Celebration of love: Couple renews vows during special wedding ceremony at Cherry Hill Manor

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The extraordinary, three-tiered cake was as unique as the wedding ceremony Cherry Hill Manor held for Mary Ann and Manny Souza.

It was All About Weddings Month in September, and the always-clever and creative activities department at the award-winning Johnston-based nursing home and rehabilitation facility wanted to take people back in time to their special day.

“We wanted to reminisce with the residents and bring them back to their wedding day,” said Tracey Cordeiro, Cherry Hill’s activities director. “We wanted to have activities based around everything to do – and prepare for – during a wedding.”

Then one day, Cordeiro started thinking that “it would be amazing to have a real wedding, and almost instantly the Souzas came to mind.”

Soon thereafter, Cordeiro approached the Souzas – who are popular residents at Cherry Hill Manor and would soon be celebrating their 60th anniversary – with an idea that the couple welcomed with open arms and hearts.

“Their smiles let me know that I was on to something great and special,” Cordeiro said.

The wedding would be nothing less than spectacular, simply because that’s the way Cherry Hill’s activities staff performs any and all events for their residents.

“We began designing invitations with the names of all our residents inviting them to join us and witness Mary Ann and Manny renew their wedding vows,” Cordeiro said. “We created wedding bouquets, centerpieces, favors, appetizers and a real wedding cake.”

And many of Cherry Hill’s residents, she noted, “were excited and helped us put everything together for the wedding of weddings.”

Even today – some several weeks later – the wedding has been the talk of Cherry Hill Manor.

Cordeiro credited Deborah Faith, Cherry Hill’s minister, with doing “an exceptional job and putting Mary Ann and Manny at ease before and during the ceremony. She was just wonderful.”

Likewise, Smithfield resident Mary King – who has performed at Cherry Hill during previous events – played her harp and as Cordeiro noted “added some her own magic with her peaceful melodies.”

Many of Cherry Hill’s staffers and residents enjoyed the unique wedding ceremony and reception, which included all the bells and whistles of a wedding, replete with a real cake, champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres and more.

The cake, incidentally, was made by Loraine DiLorenzo, Cherry Hill’s assistant activities director, and decorated by some of the residents.

One of the day’s highlights came from activities staffer Jessica Lopes, who Cordeiro asked to write a special “Wedding Day Message” especially for the bride and groom.

That message read, in part: “God’s love is like an ocean; you can see its beginning but not its end. Mary Ann and Manny’s love are the image of God’s love. I’m sure all their classmates saw the two falling in love as inevitable. They were able to witness the beginning of their love. I can say with confidence that I cannot see their love ending. Against all odds and obstacles place in their way, the Souzas have that love that I’m sure all of us aspire to have. In sickness and in health they remained each other’s constant rock. They belong to each other to love and cherish form the moment they fell in love until death do them part.”

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