Sometimes, a wedding’s just a wedding

Marriage and the question of who may marry in this nation have dominated headlines for several years now, and that is likely to be the case for some time to come.

But sometimes it is refreshing, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, to enjoy something that is good and proper in its own solitary context, absent the social, political and legal noise.

I had the opportunity to do just that last week, as a guest at a bayouside church in Bourg, where for a precious 45 minutes I, along with all the other guests and observers, basked in the glow of pure goodness and light.

My attendance at the wedding of Mariah Jade Chauvin to Kurt Joseph Foret Jr. was respite from an outside world that is harsh, dark and cruel.

Mariah is the daughter of Kim and David Chauvin, who started out with a shrimp boat and now own several, along with three shrimp docks. The flagship of their fleet – the Mariah Jade – was named for their daughter just about when she was born. Kurt is manager of the family’s most recently acquired dock.

The groom’s family has roots in shrimping although his father’s occupation has involved a different kind of captaincy, that of a tugboat.

And so a common denominator for the two families joined Saturday evening is the water, again, making them like so many other families here in these parts.

The last wedding I actually attended was 30 years ago, when my sister married in New York.

Also in New York, I had been right in the mix of many weddings, as an altar boy. I knew nothing about the couples getting married. But, like all the other altar boys at St. Joan of Arc Church, I knew that there were tips involved. So I never missed serving at a wedding if I had the chance.

But this wedding, at Vision Christian Center, was different from any I had witnessed. Maybe because I am grown. Maybe because the experience was meant to grow me.

The procession of grandparents followed by parents, the escorting of bridesmaids by groomsmen, the walk of the parents to the altar where they couple commingled communion gifts all strengthened the gravity of this occasion, that this was not just the joining of two young people to each other but the bonding of two families, in the sight of their god. It was in that way reminiscent of the legendary nuptials at Cana, and a reminder that it all goes back that far.

And then there was the bride.

Pretty and petite in a dress from the Spanish House of Pronovias, so simple yet elegant, with a train that attendants scrambled to tend at various points, she walked with mom on one side and dad on the other, making the eyes of little girls in the seats alongside wide and big, as brides have done for millennia. The groom, tastefully clad in a suit of white, had been escorted by his proud parents as well, his face beaming with joy.

The groom was addressed by the pastor, Kim Voisin, who recalled when Kurt had first told him of Mariah. Kurt, the minister said, had followed his advice by seeking out the girl’s dad, doing whatever he requested, and in so doing also followed whatever God might have requested.

The pastor spoke of the significance, of the holiness and of the great importance, and stressed repeatedly how whatever the young couple might wish in this state of grace and of blessing would come to pass.

When it was over Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Foret Jr. made their joyful egress, bound for the celebration that followed with family and friends. Among the less-than-dry eyes in the church were my own.

When I was an altar boy and served all those weddings I had no idea of what the traditions and the trappings really meant. What I did notice was that there were always a few scattered people in the pews, seated way in the back, who obviously had nothing to do with the weddings but came to watch nonetheless. And now I think I understand.

If you get invited to a wedding anytime soon you really should go. If not, maybe you should drop into a church and watch one take place.

The good it can do, this experience has taught me, can be life-changing. Sometimes a wedding is just a wedding, and that in itself can be an extraordinary and awe-inspiring thing.