Gorgeous and I attended a redneck wedding this weekend.
Now before you get all scandalized about my using the term “redneck” you should know that’s how the bride and groom described it. In fact the bride actually came up to us at the reception and asked, “So, have you ever been to a redneck wedding before?”
In point of fact, we hadn’t.
The ceremony was held in an outdoor chapel. The bride word flip-flops. The reception was held at the home of the parents of the bride. There were two tents pitched in the front yard not too far from the bonfire. One of them had a sign that said, “Honeymoon Suite”.
The food at the reception included the requisite dinner mints, mixed nuts, and pulled pork bar-b-que. And to top it off the bride and groom arrived at the reception on a tractor.
Culture Everywhere You Go
Gorgeous observed that when some people complain that there that there is no culture in whatever city they’re in, as some are prone to do about Savannah, what they really mean is the established “fine arts” may be a little lacking.
In actuality there is culture everywhere you go.
Sure it may not be as refined as some are looking to find. Even so, there is still culture, a way people do things, just about anywhere there are people.
Our friends are wonderful people and we saw a culture that we’d only heard about, usually in mocking connotations before. It was a little foreign to us. But they are wonderful folks and we were honored to be invited to their wedding.
Big Temperature Drop
Unfortunately the temperature dropped about 25 degrees during the 4 hours we were at the wedding & reception. When things kicked off it was about 82 degrees and that’s the weather we were dressed for. By the time we got home that evening it was 57 degrees and windy.
I brought a little sinus crud back from Colorado but had nearly kicked it before I got my self thoroughly chilled at the reception.
The key word there is “nearly” because it all came back with a vengeance and by yesterday had developed into a full blown cold. It is bad enough that I cleared my calendar for two days and spent most of yesterday on the couch.
I am just starting to do a little better now with all the cold remedies I have on board.
Oh, and here’s a photo of the happy couple arriving at the reception.
Kudos for this post. Like it reiterates, we can miss different styles or flavors of culture if we aren’t open to an outcome beyond our expectation of what it may be.
Thanks for sharing!
Redneck = Rural poor. It’s hard to be sophisticated if you can’t get a decent education.
I applaud them. Our culture has allowed the wedding industry to give everyone the idea that you should spend $25,000 on a wedding, go into debt, and have the expectations that your day is going to be the perfect princess day. What a load!
Please. Two people want to get married. Let them throw a little celebration, get a white dress, and do the thing. And let me tell you, it doesn’t take money to do this in a traditionally “classy” way as well. Get a church and a minister in a robe. Light candles and use liturgy. Either way, don’t let them talk you into giving them all your money.
I would love to go to a wedding like that. I agree with real live preacher that weddings have gone crazy lately. I recently was looking into them and was absolutely blown away by their ridiculous costs. The Redneck Wedding might not have been cheap either, I guess, but at least it’s fun.
The cable station CMT has had a series running for several months called “My Big Redneck Wedding.”
One wedding party wore hunting camo-fatigues. The groomsmen wore orange vests and hats. The bridesmaids wore yellow vests, no hats, and boots. As a former bridesmaid subjected to wearing satin taffeta dresses in shades of pink that no female over the age of 4 should wear, and spending hours in high-heeled shoes, I deeply envied the clearly comfortable attire that these bridesmaids were wearing.
The best wedding I ever went to was held in a church basement. There was a honky-tonk band, and fried chicken, corn on the cob, and apple pie (in addition to wedding cake). The photos from the reception were fun to look at, and no one ever got stuck sitting alone in a corner.
Big weddings are highly over-rated, and rarely ever much fun.
And, by the way, I think that’s a GREAT picture of the happy couple.
I hate that term “Redneck” But in terms of the wedding and enviroment. Sounds like it would of been a blast!
Now I know what redneck wedding is but no matter what is the term used, the idea is great. Casual wedding reception is actually more exciting than having a reception in a hotel or big restaurant where guests can not be just themselves.
I might be a city boy but when I see something as important as a wedding being done in such an innovative way, it makes me wonder. And you know what ? I like this laid back style a lot more than a traditional catholic church wedding, with everybody so stiff and tense. Thumbs up for these guys!
Ha! I had a similar experience. My cousin had her wedding outside at night in May (in Rhode Island). After about an hour I was shivering. For the next 3 days I was in bed.
My wife were going to have a Halloween wedding (you know where this is going, bride wears black and red, groom wears tux of black and red ala Bella Lagosi, brides maids in black,etc.)
But her mom threw a fit so we decided on a outdoor wedding in the park.
The red neck wedding was great because they went through with it and probably had (look out,God forbid)FUN !
I (for one) congratulate them both !
Having FUN is a great way to start out their life together. Dave
LoL First I thought because of the topic you ware kidding but then reading this post you ware really sick at the end. Well hope you got better by now! I got sick too on my bday April 1st.
I would way rather catch a cold at a redneck wedding than catch my next spouse.
It’s amazing what someone can come up with when they just want to be a little creative and not let other people tell them what they can or cannot do.
Bill
I might be a city boy but when I see something as important as a wedding being done in such an innovative way, it makes me wonder. And you know what ? I like this laid back style a lot more than a traditional catholic church wedding, with everybody so stiff and tense. Thumbs up for these guys
If must have been really fun to have a wedding like that outdoors, and on a tractor, haha! That really does look like fun.
I realy like the idea of a wedding like yours and I want one myself. I was just trying to figure on the cost of everything for the wedding. It sounds like it was real fun and I cant wait till I have my own like yours.
marriage use to be fine for me, now since being in a long term relationship, it scares me to hell, all the hard road and demand you have to meet, its just a death trap for men.
Now I know what redneck wedding is but no matter what is the term used, the idea is great. Casual wedding reception is actually more exciting than having a reception in a hotel or big restaurant where guests can not be just themselves.
Oh that is just too much, riding on the tractor with the bride ! Pretty cool when you think about it, and they do look very happy.. congrats to them
It sounds great to me!! I recently met the love of my life and he farms as a hobby beyond his work at a biodiesel lab. So we kind of want a fun wedding like this on his property.
As long as everyone had a good time, more power to them! The tractor arrival is a nice touch.
Nice post…I have learned what is Redneck wedding is? It is something quite casual to our culture….Wedding is always remembered by everyone because it is the great start to lead a life…It is made of fun with full crowd..Thanks for sharing!!!
Anyway, a blessing couple we see! It sounds creative on Redneck wedding, yet how many people will adopt this pattern?
Hats off to the creative couple!!! Sounds like this was an awesome fun filled wedding. Many years ago I officianted a Halloween wedding where the bride and groom were dressed as scare crows and the wedding was televised. It’s time people start having fun on their wedding day by thinking out of the box. Let your creativity flourish!