Aunt Arlene’s Hawaii Wedding

My aunt has been married four times. Yep, four. However, she’s not nearly as flighty or fickle as that makes her sound. Her first wedding, to her high school boyfriend, was followed by a modest reception with cake in the church basement. That marriage ended in a (scandalous for the time) divorce after 19 years and two children. The second wedding, to the man who helped prompt the divorce, was, understandably, a quiet civil ceremony. After husband number two passed away, Aunt Arlene’s third marriage was to a formerly confirmed bachelor, who reveled in their new found couple-hood. They joyfully chose to celebrate big, inviting both families to a destination Hawaii wedding. Their joy continued throughout the marriage, sorrowfully cut short after 14 years when Donald passed away. By the time of her fourth wedding, at age 73, Aunt Arlene chose to remain closer to home, hosting a reception in her favorite local restaurant.

Guess which of her weddings is the most memorable to the rest of us? (No, not the cold tiles in the drafty church basement. Though, since I wasn’t born yet, I guess I shouldn’t judge.) Naturally, it was the fabulous time we all had at Aunt Arlene’s Oahu wedding. I don’t even need the photographs to bring to mind the happy smiles she and Donald shared all evening. And the rest of us! I’d say we were in hog heaven, except that it wasn’t so heavenly for the hog, since he was the centerpiece of the luau dinner at the reception. Nonetheless, we basked in the tropical breezes, enjoyed the soft sand under our bare feet, and made further plans according to our own preferences on the days following the wedding.

For many of Aunt Arlene’s relatives, the occasion pushed us to take a trip we’d always promised ourselves we would do "someday." Well, her tropical wedding became that day! It was particularly good for my parents, who rarely flew and had certainly never taken an airplane over an ocean prior to that. The trip was such an incredibly good time that it prompted Mom and Dad to consider more exotic vacations until now they’ve become inveterate international travelers.

The only difference I would advise to brides is this: don’t wait until wedding number three!