Nathan & Melanie wedding photos/report:

[Constance Vigilance]

"It was so holy."

"The bride and groom dismissing us by rows was great."

What is wrong. with all. these people?

[Zoom]

The whole thing about the yoghurt eating has been bugging me all day (shhh...I've had a quiet day around here :D ) and it wouldn't have been so awkward if Terri had simply written that the drove around for a bit so Melanie could eat something as she hadn't managed much breakfast or something similar. But then again it wouldn't be the Maxwell if there wasn't awkward writing.

[Justme]

Do we know how old Melanie is now? She looks about 20 in the wedding pics.

I'm pretty sure they are about the same age. She may be 1 year younger at most. They now be 35 or 35/34.

[Justme]

I, too, noticed the premarital touching between Nathan and Melanie. At what point did that become sin? Christopher and NR Anna decided (all on their own, of course) that they would not touch, so it was wrong by the time they courted.

It also struck me that Teri made a point of mentioning that all of the groomsmen and bridesmaids were siblings of the bride and groom. Even back then having friends must have been too much of a risk for leading children astray.

I believe Mel has around 10-11 siblings. Her father is a Doctor (medical). Yes, they did "touch" before marriage. I wonder if this is why Chris decided to have "no touching" with Anna. :roll: Is Chris trying to "out-Godly" Nathan?

[library_youth]

Nathan was just as creepy-looking back then as he is now. How did the younger Maxwell guys turn out so cute? Nathan and Chris are like clones of Steve, but the younger guys aren't. Maybe it will happen as they age.

[Justme]

It's really a weird post. Especially the part where Teri described how the little ones cried the evening after the wedding... something about that creeped me out.

Steve & Teri had a really hard time with "loosing" their son. :roll: The "little ones" sense their parents feelings. He moved accross the street. Imagine if he moved 5 miles away... :o That might have really sent them over the edge. I imagine the "trama" of this marriage is why Chris didn't marry for another 9 years and why Sarah is still single. :snooty:

[Hane]

What is wrong. with all. these people?

From another fundie wedding I watched online, I got the impression that the process of "the bride and groom dismissing the congregation by rows" was kind of the equivalent of the receiving line, in which everyone attending the wedding got to greet and congratulate the new couple individually. Could it be a regional custom, or perhaps the layout of the church or inclement weather made a traditional receiving line unfeasible?

ETA it was NR-Anna's wedding.

[Guest Anonymous]

From another fundie wedding I watched online, I got the impression that the process of "the bride and groom dismissing the congregation by rows" was kind of the equivalent of the receiving line, in which everyone attending the wedding got to greet and congratulate the new couple individually. Could it be a regional custom, or perhaps the layout of the church or inclement weather made a traditional receiving line unfeasible?

ETA it was NR-Anna's wedding.

Yeah, if you look at it that way, it is a good thing: people only have to hug the B & G, and the rest of the family don't have to line up to have a hundred people say, "You must be so proud!".

Also, the receiving line is typically on the way in to a reception dinner. In their area, they just do punch and mints and send everyone on their way... it would be a bit of a let-down to have to queue up for an hour just to grab a quick drink. :)

[SunnyAndrsn]

It's really a weird post. Especially the part where Teri described how the little ones cried the evening after the wedding... something about that creeped me out.

Agreed! As in, this family spends too much time on each other. If having a sibling marry causes this much strife, no wonder only two of them have managed to marry. The children are emotionally crippled.

[clarinetpower]

IDK where they are, but that method of dismissal became popular in the midwest around that time. It is nice that as you wait you get to sit, especially for the elderly (and we all know how much they care about the elderly.)

[ChickeyMonkey]

Who changes their car's oil on their wedding day?

Who moves furniture into their house on their wedding day?

Why wouldn't all this be taken care of before the wedding day?

These people are so strange.

Melanie looks nice, but her hair looks unkempt.

The picture of Teri sitting while talking to the lady looks odd. I guess for me it looks like they should both be either standing or sitting. Teri sitting while the other lady is standing looks rude to me, for some reason.

[moreorlessnu]

Nathan was just as creepy-looking back then as he is now. How did the younger Maxwell guys turn out so cute? Nathan and Chris are like clones of Steve, but the younger guys aren't.

Oh. Dear. :o Are you thinking what I'm thinking??

[ChickeyMonkey]

Oh. Dear. :o Are you thinking what I'm thinking??

"Get out of my brain!" (Troy, "Community")

[Almost Quiverfull]

Melanie was a beautiful bride. The brides maids dresses were very pretty. I've seen some pictures from some fundy weddings where the brides maids dresses were ghastly.

Sarah does not look like a 20 year old. She looks to be about 15. She looks 20 or 21 in her current pictures.

I'm also like the person who said they couldn't help compare Melanie and NR-Anna. I think NR Anna is pretty, but she looked down right frumpy in her wedding pictures. No make-up, no jewelry and that wedding dress - sheesh! The neckline was way too high and was not flattering at all. It's like she was going out of her way to be uber modest and frumpy for her wedding day.

[NurseNell]

Wow, thank you for the link!

Interesting photos... Looks like Melanie comes from a big family, too. Sarah definitely looks a bit off in the photos - maybe she had seen her future in a dream...

Melanie's Dad is called Dr. Maher by Teri. What kind of a doctor is he, anyone know?

