To play a wedding? For the wedding of Joey Fala and Sarah Jones, there were FIVE!

For the Prelude: “Allegretto” from Sonata IV in B-flat (Mendelssohn); “Schmücke dich, O liebe Seele,” BWV 654 (Bach); and Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 531 (Bach).

For the Procession of the Bridesmaids: Sonata III, Andante tranquillo (Mendelssohn)

For the Procession of the Bride: Sonata III, Con Moto maestoso (Mendelssohn)

Congregational Hymn: Christ is made the sure foundation (WESTMINSTER ABBEY)

Music during the Distribution: “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 (Bach); Concerto in D minor: Largo, BWV 596 (Bach)

For the Recessional: Sinfonia from Cantata 29 (Bach)

It was an extraordinarily beautiful wedding in every respect—the dignified organ music, the sight of the trees outside surrounding the clean lines of the chapel, an elegance which reigned supreme and permeated the whole atmosphere with grace—but most of all, the joy of seeing a young couple so much in love with one another.

Right at the beginning of the homily by Sarah’a mother, The Rev. Susan Pendleton Jones, she had Joey and Sarah turn and face all the people in the congregation: family members, friends, and all those people who had seen them grow up: their teachers and their mentors who became surrogate mothers and fathers who loved Joey and Sarah as their own. What a unique and beautiful way for Joey and Sarah to see all the people who support and love them!

Susan Jones told us of Joey and Sarah’s common love of music, and their common love of design. She encouraged them to reach out beyond themselves and give of their enormous gifts and talents. She related how she and her husband started with growing their family to three children, and then, among other joint projects, they took on the design and building of this beautiful chapel. I can’t imagine all the feelings and emotions the Joneses must have been experiencing, and now, to have their daughter marry in this beautiful space.

The heartfelt emotion Susan felt as she began her remarks was evident by the tremble in her voice, as it was with Sarah’s father, The Rev. Dr. L. Gregory Jones, as he led the couple through their wedding vows. Even Joey’s and Sarah’s voices were a little shaky as they made their commitment to love and cherish each other for a lifetime. How very touching!

The “star” of the show, though, was little 2-year-old Clara Jones, daughter of Sarah’s brother, Nate, who made her way up to the altar right near the end of the homily—in fact, when Susan made the reference to reaching out to others, she mentioned maybe this might mean a little person with ten fingers and ten toes! Clara LOVES her Uncle Joey, whom she calls Joe-Joe. Rather than push her away, both Joey and Sarah held the little girl’s hands throughout the rest of the ceremony, until finally, “Grandma” picked her up before the communion. It was all a moment of levity, but how sweet it was!

“The most beautiful wedding I’ve ever been to,” was a comment I heard from people over and over again after the service.