The Royce Files

Enter the worship circle By far this had to be the best put together wedding of all time. Quite a production. Maybe if we had a trough of water that was miraclously turned into wine then.....nah. Thanks Mark and Anna! Will there be a sequel? Yes! 10 years later. But that is a blog post for another time. Not many weddings have matched this one for shear uproar. But every wedding is different in its own way.

Dancing brothers The dancing was pretty popular. Most of my Christian friends were enjoying themselves since the anti-dance squad stayed away from this reception. Hurray! Mark's DJ friends then finished off the night by spinning the hits. None of which I knew although P.O.D. was familar. The crowds began to dwindle after 10pm but the music kept going until after 11pm. Only the most dedicated and sleep depraved stayed. Anna and Mark escaped to the solitude of someplace and I just kept joking around with a multitude of people.

Uproar of Swinging Music After the worship band finished, Andrea Rooney presented a special dance to the song "We Are One." Then Mark and Anna took the spotlight and had the first dance. Mark was a wildman on the dance floor with dips and twirls. I wonder how Anna felt? It just happened that the real spotlight was bleeding unto me. Perhaps the video will show my antics being spotlighted. Faux Pas and MTI took the stage thereafter and entertained the crowd with bluesy swinging music. Quite a few people enjoyed a dance or two. Although some may consider me a dancer, I chose to sit out this one. Fact: I was at the Valentine Swing Dance in 1998 and I did dance! [There was quite a real uproar concerning the music being played that evening since the venue for the event was a church building. The pastor was unhappy with some of the musical choices from the above referenced bands...

An uproar of worship Following the stories, (most were about Mark's unusual habits), a video narrated by Mark and Anna was presented that expressed their gratitude to the individuals in the wedding party and their parents. Well done! Jeremy Erickson and a band then took the stage for a time of singing and worship. This group was amazing. I enjoyed the professionalism and the fullness of sound they exhibited. If they only had a bit of continuity to the songs they would have been phenomenal. [To the left of the fellow with the big guitar is Jeremy Erickson who passed from this life to eternity on 06/10/2012 . This large worship band reminds me of one I was in this weekend for Cindy and Matt's wedding.]

Guys at Uproar After the church cleared out I began a sojourn to the Hosanna Worship Center, about a mile away, for the reception that was entitled UPROAR. I struggled to bring my unwrapped wedding gifts into the large auditorium. It looked like the academy awards! There was a stage that was totally decked out with lights plus there had to be seating for nearly 500. I don't know why I didn't eat much, but Coco's catering spread was right on. I should have had seconds. After I had my fill people began to tell stories about Mark and Anna. [ Added bonus celebrity sighting: 2 members of Children 18:3 , Seth and David, appear in the adjacent photo- they were at the Uproar celebration reception but did not play. The guy in the white shirt was once part of an earlier incarnation of the band]

 Oleary, usher.  Once Neil finished I bolted out of the church since I noticed my car headlights were on. I totally missed Jeremy's 1st song because I was running around the building getting my coat and then my keys. Bernie Wing addressed the couple and the audience with a poignant sermon on marriage and the bride of Christ. Unfortunately I did not take notes. Things went well until the saying of the vows. Some microphone problems arose then Mark decided to start his vows over again. I thought we memorize those. Then the ring part came. The ceremony ended after a time of prayer for Anna and Mark. The newlyweds then greeted their guests while I hid on the sides and spoke with Aaron O'Leary.

Mark and Anna greet more guests A large crowd was on hand to witness the event. The whole sanctuary was nearly filled with guests from near and far. I sat patiently and silently waiting for the ceremony to begin. I glanced over the program which listed the whole wedding entourage. A few friends of mine were involved. David George was a sound technician. Shortly after 4pm the ceremony began. A small chamber ensemble including strings played a song from Copland's Appalachian Spring. Carefully avoiding the pillar at the rear of the sanctuary, the bridesmaids, groomsmen et al, strolled to the front of the sanctuary. I forgot the next few minutes until Neil Thielke spoke a word of encouragement over Mark and Anna.

It has been a busy wedding season for myself and my MFS (Mostly Finnish Spouse)- we have 3 down and 1 more to go. In honor of the wedding season, I am re-posting the much sought out wedding posts of the The Anna and Mark's Wedding Revue from 2001. They have floated around the far reachs of the nets for a while since the orginal site was lost- RIP Geocities and Xoom.  Mark & Anna greet guests  January 13, 2001- Mark Haugen married Anna Oglesby in an illustrious ceremony in Morris, MN at Faith Lutheran Church. The ceremony was presided over by Bernie Wing and Neil Thielke with music by Julie Goos and Jeremy Erickson. At 3:30pm I started for the church, stopping only at Benson drug to buy a card and other stuff. I arrived at Faith Lutheran at 3:50 and was greeted by Anna's younger brothers. Being modest and a bit on the elusive side, I decided to sit at the rear of the sanctuary in the overflow seating.