Married by Video Conference

It sucks to be deployed and away from your loved ones.  But the new technology is helping to make it just a little easier.

From the AP here:

When it came time for a Minnesota National Guardsman to kiss the bride, she was about 6,000 miles away. But that didn’t matter Wednesday, as Spc. Abraham Rhode and Amanda Hart used video teleconferencing to be joined as husband and wife.

Nationwide, video teleconferencing has been used to virtually bring soldiers home, even if just for a moment, to experience life-changing events such as a child’s graduation, a birth, or a memorial service. Rhode and Hart are among a handful of couples who have opted for long-distance nuptials as the war continues to keep them physically separated.

On her wedding day, Hart wore a knee-length white skirt, a white blazer and strappy white shoes. The 21-year-old carried a mixed bouquet and clutched her father’s arm as she walked into a room at the National Guard armory in Inver Grove Heights. She continued to hold his arm during the ceremony, as her witness stood to her left, and about a dozen family members and friends sat and watched.

She watched Rhode’s image on the video screen. He stood in his combat uniform, with his best man at his side and his hands clasped in front of him. Every now and then he broke into a huge grin.

After Rhode and Hart said their vows, the chaplain said: “You may now blow yourselves a long-distance kiss.”

Here’s to hoping that Abe and Mandi can be reunited soon.  You can wish them luck on their wedding page here.