Occasionally, a break from tradition is a breath of fresh air. When it comes to a wedding, it seems that anything goes these days. Ceremonial rituals are long overdue for a change. What about the part where the bride promises to love, honor, and obey? Is that going to happen? Lyndsey Raby knew that she wasn’t a traditionalist and wanted to do something radical on her wedding day. The results were memorable and newsworthy.
It’s always been the expectation that young children are the flower girl and ring barrier at the wedding. However, Raby didn’t want to have little girls throwing flowers. Instead, she decided to ask her four grandmothers to step in and fill the role. The Tennessee bride used two grandmothers from her side of the family, and two from her fiancée’s side. September 22, 2019, made history in the world as the first-ever grandmother quad made their way down the aisle.
The flower girl party consisted of Kathleen Brown, Joyce Raby, Wanda Grant, and Betty Brown. All of the grannies are in their 70’s except for Kathleen, who is 90 years old. They wore matching dresses, all modest of course. Each flower girl carried a little bag filled with rose petals. True to their role, they each spread the flowers as they walked down the aisle.
The wedding photographer had a hay day at the Ocoee Crest in Benton, Tennessee. The images were spectacular. The flower girls had a ball. Natalie Caho took the pictures, and she was a bit skeptical about the feisty grannies filling in the traditionally child-based role. However, she never dreamed these grandmothers would make such a splash. Their sass gave the wedding a lovely addition, and the bride and groom were honored to have their loved ones by their side.
The photographer stated that she had taken many pictures of cute flower girls in her day, but she thought these women were the most impressive. It reminds us that age is merely a number. <i>The Huffington Post</i> got news of this unusual bridal party and did a story on the nuptials. Raby told the reporter that as soon as she became engaged, she vowed that she would make her grandmothers a part of her big day.
Though Raby was excited to have them all there to support her, she felt that her grandmothers were a bit more excited. She is encouraging others to give their grandparents a significant role in their marriage. Not only does it mean a lot to them, but it makes memories that will last a lifetime.
Since her grandmothers are all of advanced age, she won’t have them with her always. It just shows that the pillars of the family can take on any role given to them, even when they are up in years. What Raby did was beyond sweet and made an impression on other brides. We’ll see if grannies as flower girls becomes a new trend.
