Two spectral guests at the wedding

 My mother's best friend was Jean Stewart Thoms. She and her husband Bill, both flower growers in Galloway Township, closed out the sale of their farm and settled on the banks of the Mullica River in Sweetwater, NJ. I was probably about twelve when they made the move.

Aunt Jean and Uncle Bill were frequent visitors to our house, where Uncle Bill's booming voice and propensity toward colorful language always made me, good Catholic little girl that I was, cringe in disapproval. Still, I loved them both.

When Uncle Bill died in 2002, Aunt Jean had friends and family to count on, as we visited often. On later occasions, when my girls were grown and away, Aunt Jean and I would walk the few steps north to the Sweetwater Casino restaurant, an old standby for residents of the area. It was quaint, old-fashioned and beautiful, sitting as it did on the banks of the river looking at diners' boats moored at the docks.

I don't know the exact date, but sometime in the early 2000s, the Sweetwater Casino burned to the ground. I remember Aunt Jean telling me she could see the flames from her house. We all mourned the loss of the beloved landmark.

Aunt Jean died in 2010 of a stroke suffered in her doctor's office as she waited for a routine visit. She never returned to that beautiful cottage by the water and attorneys sealed the house and disposed of its contents. But that's another story.

Uncle Bill, Aunt Jean Thoms, Me and Erica

 Fast forward to 2020. Daughter Erica and her fiance,    Andy Wilson, had set a tentative wedding date (Covid  considered) and were searching for a venue to host their  nuptials. 

We visited several...from gorgeous homes in Cape May to windswept dune locations in West Cape May to an abandoned railroad yard converted to a wedding venue. Also another story.

But nothing worked. Too expensive, too big, too remote, too-something. 

On one of my sleepless nights, I lay awake wondering if anyone had ever rebuilt the Sweetwater Casino. It would be such a lovely place for a wedding! So Erica checked it out and, lo and behold! a young couple had purchased the site, rebuilt a new and modern version of the restaurant AND an event venue!We visited that weekend and fell in love with the beauty of the ballroom, the efficiency of the staff and, most of all, the stunning vistas of the river. 

Planning is over now. On the 27th of this month (August, 2022), Andy and Erica will exchange their vows and host a smashing party for their families and many friends. There's a beautiful balcony that extends the width of the ballroom and overlooks the river, the marina and the island across the span. If you stand at the southern end of the balcony, you can see the boat slip and front yard of the Thoms' house, now occupied by strangers.

But Erica and I know that at 5:30 on the 27th, my mother and dad and their best friends Jean and Bill will be standing on the dock at water's edge watching her marry the man of her dreams. Their names are not on the guest list, but they will be there and our family celebration will be complete.