Special Notes

We would like to take this time to mention a few things as well as give everyone some information that might be interesting.

For starters we would like to point out that, although we are trying to have fun with this, it is still a serious, solemn occasion. This is the union of a man and a woman before the laws of men and before the eyes of God Almighty. We mean no disrespect to the institution of marriage, we are merely personalizing our wedding in a unique way that we will appreciate and remember our whole lives. We hope everyone who attends remembers it for years to come and has fun, after all a wedding is a celebration.

Secondly, the theme of the wedding is Scarborough Fair. Many of you know of the Simon and Garfunkel song by the same name. The original song dates back to medieval times and has been an English folk song ever since. Scarborough was, and still is, a port city in England. Every year in August, and for 45 days, there was a trading event this was the fair. Traders from all over England, and even some from mainland Europe, would get together for the fair. The fair continued till sometime in the 19^th Century. There are numerous versions of the song with a lot of variation on some of the words and verse orders. However the basics remain the same. A jilted lover tells the listeners to go to Scarborough fair and deliver a message to his former love. He asks a few tasks of his love and he, in turn, will come back to her. These tasks are nothing short of impossible. The point of the song is that love sometimes demands things of you that may seem impossible but one must try and never give up. The constant refrain of the song is Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, these herbs are filled with symbolism. Parsley was thought to take away bitterness when cooking; it was thought to do the same to the heart, easing the tension between the two lovers. Parsley also symbolizes merriment and fertility both considered essential for newly weds. Sage symbolizes strength, the strength to do what is needed for love, even if it seems impossible. Rosemary represents faithfulness, love, and remembrance, essential for a lasting marriage. In England, as well as other places in Europe, women still wear twigs of rosemary in there hair for their wedding. Thyme stands for courage, the courage to stick it out and make it last through the good times and the bad, as well as to accomplish the impossible tasks of love.

Lastly we would like to take this opportunity to thank my father, Dale Harkleroad, for all of his help with this web site, from allowing us to use his website to host ours, to helping with tech support. Thanks.

We hope to see everyone at the wedding and we hope you all have a wonderful time.