The average wedding in 1999 cost in excess of $17,000. Those bride and grooms have nothing on the simple elegance of the ceremony for my sister Stacy and her boy-toy Joe, five years in the making but only three days in the preparation.

Some weddings are beautiful because the bride puts in six months and thousands of her parents' dollars to present a lavish spectacle.

	In the beginning...

But the wedding of Stacy and Joe was just as poetic, and put together in only a few days with limited resources.

After about five years of watching Stacy and Joe's relationship flourish, as they became too cute for words together and Joe had long been initiated a member of the Rushing family we learned my little sis was pregnant. Besides being overwhelmed with joy, it was also the final push for them to finally get the rings and say "I do" and get it over with, so to speak.

It came to pass that on Saturday, September 18, my little sister and new brother-in-law married at the Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. That's quite a coup by Joe and Stacy. First they get God to smile down on them by having it at a church, then they get the approval of one of the Founding Fathers by having the wedding at his church!

A small affair, the wedding was not lacking in the spirit of dozens as those of us who attended were bundles of joy over the proceedings. Attendees: Me, Stacy and Joe (obviously), sister Stephanie, older brother Scott and wife Jenn, Dad and Danielle, cousin Karla, Mom, Aunt Lynn, Joe's Mom Suzanne, Mom-Mom and Granddad, Justice of the Peace Sean O'Brien and the nice lady whose church we used.

Stacy and Joe wanted to have a small ceremony, and we were just happy to be there, rather than get a phone call from Stacy saying the pair had gotten hitched at the courthouse.

Don't get me wrong, we would have been happy over their private nuptuals, but as a family we like to be there when one of us has a special moment.

It's already widely held that Stacy has the luck of the Irish, but this was her shining procrastination accomplishment. She put the wedding together in two days, reserving the church on Thursday afternoon, getting the Justice of the Peace the same day, and having her dress fit on Friday. Stacy even worked until 2 p.m. of her wedding day! Joe, being the perfect male, said, "I'll have a suit and look good, you just tell me where and when we're going."

The pair also couldn't have picked a better weekend weatherwise. The weather was almost perfect, sunny with high cirrus clouds and highs in the mid-70s, lows in the 50s all week.

Joe got his wish, though. He was almost terrified of having a big wedding, and only called his mother, Suzanne, the night before to invite her to the ceremony. She was able to get a few hours off work to attend.

The Justice of the Peace was a hit with the ladies. Sean O'Brien is a former Marine and amazingly bronze, as if he just came from a shoot for "Men's Health" magazine promoting GNC products. Scott and I were amused that he was not carrying a Bible as it looked, but instead was a Day Planner. It's all about appearances.

The church was well-suited for the event, as there is an outside patio blocked in by the brick walls, with a fountain and rock formations as decoration. The nice lady had some music ready for Stacy to walk in (briskly, mind you) to, and everyone stood in a circle to watch the ceremony. It was brief, but very meaningful as Stacy and Joe smiled and joked in the family fashion, and they exhchanged vows.

	I loves my sister, yes I does!

Stacy was the belle of the ball, looking radiant in her dress, as did charmer Joe in his Larry King suspenders and Stephanie in her silver dress with an elegant sash across her shoulder?

Joe let me stand by him with the rings, which I want to thank him for. I appreciate being able to participate in a wedding I've been looking forward to for years.

Dinner afterwards was at Benihana's. Those of us not from Lousiville followed Suzanne to the restaurant, but Joe and Stacy passed the caravan in an attempt to be cute, and ended up overshooting the exit! Thus, we talked outside for ten minutes or so as the honored guests caught up.

The Florida-Tennessee game was on while we ate, and the reason we had to constantly go to the bathroom. When someone sat down, another got up to check the score at the bar. The bartender even turned the game on for us, even though Louisville was playing Indiana at the same time. That old Rushing charm, I suppose. Speaking of football, though, I have to make a stand that no one I know can ever get married on the same day that my Alabama Crimson Tide have a game. In 1997 when Dad and Danielle wed in Orlando, Bama lost to Arkansas on a last-minute long pass. In 1999, Bama lost to Louisiana Tech on a last-minute long pass. See a pattern?

As usual at any Japanese restaurant where they cook in front of you, we had a comical chef who was good at flipping food into glasses. He even hit Granddad on the head over his shoulder, which confused Granddad but caused those of us at the "kids" table to snicker for a good five minutes.

I almost hate to admit it, but Louisville made a great impression on me. The downtown area along the Ohio River is stunning, with several paths and an immense park, not to mention restaurants like Joe's Crab Shack and a phalic-shaped fountain that spurts water at an angle every ten seconds.

Stacy, Joe and I had a relaxing walk by the river one night, and stopped by the playground for a romp on the swings and the forts. I have absolutely no problem with letting my inner child push aside the outer adult once in awhile. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me.

Why do I hate to admit that Louisville is a nice city? Because I'm a native Memphian and sports rivalry dictates that anything from Louisville is evil. But, the city is easy to get around, the downtown is grander and the people friendly. Although the local news is horrendous, Memphis still could learn something from its hated rival. Unfortunately the weekend had to end, and I had to make the seven hour drive back to Atlanta, but it turned out to be a gorgeous ride as the leaves were changing along the Nickajack Lake north of Chattanooga, and traffic was a breeze. Of course, I was in such a good mood it didn't take much to put a smile on my face.

And now that Joe and Stacy are ready to welcome their first child, Gabriel, into the world, things are only getting better.

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