Coastal Wedding Blog – Reverend Penelope Morningstar

Sara and Chris were married at Ocean Isle Beach in one of the many family vacation weddings I do every year. Our beaches are perfect venues for having a wedding where the family always gets together at the ocean. But this was a very special family. Sara’s grandparents, Joe and Rose Sculli have been married for 65 years. Sara and Chris chose their wedding date, August 12, 2009 to coinside with Rose and Joe’s anniversary.
The bride’s dad (Joe and Rose’s son) walked his daughter down the sandy aisle where Chris was waiting. They said their vows and when they were finished, Sara and Chris walked over to Rose and Joe and brought them up to me to do their renewal of vows. Of course there was not a dry eye on the beach — I even teared up a little in the presence of such love and lifelong devotion. What a gift to have people in your life to inspire younger ones and how generous of Sara and Chris to share their day with their family in such a beautiful way.

We arrived at Ft. Fisher Rec. area in a driving rain for Connie and Brandon’s beach wedding. Talking on our cell phone’s we debated whether to wait it out of go back to their beach house. Then the miracle came, the rain suddenly stopped, we rushed onto the beach– a few sprinkles persisted and a few folks brought umbrellas. As the ceremony went off as planned, I reminded them in the ceremony, “just as this seashore, a place of beauty and serenity can know some tumultuous times, so in marriage, there can be some stormy days.” Everyone laughed in agreement and the ceremony ended with a breakthrough of the sun through the clouds and another happy couple.  How often what seems like a bad situation really works out for the best.