An Ohio Wedding

Jeff and Kristen, November 3, 2007.

And so, my very best friend — the guy I've known for nearly 30 years, the guy I met during an apple fight on a fall Ohio day so many years ago, the guy who got the left side while I took the right, the guy who is always right where I think he'll be — has gotten married and found happiness. 'Tis a beautiful thing to see someone so near and dear find someone who makes him shine as he should.

We flew back to Ohio on Halloween, spent two nights in Mansfield with my family and then headed down to Columbus to meet up with my aforementioned friend, Jeff Castle, and his bride-to-be, Kristen. What a beautiful weekend for a wedding. If you're not familiar with the Midwest in autumn, then you've never seen true fall colors. The hillsides of Central Ohio were veritable palettes of orange and yellow as far as the eyes could go; maples and oaks, beech and birches were alight with the brightness that peaks just before the gray of winter settles in.

Not only was it a great weekend for a wedding, but a great one for reunions as well. Almost all my other best friends from home — Scott Redman and his wife, Bernie, Tom Zellner, and Zach Proffitt and his wife, Regina — converged for the celebration, as did some old familar faces, Kevin and Sarah Moore, Jeff's brother Chris, his mom and stepdad, and his cousin, Mike.

The reception at the Smith Brothers warehouse near downtown Columbus.

What more to say? The rehearsal was a festive evening of food, great beers and family exchanges at Barley's and then a few more brews at the Grandview Cafe. The wedding day was gorgeous, the ceremony short but sweet — and thank God the Buckeyes were victorious that weekend or who knows what the mood might have been. (That town's obsession with Ohio State is borderline neurotic.) And that night, the reception at the Smith Brothers Warehouse near Short North, with its downtown skyline backdrop, was as fun as they come. Rock and Roll All Nite.

And just like that, the wedding was over and my best friend was on his way into a new and better life. It's long overdue, and we all wish him only the very best, always.