Medicare Jet Setters

How to Plan a Groovy Baby Boomer Wedding

By Neil Johnson, and Shelley Stutchman-Johnson

MEDICARE

“It’s easier to be killed by a terrorist than it is to find a husband over the age of 40!” This line was in the classic movie “Sleepless in Seattle.” There have been statistical polls and plenty of remarks in films and books that would make you believe this is true. However, Neil Johnson and I prove that this quote in ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ is wrong and that love and marriage are groovy at any age.

When Neil first saw me, he thought, “I’m not going to talk to her. She looks like trouble.”

When I saw Neil, and we were the only two sitting at the bar, I decided to strike up a pleasant conversation. I wasn’t looking for anyone. I thought a friendly chat would make my dinner more enjoyable. Once I started talking, rather than being rude, Neil was polite and listened. For almost a year, we would talk about once a week. In March, of this year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. According to statistical polls, I didn’t have very good odds of finding a boyfriend, much less a husband. I found both, showing that we groovy baby boomers defy all odds. Always have, always will. A great friendship developed, a romance blossomed, and love won. On June 17th, 2022, at age seventy-one and sixtyseven, we married and had a groovy wedding.

What is a groovy wedding, you may be asking? A groovy wedding is one with a heart of peace and love, the music’s beat, and the guests’ hippie soul.

Neil wore a colorful multi-colored tie-dye shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes. I wore a boho white sun dress, white feathers in my hair for the veil, white lace sandals, and a colorful bouquet tied with ribbons by our daughters. A diamond peace necklace adorned my neck. We asked our guests to wear tie-dyed T-Shirts, shorts, miniskirts, or anything that made them feel groovy. All loved the dress code. Everyone was feeling their inner hippie all evening. Free to be who you want to be.

We worked with the staff at the Edmond Convention Center and the Hilton Garden Inn to throw this groovy event. Our planner Sherri Banister was fun and professional. She helped us plan many of the details to make the wedding groovy. We decided not to splurge on decorations so we could treat our friends to an open bar and a bountiful buffet. Our centerpieces were bright frosted cupcakes with peace symbols and placed on vibrantly colored cardboard cupcake holders. A psychedelic peace symbol necklace was our gift to each of our guests. Tinted tiedyed napkins gave a pop of color to the white tablecloths, and we found some groovy decorations at the dollar tree to add to the tables.

The most important thing at a groovy wedding is the music. Find a great DJ. We found Jeff Aynes, better known as Jammin’ Jeff. We didn’t realize it, but Jeff has done so many weddings; he gives you brilliant tips on making

everything flow. Going with our groovy theme, “Feelin Groovy” is the song we used as my sister Willow LaMunyon, walked me, or should I say, skipped me down the aisle. We didn’t want any family or friends having to bear the burden of taking photographs so that they could enjoy the evening to their fullest. We hired the best photographer ever, Diana Bristol.

Diana is full of creative ideas and makes picture-taking fun. She used the backdrop of a groovy cardboard van for many of our pictures. Diana can be reached at 405.640.2014.

The owner of Caregiver Magazine, LaShanya Nash, her Dir. of Community Outreach, Lisa Sydnor, and her advertising sales representative Patty Reeves were at this wedding feeling groovy themselves.

Neil and I danced our first dance as man and wife to the song, “A Groovy Kind of Love.” For the rest of the night, Jeff played songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s. During this era, the best music ever played was created. The dance floor stayed full as the night rocked on. The melodies brought back many memories of our peace, love, and rock & roll youth. If you are planning a groovy event and need the perfect DJ, you can reach Jeff at 405.204.6961.