Finish Line
The wedding of Knox Martin and Caroline Vandergriff featured a unique setting, a rehearsal dinner at Globe Life Park and some special members of the wedding party.
A wedding to remember Knox Martin and Caroline Vandergriff exchanged vows between train whistles • By Richard Greene
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ot being familiar with the address where the recent wedding ceremony of Caroline Vandergriff, daughter of our good friends Victor and Kristen, was going to take place, I dutifully entered it in our vehicle’s GPS, confident it would guide us directly to our destination. It was somewhere near the upscale University Park Village in Fort Worth, so as my wife Sylvia and I worked our way through the shopping area, we anticipated finding a venue where a wedding traditionally would be held. But then we found ourselves on a narrow rough road approaching a big railroad yard. Slowing to a crawl, I remarked that our navigation system must have failed us and that we were now lost. A sense of panic set in as we feared we would be embarrassingly late for the event once we discovered our way to the proper destination. Then a building came into view with a big sign on its side that read “MOPAC Event Center.” Other cars were arriving as a light rain was falling. We entered the building and found a grassy courtyard covered by a big plastic tent enhanced by a ceiling of hundreds of tiny sparkling lights giving the impression of a starry sky, and an altar under a beautiful arch of flowers next to a small orchestra. We found our seats among other guests and began to join the conversation with those around us, concluding that this was very different and really, really cool. The minister soon took her place on the stage, and the wedding party began to make its way down the center aisle. There were six groomsmen, eight attendants of the bride and two flower girls. And two well groomed dogs. Big ones. Caroline’s Moxie, a Goldendoodle, and her soon-to-be husband Knox Martin’s Labrador, Mika, were adorned with floral wreaths around their necks and led by the young flower girls right up to the front, where they dutifully and patiently remained throughout the ceremony. A trio of aunts – Valerie and Vanessa together with sister Katharine – delivered a stunning arrangement of “Hallelujah” adapt82
ARLINGTON TODAY • April 2017 • arlingtontoday.com
ed by Vanessa’s husband Mark with lyrics honoring the couple on this most special of occasions. Other family members and friends participated in parts of the ceremony. Traditional vows were exchanged between train whistles, and then the 250 guests enjoyed dinner and dancing with the newlyweds. It all made for a delightful experience that dominated social media discussion for days afterwards. Caroline and Knox honeymooned in Thailand where, among other reasons for a visit there, they got to experience visits with the national animal of that country, the Thai Elephant. Current estimates say there are 25,000 of them there. Caroline has always had a passion for elephants, their care, protection and preservation. The couple resides in Charlotte, N.C., where Caroline is a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor for Time Warner Cable News and Knox is the head golf professional at the Carolina Golf Club. He’s also a serious Atlanta Braves fan. Which brings up a bit of an inner family rivalry that Victor addressed from the microphone at the wedding dinner. “You know,” he said with a bit of a frown looking at his new son-inlaw, “your wife’s grandfather, who brought the Texas Rangers to Arlington, is a deity of sorts around these parts. And, though we accept that you will be wearing your Atlanta Braves jersey and cap, Caroline will be wearing her Texas Rangers gear.” Caroline and Knox met by happenstance at a restaurant with her arm in a sling when she was recovering from an accident. After almost bumping into her, he asked her out on their first date. “Kristin didn’t know this guy,” Victor explained, “and Caroline couldn’t drive, so she agreed to his invitation as long as her mother could serve as their chauffeur and chaperone.” Four years later, we all gathered with them as they became husband and wife in a beautiful and unusual ceremony. In a Fort Worth railroad yard. Richard Greene was Arlington’s mayor from 1987-1997, appointed by President George W. Bush as Regional Administrator to the EPA, and currently teaches in the University of Texas Arlington’s graduate program in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18 At WADE FAMILY FUNERAL HOME our family believes while we all will one day lose someone we love, there are no two families, no two funerals exactly alike. The needs of your family will vary. The grief process for each individual will be unique. At this very difficult time, in the face of making such important decisions, the Wade Family knows you need peace of mind and the comfort that comes with the fact that your family matters most to us. Our Arlington family is here for you.
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