By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
Thumbs up for Tom’s wedding!
In late September, Athene Chapter #201 O.E.S. of New Jersey held a delightful event at the Masonic Temple on Park Ave. in Collins Tract. It was a “wedding,” both big and small at the same time.
It was big, because it was also a generous charity fundraising event; and it was small, because it was a “Tom Thumb” wedding celebration.
For those of you not familiar, these “weddings” are named for Tom Thumb, a famous little person who performed in P.T. Barnum’s circus. Tom married a fellow little person, Lavinia Warren, in quite an elaborate, fun, and friendship-filled ceremony in New York City back in 1863. Since then, churches and an assortment of other organizations hold Tom Thumb weddings as fundraisers, with the emphasis on charity, fun, and the importance of genuine friendship.
In these wedding pageants, all of the major wedding roles, from bride and groom to flower girl and ring bearer, are played by small children. It’s a lot of fun for everyone and traditional vows are waylaid in favor of something more befitting the ages of the bridal family.
Bride: “I promise to be kind, considerate, and helpful… to follow you on Twitter, and to like all of your Facebook posts.”
Groom: “I also promise to be kind, considerate, and helpful… to never ‘unlike’ you on Facebook, and to let you also play Xbox with me.”
The wedding “ceremony” included a delicious luncheon. The Temple’s setting was perfect: bridal flowers, a tulle’d bridal arch, even a beautiful and delicious wedding cake!
There were door prizes and raffles, and best of all, a whole lot of smiles and laughter.
The Tom Thumb Bridal Party consisted of:
- Songstress: Kaylee Merk
- Minister: Nick Meachum
- Groom: Steven Bechtel
- Bride: Olivia Bechtel
- Maid of Honor: Jona Bechtel
- Best Man: Decklin Merk
- Ring Bearers: Donavan and Jordan Gonzales
- Flower Girls: Jennifer Tozzi and Eliana Moran
- Bridesmaids: Taylor Meachum, Olivia Ferg, and Kayleigh Martin.
Special thanks to Ms. Bobbie Bechtel, Charlene Ottaviano, Miss Ruth Elton, and her daughter, Ruth Ann, for their hard work, creative talents, and compassion for making this “wedding” the beautiful ceremony that it was.
Many thanks also to Athene Chapter #201 for reaching out with both heart and hand to give ever so generously to those in need; 100 percent of the proceeds from the Tom Thumb wedding went to charity.
