I know a couple who spent their honeymoon in the LDS hospital in downtown Salt Lake City. The nurses on the surgery floor taped two felt hearts, a large golden bow and a banner that read, “Honeymoon Suite” across the hospital room door. They moved the couple to the far end of the wing so they could get a little more privacy and hold hands on their wedding night. The bride was in one bed recuperating next to another bed the nurses rolled in for the groom so he wouldn't have to be too far from his bride.
The doctors and nurses who work in the emergency room said it was the first time they’d seen a patient arrive in the ambulance wearing their wedding dress.
As you can guess, this wedding day didn’t turn out quite as expected.
Aubrey and Kyle waited 31 years to find each other. After struggling through school on a dime with crowded apartments and tight budgets they both became doctors. Aubrey has a PhD in Anthropology and Kyle is an anesthesiologist.
How they ever found each other is a miracle. They were born a few days apart but on different sides of the United States . . . Aubrey in a small town in Utah and Kyle in a small town in Pennsylvania. They both attended BYU but never met each other. He went on a mission to Spain and she finished her master’s degree. Then she accepted a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania and he went to medical school at Penn State. They never crossed paths. Sometimes it was hard to keep believing they would ever find each other.
Aubrey was living in Washington DC when she was invited to a birthday party in Philadelphia. Kyle was invited too. That was the first time they saw each other and something clicked. They found ways to get together even with extremely busy schedules as she finished her dissertation and he finished his first year of rotations. Then he started a three year residency in LA and she started a job at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC - opposite ends of the country again.
Eventually they decided they didn’t want to live without each other any longer. They choose Valentines Day, called the Salt Lake City temple and the plans began . . . red roses and Dutch irises to decorate the hall for the reception and red velvet cupcakes and chocolate dipped strawberries for refreshments. On a special date Kyle served Aubrey chocolate dipped strawberries just before their first kiss followed by dancing, a love song and a poem.
They decided to take pictures at the temple a few days before their wedding because a big storm was forecast on their big day.
Aubrey got sick late Thursday night but she brushed it off as food poisoning or the stomach flu. Then there was the wedding supper with both families on Friday night. On Saturday morning she felt weak and crampy but excited for the big day. On the ride to the temple she complained of pain in the lower abdomen but hoped it would go away.
Right before the ceremony the pain came back. Then just as suddenly the pain went away. Her father called for a wheelchair while her mother asked the temple workers to be brief.
The feeling in that temple sealing room was electric as these two made covenants to God and each other. Rings were exchanged.
Then the pain became so intense the paramedics were called, the ambulance arrived and Aubrey was carried out of the temple on a stretcher with her groom at her side.
They talked about not wanting to miss the reception while tests were run in the emergency room but the surgeon on duty told Aubrey and Kyle they wouldn’t be attending their own reception that night. Aubrey would need to be rushed into surgery as quickly as possible. She had a ruptured appendix and the situation was serious.
The reception went on without the bride and groom at their request. Each guest was video taped and friends and family took lots of pictures so Aubrey and Kyle could see the elegant red rose and purple Dutch Iris bouquets that decorated the hall.
A ruined day? No.
There were miracles everywhere.
The marriage still took place!
They planned to fly out the next morning after the wedding to Spain for their carefully planned honeymoon. This emergency could have happened on an airplane or in a foreign country.
AND they had pictures because of the storm warnings.
There are no ruined days – there are only miracles.
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The doctors and nurses who work in the emergency room said it was the first time they’d seen a patient arrive in the ambulance wearing their wedding dress.
As you can guess, this wedding day didn’t turn out quite as expected.
Aubrey and Kyle waited 31 years to find each other. After struggling through school on a dime with crowded apartments and tight budgets they both became doctors. Aubrey has a PhD in Anthropology and Kyle is an anesthesiologist.
How they ever found each other is a miracle. They were born a few days apart but on different sides of the United States . . . Aubrey in a small town in Utah and Kyle in a small town in Pennsylvania. They both attended BYU but never met each other. He went on a mission to Spain and she finished her master’s degree. Then she accepted a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania and he went to medical school at Penn State. They never crossed paths. Sometimes it was hard to keep believing they would ever find each other.
Aubrey was living in Washington DC when she was invited to a birthday party in Philadelphia. Kyle was invited too. That was the first time they saw each other and something clicked. They found ways to get together even with extremely busy schedules as she finished her dissertation and he finished his first year of rotations. Then he started a three year residency in LA and she started a job at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC - opposite ends of the country again.
Eventually they decided they didn’t want to live without each other any longer. They choose Valentines Day, called the Salt Lake City temple and the plans began . . . red roses and Dutch irises to decorate the hall for the reception and red velvet cupcakes and chocolate dipped strawberries for refreshments. On a special date Kyle served Aubrey chocolate dipped strawberries just before their first kiss followed by dancing, a love song and a poem.
They decided to take pictures at the temple a few days before their wedding because a big storm was forecast on their big day.
Aubrey got sick late Thursday night but she brushed it off as food poisoning or the stomach flu. Then there was the wedding supper with both families on Friday night. On Saturday morning she felt weak and crampy but excited for the big day. On the ride to the temple she complained of pain in the lower abdomen but hoped it would go away.
Right before the ceremony the pain came back. Then just as suddenly the pain went away. Her father called for a wheelchair while her mother asked the temple workers to be brief.
The feeling in that temple sealing room was electric as these two made covenants to God and each other. Rings were exchanged.
Then the pain became so intense the paramedics were called, the ambulance arrived and Aubrey was carried out of the temple on a stretcher with her groom at her side.
They talked about not wanting to miss the reception while tests were run in the emergency room but the surgeon on duty told Aubrey and Kyle they wouldn’t be attending their own reception that night. Aubrey would need to be rushed into surgery as quickly as possible. She had a ruptured appendix and the situation was serious.
The reception went on without the bride and groom at their request. Each guest was video taped and friends and family took lots of pictures so Aubrey and Kyle could see the elegant red rose and purple Dutch Iris bouquets that decorated the hall.
A ruined day? No.
There were miracles everywhere.
The marriage still took place!
They planned to fly out the next morning after the wedding to Spain for their carefully planned honeymoon. This emergency could have happened on an airplane or in a foreign country.
AND they had pictures because of the storm warnings.
There are no ruined days – there are only miracles.
Pin It
2 comments:
I remember reading that blog of their wedding day. Talk about making memories! Just think of the stories they can tell their children some day. Thanks for sharing your memories.
I remember this day!! I was so giddy to see my old friend Poffy get married!!! He had waited so long for his dream, and Aubrey came into his life with EXPLOSION!!! I remember talking to him when they were "dating" and he was SO in love with her!!! I am so glad they found each other and have the most adorable little guy!!! I agree, there are only miracles in life... everything happens for a reason!!! Their wedding night and first week of marriage was "interesting" but one for the books!!! Love love love the Poffenbergers!!!
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