An Alaskan Wedding

Well folks, it’s official! The last of Andy’s siblings is now married. Elaine married Brandon Lupie last Saturday and except for a few of the nieces and nephews, all the immediate family was able to be up here.

Since Brandon is a native Alaskan the wedding had a really cool mix of Mennonite and Yupik traditions. You would think they would clash, but it was actually really neat. “Two nations coming together,” as several people commented over the weekend.

For the rehearsal dinner, Brandon’s mom made a huge feast of traditional native food. We got to try humpback whale meat as well as seal soup and herring eggs on kelp. Definitely a cultural experience! They sent some leftover whale meat home with us and Andy wants to make it for our church folks to try.

The wedding ceremony was sweet and simple and short which I was extremely thankful for. Andy was a groomsman and with the wedding right at nap time the children felt like bombs waiting to explode. They did not do very well at family pictures, choosing that precise moment to take turns having meltdowns.

The reception was gorgeous with the lights Andy and Dad had hung on Thursday as well as candlelight. On the menu was soup, salad bar, and individual cheesecakes.

Don’t ask how much work went into all the prep. Our wedding was super simple and easy and after helping set up for Elaine’s I’m glad we didn’t have that much stress and stuff to keep track of. There was also all the logistics of picking people up from the airport and flight schedules and lodging.

The day after the wedding it was so nice to be with the family without having to plan for a big event.

We went hiking up in Hatcher Pass and the couple actually joined us! I guess in the Yupik culture they don’t have honeymoons, so Brandon didn’t see why they wouldn’t just spend time with family while they are still around. It sure was fun to have them with us.

We also got to watch paragliders take off from a high point. We sat about twenty feet away and watched them get all their gear set up and then take off. It was really amazing to experience.