Seventeen

Seventeen years ago today I finished sewing the buttons onto my wedding dress (while wearing it) on the way to the Douglas County courthouse. I got married in plaid. And that has set the tone for the entire marriage.



We got married on a Friday afternoon with quite a few friends in attendance. No family. Then we went back to our apartment to eat homemade pizza and drink champagne.

I had asked our friend Lars (potter, photographer, Grinnell grad) to take pictures of the wedding guests. We had everyone strip the clothes from their shoulders and have pictures taken that displayed their "unadorned essence," as he described it. The majority of the photos are in black and white, with a beautiful, soft focus.

These photos really tell a story. One couple used the occasion to declare their togetherness --they were married about 18 months later, so must have recently celebrated a 15th anniversary. Most of the other couples in the pictures are no longer together.

I didn't think to look for the photo album until tonight and I can't find it, but I did locate one of the early photos taken with the last of the color film. I was barely 22 and The Artist was 25.