"All You Need Is Love"

Weddings! All you need is Love!

 The other night I had a weird dream about attending a wedding. When I woke, I started thinking about the weddings I have attended in my life. I was not sure if I could remember them all. I know the list is long and I decided to al least get a record of the ones I have pictures from. Sometimes I was just an onlooker, and there were times I was lucky to be part of the wedding party. In actuality, I always participate in the wedding party! Here are some wedding photos from my archive.

Family

I did not attend this wedding. It was November 24 in 1946, my mom Stella united with my dad Harold at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Middlebury Vermont. Although I was not there in body, you could say my whole future depended upon this moment.

My oldest sister Patsy got married out West and none of the family attended. Pat and Brent ended up moving to Hawaii where my niece Lori was born. Tom married Robin, but it was a very small gathering. Just after I graduated from college, my oldest brother John married Pepe. I know it was in June, but I don't remember if it was 1979 or 1980. It was a small wedding (see photo) held in Bristol with the reception in Middlebury at Mister Ups. That is me right behind John, I was one of the Ushers and not the minister. For only $50, I got to wear that green tuxedo for almost 48 hours. A record for me.

I went to Jacksonville Beach with brother Tom and his son Brandon to see my niece Lori marry James. Lori is the daughter of sister Pat, born in Hawaii, and that is why her dress had such a Island look. The date was February 29, 2004, a leap day.

I attended the wedding of my nephew Jared to Sarah. The wedding was in Bristol on September 30, 2006 with a reception at Sarah's parents, Steve and Beth, home in Middlebury. My brother John (on the left) was the father of the groom. Tom (in white) and I were the drunk Uncles. That is Jared's older brother Israel (aka Izzy) on the left with Jared on the right. Some alcohol was consumed at this reception, but not at the wedding. Well, I know I did not drink at the wedding.

Here is Jared and Sarah arriving at the reception, held in the front yard of Sarah's parents Steve and Beth. The DJ was Charlie, who use to be in a band called Downpour. That can be another post...Downpour.

Lori and James have decided to renew their vows each leap year, on the Leap day. I missed the 2008 event but did attend the 2012 and 2016.

2012 was held at the Bahama Breeze Island Grille in Orlando. I just think they like eating wedding cake. It was a great time and brother Tom was also there.

In 2016, the renewal occurred at the Rock & Brews in Oviedo. James and Lori performed some Karaoke. I did not rock, but I did have a few brews.

I did participate in my own wedding to Nancy. It was held on October 20, 1984 in Panama City Florida. My best man was Rick, a good friend and co-worker at ENSCO. Apparently, I wore a cummerbund.

This is Nancy and me after the ceremony with our flower girl Kimberly. After the wedding, we flew in a very small plane to New Orleans for our honeymoon.

My brother John's other son Israel got married to Kayla in June of 2016 in Vermont. I was suppose to be just one of the drunk uncles, but I spent the week at the Old Lantern Bed & Breakfast, chronicling with my camera all the events which included an ad-hoc pub crawl in Burlington. The wedding was held at the Old Lantern Barn in Ferrisburgh, owned by Roland and Lisa.

The Reception went on for a while and as in most weddings, families gather. This was probably the last time I was with my two brothers and all four of my nephews. This picture is Josh and Brandon, sons to brother Tom (in pink), and my brother John, father to the Groom Izzy and Best Man Jared. A beautiful June day in Vermont.

Cousins

In June of 1975 I went to the wedding of my cousin Pam in Massachusetts. That is Pam with our Aunt Peggy, her dad Ken (my uncle) and her mom Ellie (my Aunt). That is her sister Paula (my cousin) on the left. This a scan of my parent's photograph.

My dad's cousin Ruth has a daughter Alison who got married in the Daytona Beach area in 1986. That is Si escorting his daughter at the outdoor wedding.

At Alison's wedding, I was there with my Mom Stella. I am sure Dad took this picture.

My cousin Jim married Janis back in the day here in Melbourne. I know I attended but was too "pissed" to take any pictures. I did do hand shadows of Richard Nixon. Jim's oldest son Jason got married on Cocoa Beach here in Florida earlier this year, 2024.

Interestingly, Jim performed the ceremony for Jason and Ashley. I recently shared the pictures in a BLOG post. Again, I participated as the drunk Uncle.

Friends

I was a groomsman at a wedding on Long Island in July of 1983. A co-worker, Igor, was marrying his fiancé Ann-Marie. I had ridden up with Igor early, and other co-workers drove up for the weekend  wedding. In the photo is my future best man Rick, my future wife Nancy, Peter, me and Philine, girlfriend of my Florida roommate Ron, who took this photo. I rode back with this group from Port Jefferson to Melbourne. Left on Sunday to make work on Monday. My boss John sent me home because I looked too tired to work.

This is Igor and Ann Marie after the ceremony, watching me put a garter on a 14 year old on Long Island. New York weddings!

I was a groomsman in Rick's wedding in July of 1985. His best man was Al and that is his brother on the right. Wedding was held in Satellite Beach.

At least I got to look good in that suit with a pretty bridesmaid on my arm.

I attended the wedding of co-worker Eileen, who I had hired at ENSCO to do math. I knew her because she got her Masters in Applied Math from Florida Institute of Technology at the same time as me. She married John in September of 2000. Reception was at the Eau Gallie Yacht Club.

In July of 2008, I made it to Vermont for the wedding of my "niece" Lindsay to Tanner. She was telling people I was her rich Uncle from Florida. I took lots of pictures at that wedding and this was one of the best ones. I still see Lindsay and her Mom Karen. Tanner and Lindsay have three beautiful children.

In a previous photo, the Best man at my Beat Man's wedding was Al, who also happened to be my boss and great friend. We did lots of sports together and even shared a room on the Galapagos Expedition. Al and his wife Patty had three kids, and the next photo is the wedding of his daughter Arielle to Greg. It was in December of 2008, held at the Melbourne Hilton on the Beach.

Interesting note is that my mom was Arielle's babysitter during her early years.

Two of my ENSCO co-workers got married on a golf resort in Central Florida on Saint Valentines Day in 2014. Jeff and Elaine still live in the local area.

Another child of Al and Patty, Caitlin married Justin in December of 2017. It was another Central Florida wedding on a golf resort.

It may be my memory, but I do not remember going to any weddings before I turned 18. Maybe I went and have forgot, or people just didn't invite kids to weddings back in the 1960-70s. Regardless, I appreciate all the times I have gone and enjoyed the love shared at weddings. It is at the receptions where the fights start...

About Title

"All You Need Is Love" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in July 1967, with "Baby, You're a Rich Man" as its B-side. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single topped sales charts in Britain, the United States and many other countries, and became an anthem for the counterculture's embrace of flower power philosophy. "All You Need Is Love", and its B-side, "Baby, You're a Rich Man", were later included on the US Magical Mystery Tour album and served as the two morals for the Beatles' 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine.