It may not be every child’s luck to participate, in their adulthood, in the elaborate meringue of a full-blown white wedding, but for scores of Iola students, after this week, they’ll never be able to say they haven’t at least seen one.
On Monday evening, just after 5:30, in a crowded Jefferson Elementary School gym, Austin Lee — light khakis, white shirt, burgundy tie — married Bailey Lee — drenched in sparkles and lace — in a mock wedding organized by SAFE BASE, Iola’s robust after-school program.
Officially, the couple was joined in marriage last summer. On Monday, however, the Lees — both devoted SAFE BASE volunteers — agreed to stage a second ceremony for the benefit of the after-school program.
“This wedding was definitely planned with the students at the forefront,” explained SAFE BASE director Angela Henry. “We wanted them to learn things like social etiquette and appropriate dress for an event like this.”
For weeks now, the program’s classes have been turned toward planning Monday’s wedding. There was a floral design class, where students crafted the bridal bouquet, the bridesmaid’s bouquets, the boutonnieres, the corsages, the table decorations. A jewelry class, whose students forged the Lees’ novelty rings and made the cake-topper. A cooking class, where they baked and decorated the cupcakes for the cupcake wedding cake. A music class, where students selected and honed songs for the ceremony and reception.
Bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, flower boys, ring bearers, ushers, candle lighters, wedding photographers — the entire divertissement was created with admirable care by the students of SAFE BASE.
The families of the bride and groom were in attendance. In total, the after-school program managed to pull off a wedding with all of the joy and extravagant happiness (and none of the tears and accusations!) that the occasion merits.
A huge fraction of the credit has to go to the ceremony’s officiant, fourth-grader Dayton Dawson. If every member of the clergy could find in him or herself even a fraction of the charm that marked Dawson’s invocation of the vows, weddings would be even more jubilant affairs.
“Austin,” said the besuited Dawson from his place on the podium, “repeat after me: With this ring, I will carry you out to my limo. Bailey, repeat after me: With this ring, we will love each other for eternity. With the power invested in me by SAFE BASE, I say you are man and wife. You may kiss with all your might.”
