It was just the other week, I asked my good friend Sharon if she would like to attend an Amish wedding with me. “Since I went to the cemetery with you to see the Harvest moon, I’m thinking paradise might be an equally interesting place,” she said and accepted my invitation.
Where exactly is Paradise, you may wonder?
Well, some say, Paradise is a blissful place in the afterlife; others say, Paradise is a state of mind where peace, happiness and fulfillment live. For this column, Paradise is a small town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where some Amish people live, population 1,298.
And love, peace and happiness were recently found there in an Amish barn.
The Amish community in Lancaster County represents America’s oldest and largest Amish settlement in the tens of thousands.
Weddings are typically held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and take place at the bride’s family’s house.
On Nov. 20, Sharon and I attended this wedding.
The fields were most scenic and tranquil as we traveled to Paradise and the new bride’s family barn. Upon our arrival there we noticed the many black Amish buggies parked in a field that brought the guests to the wedding ceremony.
It seemed like a ‘heavenly’ experience; and the second floor of the huge barn was most inviting.
My friend Jake Allen and Sara Grace were being united in their wedding matrimony. My deceased wife Sheila was most fond and proud of young Jake when he worked at the Amish market in Hagerstown.
The ceremony was attended by the couple’s many friends, sharply attired and united in their support of the young couple.
Love, for certain, was there as Jake and Sara would soon begin their journey of happiness together.
The entire ceremony was mostly conducted in the German language.
Amish weddings consist of two elements: the church service and the ceremony. Once married, the Amish man will start to grow his beard, which stays for his whole life.
There is no dancing at an Amish wedding and no kiss at the altar.
The Amish people there were divided, with young and old men, neatly attired in their black suits and white shirts on one side of the barn, their rimmed black hats hanging neatly on the wall or under their bench seats.
On the other side of the large barn were the ladies dressed in their black and white attire with bonnets. Young children were present too.
It was a most organized and friendly event. Sharon and I were both honored to join over 400 Amish folk present.
The parents of the bride were most gracious hosts.
The bride and groom too were a beautiful couple for sure, and their love for one another was quite obvious.
As the wedding ceremony and vows were completed, the wedding party and guests were dismissed, and the workers immediately begin to combine the benches and form dining tables to serve a most delicious meal in honor of the young pair so in love.
It was an effort like no other ever seen at a wedding by me. The barn’s second floor now looked like an exquisite dining room. Soon the couple and first shift of guests were seated for the meal, and fine dining ware was placed on the tables.
The homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, slaw and creamed celery (celery sprouting in the garden is a sign of hope) awaited all attendees; desserts were also there. It was a community effort by diligent workers to provide a most ‘warm and satisfying’ celebration.
The meal was delicious! All family and friends were most courteous and kind.
Afterwards the many gifts were opened, and games played. An Amish wedding is likely to last all day with many activities including some singing and volleyball games.
Songs were a major part of the ‘gift opening’ and those voices were like an ‘angel choir’. Jake and Sara too met as part of a community choir and traveled to sing.
It was most interesting to see how the Amish community interacted and the beauty of the family unit’s contributions to celebrate this young couple’s special day.
As with all weddings, congratulatory remarks are offered to the new bride and groom; I would offer one from Dargan to Jake and Sara:
‘Life brings one many chapters; Yesterday is gone and we cannot change it; the Future lies ahead and we know not what awaits us; but today is called the ‘Present’, and it is a gift from God….
Go in ‘love’ and enjoy it!
Amish buggies parked at Jake and Sara’s wedding
