THE WEDDING

When mom and dad only have one daughter and an only child at that, the long awaited for wedding hasto be just right. Holly's grandmother was married at the then Kuba farm, so Holly's wish was to celebrate her wedding at the now Heinz farm as well. 2011 was the year of the wedding.  All summer was spent planning the outdoor fall wedding reception which meant lining up porta-potties, tents, catering, cheesecake, and decorating supplies. Recipes had to be found for making jellies for favors and last minute toppings for the cheesecake. Since the wedding was in Gatlinburg, we had to arrange lodging, travel and clothing for that weekend while being ready for the reception the following weekend at the farm.  All this while I was teaching and Ron was in the middle of harvest. We couldn't have pulled all of this off without the help of friends and family.  Brad's (the groom) family traveled to Gatlinburg the week before and arranged eating locations and camped at the farm a few days before the reception to help with everything from painting signs and hanging a tire swing for the kids to hooking up a generator and putting together an alternative heat source. Aunts and Uncles arrived with coolers of ice and helped with making lots of Sangria or arranging flowers, and some traveled from Texas. Friends made sure the wedding dress could be bustled, and siblings helped at the last minute with serving cheesecake.  Many stayed over in campers to help clean up making that chore a breeze. Warm dry weather for both weekends only added to the enjoyment of this happy occasion. All the labor was well worth the results and seeing a very happy couple finally tie the knot. It was so much fun that it was sad to see the campers roll out and the tent come down. Having the reception at the farm was a memorable event that we won't forget.