Roseanna White – Real Life Romance – Part 1 of 3

Shannon here: The story of Roseanna White’s wedding made my readers top ten list back in the first quarter of the life of my blog. This week, Roseanna visits again to share her new book release. Comment on any post dated Feb 28 – March 4 for a chance to win a copy of her first release in paper or digital form: A Stray Drop of Blood or her latest release: Jewel of Persia. Deadline March 5, midnight central time. Here’s Roseanna:

A storm raged up the coast the day before, littering the sand with seaweed and our minds with worry. We’d been praying for months we’d have fair weather for the beach wedding. I told myself it had gotten it out of its system—and the rainbow that appeared validated that hope.
A collection of thirty family members and friends had made the drive down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and taken up residence for the week in Kitty Hawk, right across from the dunes where the Wright brothers first took to the skies. They brought with them fresh strawberries from my grandparents’ farm, chocolate to dip them in, a cake from our favorite bakery, and a willingness to help. We all tossed up decorations, barbecued the wedding feast, and figured out the logistics of the ceremony. Though I loved the idea getting married in the sand, the practical side of me said, “Let’s do it on the deck that looks out over the dune.” 
Though traditional in most respects, one superstition I hated was the “the groom can’t see the bride” thing—so we went to breakfast the morning of our wedding, just the two of us. It was a perfect start to a beautiful day.
My home hairdresser even came for the occasion, so after a really loooooong morning achieving the perfect up-do, I went out on the upper deck to look down at my wedding. Beside me, a highschool buddy who composes music was playing an original piece, a combination of the bridal march we all know and his own melody that was just for us. 
My groom had forgotten his shoes (I’m still not convinced that was an accident, ha ha), so he and his guys stood barefoot on the deck—them in black pants, white collar-less shirts, and burgundy vests, David in the tux he’d bought a few years earlier for proms. My girls came out in classic burgundy gowns and pearls. I had that perfect strapless dress with the embroidery I’d dreamed of. The vacationers in each of the houses next door gathered on their decks to watch with grins and cheers at the ready. 
The ceremony was short and sweet. The pictures were on the beach and hence gorgeous. The food was simple and fun. And as we ate it, the dolphins came out to wish us well.
After the usual festivities, we had a bonfire on the beach complete with s’mores, and the neighbors joined us—I remember in particular a few tween girls who were blushing with pleasure at being offered a s’mores by the bride. 
I had dreamed all my life of the perfect wedding and had thought it would be Christmas themed, in December. But as I watched the ocean turn golden in the setting sun of my Day, as I listened to the easy laughter of those closest to me, I was glad we’d changed things up. A beach wedding, with its natural beauty, had sounded romantic and perfect . . .
And it was.
About Roseanna: Roseanna M. White is wife, mommy, writer, reviewer, and lover of all things literature-related. She has two books published with WhiteFire Publishing, A STRAY DROP OF BLOOD and Jewel of Persia. She is the editor and senior reviewer of the Christian Review of Books, and a member of ACFW, HisWriters, and HEWN Marketing. She makes her home in the mountains of Western Maryland with her husband, two kids, and the colony of dust bunnies under her couch. Learn more about her and her books at:  http://www.roseannamwhite.com and http://roseannamwhite.blogspot.com
Come back March 2 for Roseanna’s romantic interview featuring her fictional characters from Jewel of Persia.