On August 19th, Mitch, Erynne, and I piled into the car and headed south for central Illinois. Though they had been officially married at the Bottom Lounge less than a month prior, they were heading down to Erynne’s hometown of Decatur to have another mini wedding and family ceremony, elopement style, at her family’s secluded beach house on the edge of Lake Decatur.
That Saturday, after a short and sweet ceremony, they introduced me to the joys of Krekels (and its chicken car). We ate approximately five square home-cooked meals in the span of six hours. Mitch’s mother introduced me to rosé and I’m now a convert. Little cousins played games and learned how to fish; adults sang karaoke and laughed. I spent much time with their parents, which made me miss my own parents terribly. Multiple generations of their family celebrated together. They were both surrounded not only by loving families, but many, many examples of long, happy, successful marriages. It was an honor to be involved.
Enough Filipino food to feed a small nation, sudden yet brief heavy rainstorms, fire pits, and just about everything else that makes a Midwest summer spectacular.
Adventures with my couples rarely disappoint.
