Purple. 

The color of the day was purple.

Where I was, anyway. 

So, even though everybody else in the greater Knoxville area was wearing their best Vol orange, emblazoned with giant power T’s, drinking orange flavored beer, eating cheese dip on Doritos, & singing Rocky Top till they were hoarse, I was wearing heels & politely sipping wine. Even the mountains had turned orange in preparation of one of the oldest rivalries in SEC country.

Who gets married on a football Saturday in Tennessee? Who gets married on Tennessee versus Alabama Saturday, no less? 

Crystal Allen, that’s who. A GRADUATE of the University of Tennessee, so you’d think she knew better! 

But the wedding has been in the works for almost two years, and the romance since high school, so I couldn’t miss it. 

Crystal is a sweet soul; nothing is more important to her than family. Her quirky demeanor makes you giggle, & she’s so plainly beautiful you can’t help but stare. So, as a few raindrops fell yesterday on her simple ceremony underneath the maple trees, I couldn’t help that a few of my few tears joined them. 

I was expecting a princess gown, full tulle skirt & fitted bodice, but I was wrong. She was elegant in a lace gown with a short train adorned with sparkles. I was expecting a long veil, but she had flowers twisted into her hair. I was expecting a short reception, but there was a DJ & cupcakes weren’t till eight. 

Her groom was a twitchy, jittery mess, while Crystal seemed to constantly be on the verge of nervous laughter. The ceremony was short, I guess they were ready to get it over with after all this time. It was all smiles all around, under the umbrellas & trees shedding their golden leaves. The unity candle stayed lit, always a good sign.

So even though the bridesmaids wore purple, the flowers were purple, the fairy lights were purple, and the napkins were purple, my heart was bleeding orange. Luckily, Shug was keeping me updated on missed field goal attempts & the score while Robin & I watched our former coworker get married to the only guy she’s ever loved. And after we got our hugs, we came home, forgoing barbeque & a night of dancing. 

I had to watch the painful last quarter where we led for too short a time, and the disappointment of another loss due to careless mistakes. Then we were off to Seymour Grill with my favorite aunt & uncle to partake in good ole southern food. (I had chicken & waffles, which is wonderful, if you’ve never tried it).

Today I lay on the couch, licking my wounds, thinking about putting potato soup in the crock pot for this rainy Sunday. I hope the newlyweds are enjoying their first day of marriage, still riding high from the excitement of their wedding day. It’s funny: this is married life: being united, idly tapping out a story of all that makes a marriage, & hoping the day doesn’t get away too quickly.