The Best Thing I Ever Did

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Doug and I were married on New Year’s Eve in the afternoon in 1975. It was a small wedding.  In fact, compared to our children’s weddings, it was tiny with about sixty people in attendance. Doug’s dad did the officiating and his brother Evan was the best man. I had two bridesmaids, my sister Marla and my good friend Roseann.

It was the seventies (which explains a lot). We had a traditional wedding with a few exceptions: no veil, no train, no registry, no decorations to speak of. (No Mark LaMoreaux pictures…now that was the only big mistake.) My mom made my dress and the bridesmaid dresses; I made Doug’s wedding shirt, complete with embroidery; I wore knee-high boots under my dress and my going-away “outfit” involved (I think) a plaid flannel shirt and cords. We had banana bread at the reception (among other things, but no wedding cake), and I believe we opened gifts at the reception.During the service we both addressed the assembled congregation, speaking about our duties as husband and wife, and we “opened it up for sharing” as well. So a few people stood and exhorted us with Bible passages and good wishes.

It was a cold and snowy day, and when my family left for the wedding from my house, we left my older brother behind. In all the hubbub, we totally forgot him. When he realized we were gone, he took off on foot, and had to do some second guessing to figure out where the wedding was. But he made it in the door just as my mom was ready to be seated, so he walked her down the (very short) aisle!

Mom and I had ordered the bouquets and the corsages ahead of time, of course, but when we opened the box with my bouquet, it was a vast arrangement of white roses and ferns and babies breath, something you might see at a funeral. So we tore it apart and made a quick little bouquet that worked just fine. As you can see, I popped a couple of daisies in my hair.

Our parents were so sweet to just go with the flow on all our ideas for the wedding. They never flinched in my sight. I had only been to one other (explicitly) Christian wedding since my conversion, and it was in a barn. We sat on hay bales. So, from my perspective, our wedding was pretty formal.

I still find it amazing that Doug ever proposed to me. What a crazy thing! Marrying Douglas was by far the best thing that ever happened to me, and I (and our whole tribe of kids and grandkids) continue to reap many blessed benefits from living in close proximity to such an extraordinary man .

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29 thoughts on “The Best Thing I Ever Did”

  3. Happy Anniversary! Thanks for sharing the picture, and for inspiring those of us who are on the earlier side of the journey!

  4. Oh Nancy, both laughter and tears fill my heart. What a story! Thank you for telling it, it is picture of how beauty is built over time and it encourages me. Did you ever imagine God would build you into such a women as you are today? Doug’s faithfulness shines brightly through you and your kids. Isn’t God SO GOOD!! My husband and I are mighty grateful for you and your man and for your children. And I’m awfully glad you married him too. 🙂
    We love you guys, Happy Anniversary!!!

  5. What a beautiful story. I am so happy you two did marry because together you are such a blessing to soooo many other married couples in what you say and do and teach.

  8. Happy Anniversary from us Roises, too! I’ll second everything everybody else has said, especially Crystal. 🙂 That’s a great picture.

  9. Happy Anniversary! And praise God for bringing the two of you together! We love you all. 🙂
    The Beauchamps

  10. Happy Anniversary! Ava had quite the giggle seeing your wedding picture–I think she was surprised Mr. Wilson hasn’t always looked like Mr. Wilson!

  11. Happy anniversary! I love the picture as well, and the descriptions were pretty funny as well – formal = no hay bales. Sounds good to me! 🙂

  16. Happy Anniversary! Your lives have made the biggest impact on my husbands and my life! Years ago after we had been married a few years, my husband and I started reading your books (and listened to a few tapes given to us by our brother-in-law.) My husband read one of your husbands books while on a trip. God used it to change him in extraordinary ways! He has never looked back and I am soooooo thankful for your testimony, exhortation, and encouragement! We have always been so thankful that God used you to open our eyes to what we needed to see! One of the things that has helped so much, is, the practicality of how to APPLY the biblical truths!!! Heaven knows, we need it! So, blessings to you and thankfulness to you on this special day!!

  17. Happy, happy anniversary! What a fun story. As a woman who also got married in the seventies, I can nod my head in appreciation with a lot of the details you mentioned.

    I love that your parents didn’t flinch!

  21. We’re all grateful here in our house that the Lord saw fit to bring you two together. You have both been an example and encouragement to us – from afar! Happy Anniversary!

  24. I just HAD to respond to this post when I went over to your husband’s blog and saw a close-up of your wedding picture. I couldn’t believe it. There was MY wedding dress that I made in 1976 for my marriage to my husband Steve. I did the daisy thing too… fitting for the times! Just for the record, I read all of your posts and check ‘Blog and Mablog’ daily. Your family is hilarious and inspirational in so many ways. Thanks for including the rest of us out here in your lives. By the way, my first name is Nancy, too!
    Oh yes, Happy Anniversary!

  25. I love the description of your wedding at the picture.

    I had a 70s wedding, too. Just today I had to look in my hope chest and found my wedding dress and the bridesmaid dress my husband’s sister wore.

    Her dress was yellow with a daisy print, I carried yellow roses and my bridesmaids carried a daisy bouquet (yes, on top of those yellow daisy print dresses).

    Sigh, sometimes I miss the 70s (especially the Jesus People part of it). 🙂

    Thanks, again, for giving us a peak into your wedding.

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