[WonderingInWA]

I love how Nathan carried Melanie from the church. You know Christopher would never have considered that with NR-Anna and Stevie would never have allowed it after his death speech. It's frivolous, and those Maxwells just don't do that anymore. Honestly, it seems like Nathan and Melanie probably dodged a bullet by getting together when they did. Sarah hasn't a chance.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Melanie's Dad is called Dr. Maher by Teri. What kind of a doctor is he, anyone know?

His name is Roger, and he lives in Easton. From that I think he's a chiropractor (just by googling). Someone else maybe has more details.

[YPestis]

I remember reading that wedding report. It was strange that their small boys were crying?! Nathan was moving ACROSS THE STREET after his marriage. This was back when the Maxwells were regular fundies. They still attended church (where Nathan and Melanie met). Steve had a real business to run, not their traveling family sales pitch. Poor Sarah. If she only realized those short few years were her window of opportunity to find a husband, she may have tried harder! Now, she is stuck in that cult. How else does a SAHD meet eligible guys if not in church?

[alikat]

I love how Nathan carried Melanie from the church. You know Christopher would never have considered that with NR-Anna and Stevie would never have allowed it after his death speech. It's frivolous, and those Maxwells just don't do that anymore. Honestly, it seems like Nathan and Melanie probably dodged a bullet by getting together when they did. Sarah hasn't a chance.

I remember watching the video of Christopher and NR-Anna's wedding online, and I'm pretty sure he did carry her out of the church. Just goes to show that frivolity is only okay when approved by Stevie!

[Phyllis Styne]

I remember reading that wedding report. It was strange that their small boys were crying?! Nathan was moving ACROSS THE STREET after his marriage. This was back when the Maxwells were regular fundies. They still attended church (where Nathan and Melanie met). Steve had a real business to run, not their traveling family sales pitch. Poor Sarah. If she only realized those short few years were her window of opportunity to find a husband, she may have tried harder! Now, she is stuck in that cult. How else does a SAHD meet eligible guys if not in church?

Referencing the underlined part I thought he went straight from being persecuted by an employer in Kansas City to being a publisher and road warrior (ha ha, Steve as Mad Max!). What did he do ? Also, the degree of detail in Terris writeup is weird. The bride drooped a (used) Kleenex and the pastor picked it up (Ew!)? Who cares about deets like that?!

[Jezebel]

Also, the degree of detail in Terris writeup is weird. The bride drooped a (used) Kleenex and the pastor picked it up (Ew!)? Who cares about deets like that?!

Yeah, I'm reading it now and wondering the same thing. I could see someone writing all those trivial and uninteresting details in a private journal entry, thinking they'd want to remember every detail of the day decades later. But in a public blog post? No--that level of detail is both unnecessary and boring.

Actually, what does make it interesting is the window into Terri Maxwell's mind it provides. Every logistical detail (pulp-free punch for the fountains!), every small inconvenience or error, makes it into her report, and it's all treated with the same level of importance as the bride and groom and the actual wedding ceremony. It's hard to believe this is the mother of the groom writing this, because emotionally it's all so flat. Even the descriptions of all the crying everyone did afterwards feel very matter-of-fact, and why are they all crying, anyway? Nathan's only moved across the street, for Pete's sake!

In the photos, the only adults who look truly happy are Nathan and Melanie (they looked so cute together, and obviously in love), and Melanie's parents. Poor Sarah looks utterly miserable, like the world is coming to an end. Terri looks dreary and wrung-out, even when she's smiling. Steve--I don't even know.

What a strange, sad family they are.

[WonderingInWA]

Referencing the underlined part I thought he went straight from being persecuted by an employer in Kansas City to being a publisher and road warrior (ha ha, Steve as Mad Max!). What did he do ? Also, the degree of detail in Terris writeup is weird. The bride drooped a (used) Kleenex and the pastor picked it up (Ew!)? Who cares about deets like that?!

Stevie was persecuted by an employer in Kansas City? Really?

He was an engineer at Boeing in Seattle-ish area before they moved to KC. Does anyone know why they moved? Does Boeing have offices in KC so he would have been transferred with the company, then pissed a bunch of people off with his Bible thumping? Oh, such an interesting topic!

[Guest Anonymous]

There are a couple of long threads about how Steve was "brought home" by the Lord. I'll try and find them for you.

[Guest Anonymous]

Here ya go.. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1314

The crazy is particularly exposed on page 4. :)

[SheWoreLemon]

Boeing did have offices in Kansas City. I think they were all sold off in 2005ish? to a company called Spirit, so Steve could have continued on with his engineer job (or a very similar job) if he wanted.

I figured out why it's so important to note that Melanie is eating yogurt. It's because yogurt is used to treat infections...you know...(whispering).....down there. We've all talked about how absolutely strange and horrifying it's got to be to go from no contact to sex in one night.

Remember those sex books that Jim Bob was giving Josh before his wedding? There's a chapter in there we didn't get to see on the TV show. When a bride is wandering around eating yogurt, it's a sign for the groom that the bride isn't....(whispering)....feeling well down there. This gives the bride time to make the adjustment from no contact to sex on her own time. Anytime she thinks things are getting a little too frisky and out-of-control, she just looks at her watch and yelps, "time for my yogurt!"