A Toast to Lauren & George

Photos by Tom Smarch of A Wedding Tale where noted.

As you likely saw awhile back, my sister Lauren and her lovely George were engaged to be married, and the big day finally has come and gone. The week at home was really wonderful, but man, was it a whirlwind of activity!

George is from Czech Republic, and his parents, brother and sister-in-law were in town to celebrate the wedding with us, and it was such a joy to meet and get to know them. I know now very clearly where George gets his good looks, kind heart, gentle nature and sharp sense of humor. I also more fully understand what people mean when they say that a wedding is a merging of families, not just two people. We are fortunate to be a part of this union.

It was an emotional whirlwind - we met the family, prepared the details, put together the floral bouquets (which is quite a feat, but clearly feasible with some patience and creativity!), bought the party supplies, set up the venue and got ready for the big day. Friday, September 11th was the date for the wedding, and it was incredibly fun, hectic and beautiful.

The weather held out and we were able to have the ceremony outside on the green grass of the golf course, and the blue sky was revealed right before we descended onto the lawn. I was strong and not emotional until the very last moment - when I walked down the aisle ahead of the flower girls and my sister, on the arm of my Dad, it was at that moment that the emotions hit me. I began to shake, and tears welled up in my eyes.

As I watched my sister, younger than I by three years, walk down the aisle looking radiant, happy, gorgeous and smiling, I could hardly keep it together. It was as if there was no one else there, just her, as she walked our way. Time had stood still. Thank goodness Jill had the forethought to give me a monogrammed hanky before I left town - I needed it more than ever. Gripping my lime green roses with one hand, I dabbed at the tears that tried to fight their way down my face, and snuck a glance at George. His grin was genuine, heartfelt and huge - which was all it took to send me into a happy cry.

The wedding ceremony was lovely, special and intimate. The party afterwards, held in the gorgeous ballroom that was graced with all of Lauren's special and thoughtful touches, was part fun and part a blur. You know that feeling when you are in a moment, but can't seem to slow it down enough to really notice all of the detail? That was how I felt. My Mom and I wish we could go back and rewind it all and attend as a guest - just to take part in it all again.

My toast was sincere, and I managed not to sob as I delivered it. I believe it states concisely (yet not fully) how it feels to watch your sister marry the man of her dreams - it is not enough to say that you love her. She is part of who I am, and I am happily, willingly, letting go enough to watch her walk into her new life with George. I am fuller now, with him in our family, and know that lifelong happiness is headed our way.

I reprint the toast here, to share it with my family again for posterity, but also to try to capture in writing how I felt at that moment. For those of you that don't know us personally, George is a very tall man and fits in nicely with my tall family - anchoring us if you will. You'll get more out of the below you if you know that up front.

I am so honored, proud and in love with my sister, and couldn't be happier to have been a part of the day celebrating her love with George.

Congratulations to you both! I love you so much.

--

I am pretty sure they call you the Maid of Honor to make you feel better about having to get up here and spill your guts to a large crowd of people. No, really, it IS an honor to be a part of this day celebrating Lauren and George.

Having a sister is a strange thing – and by the time I started to figure out how lucky I was to have one, I had moved away.

First to college, leaving her to take over my bedroom and drive my car (both of which kind of irked me at the time). Then, to an apartment downtown, while she was still in Athens living life and growing up. And finally, I moved 1,000 miles away to Chicago, and we became closer than ever.

Life is funny that way.

But for most of our lives, Lauren and I struggled to cherish how incredibly fortunate we were to have a built-in, God-given friend living under the same roof.

We fought, likely over who got to be in charge, bad 80s clothes, use of the phone, and mirror time curling our bangs and spraying them into something unrecognizable. It felt like we were either too far apart in age to have anything in common, or too close to want to admit it. We were clumsy as sisters, and I’m talking about more than just that time that I accidentally ran over her with the riding lawnmower.

Come on, the blade was turned off…

But then, it all changed. When I was in college and Lauren was in high school, she met a lot of the people who are here today, and I remember looking at her differently. She was not following my footsteps, she was forging her own. Then she joined me at Georgia and continued to grow up. (Not just taller). I liked her not only as a sister, but also as a person. Which was a far cry from trying to kick her out of the car on the way to high school for being grouchy in the morning.

Sorry ‘bout that one, kiddo.

It wasn’t really until I moved to Chicago, and found myself missing her point of view, or her stories, or her wide-mouthed belly laugh, that I realized that Lauren was my friend. As she got a new job, I filled with pride as I knew how impressed her bosses would be. When she bought a new condo, I was anxious to see how she’d decorated it (in under 2.5 hours flat). When she met a new guy, however …that was harder.

As the parents or older siblings in the room can attest – there is this instant feeling of panic. Not that she’d make the wrong decision, or do something stupid – more that she’d get lost in the moment and get hurt. I wanted to protect her, to teach her, to help her avoid the heartbreak that comes with dating. And it wasn’t like I’d had it down to a science. But Lauren, true to her personality, grew smarter and savvier, and pretty soon had it all figured out.

I’m still waiting for her to teach me….

When she met George, she talked about him in a way that suggested that she’d found a mate. Not just someone with whom she could see eye to eye (well, almost!), but also someone that could challenge, balance, teach and love her. Someone who could protect, advise, laugh with, and adventure with her.

Apparently, it was true.

I’ve always been inextricably linked to Lauren. I now realize that I was never fully me without her. And now I’m willingly letting go, just a little bit, to share her with George. I figure it’s a win-win. We needed another man around the house, and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a brother. Given the amount of legroom the five of us take up, though, it should be interesting just trying to GO ANYWHERE in the car together.

George, I couldn’t be happier to welcome you to the family, and know that you and I will become the best of friends – as well as family. You are a kind soul with a heart of gold and I know you will take care of my sister always. You probably won’t run her over with a lawnmower, either.

Lauren, I have never been more proud of you than I am today, and I have never been more certain about something than I am about you and George choosing each other. I have never been more thrilled to be included, and I have never been more honored to offer up this toast, to my beautiful sister, my friend.

I’m so lucky to have you in my life, and I know George feels the same way.

So let’s raise a glass to Lauren and George:

I wish you both a lifetime of lasting love, belly laughs, good health, smart kids...

and…extra legroom.

Na zdraví!
(Cheers in Czech)