One of the great joys of being a pastor is the opportunity to walk alongside families for the major moments in their lives. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day this month, we will spotlight four of the weddings we were delighted to be a part of in 2017. We hope you’ll enjoy! Perhaps you’ll even remember watching four of these brides grow up at Zumbro. -Pastor Lisa Kipp
Christy Martenson & Betsy Fisher
daughter of Cindy and Jim Martenson
Christy and Betsy’s wedding was held outside at the Rochester Art Center. The ceremony was a beautiful celebration of family and friends. As a former youth director at Zumbro, it is an absolute highlight of my ministry to officiate at the weddings of young adults whom I have known since they were just beginning middle school.
One of the special touches at Christy and Betsy’s wedding was a display of 1,000 origami cranes. Christy shares, “I’m Japanese American, and folding 1,000 origami cranes for a wedding is a Japanese and Japanese American tradition. Many friends and family members folded a crane, or several, for the project, and my mom folded hundreds of cranes and created the hanging ‘chandeliers.’ ”
Jim and Cindy added that the “1,000 cranes were a tangible symbol of our hopes for your happiness and good fortune as a couple. More importantly, we wanted something that acknowledged your heritage as a Japanese American.”
From the carefully chosen ceremony readings to the delicate origami cranes, this wedding was so special that you can even find it featured in January’s edition of rochester magazine.