school gymnasiums. Homemade buns, Saskatchewan beef and mountains of salads and desserts show hospitality to the guests and leave people comfortable and content.
A bridal couple is just as beautiful with a backdrop of horses, blue skies, granaries and fields as with a stately cathedral and lofty architecture.
In the country it seems there are more friends and family members around to share the special day. A small town may not have as many air conditioned facilities, but it is a risk a couple takes to get married at a place they have called, or will call, home.
Attending a wedding in a small community can mean there is a shortage of accommodations and we've used our trailer to camp in small town rest areas for more nights while attending weddings across the province than we have for camping at lakes.
As families are joined through the love of a couple there are moments of beauty and laughter and it seems every community and family has their own set of traditions beyond a white gown and a toast to the couple.
A wedding is a time to share and celebrate the entire family and those traditions. A wedding brings people back home and brings people together, filling empty churches and warming hearts even in the summer's heat.
