THERE is a season for all things under heaven, and for Ray and Glenda Pradella there’s a colour pattern and floral arrangement to match.
The couple has been arranging flowers at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane for 52 weeks of the year for the past 22 years, quietly slipping in and out every Friday morning with fresh bouquets to match the liturgical seasons or sometimes to match weddings.
But Mrs Pradella said the liturgy was always the priority.
“So, if a girl wants pink flowers (for her wedding) and it’s Pentecost, she has to have red – that’s just the way it is,” she said.
While a lot of intricate artistry went into their flower arrangements, the couple, celebrating 50 years of marriage this year, agreed when it came to their marriage, the answer wasn’t nearly as complicated.
“It’s not hard work,” Mrs Pradella said.
“I guess we’re just one of the lucky ones.
“God blessed us.”
This year the Pradellas are set to celebrate their wedding milestone at the annual Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass at St Stephen’s on the revised date of Saturday, September 28, at 10am.
Usually the Mass is held in the first week of October but, due to the Brisbane Assembly, the Mass was moved a week earlier.
Mrs Pradella said it was funny because she and her husband wed on October 4, 1969.
“They’ve always had the Mass here on the first week of October for as long as I’ve been here, so, what do they do this year when it was our special weekend – they went and changed it,” she said with a laugh.
The Pradellas won’t be alone at the Mass.
Mr Pradella said he and three of his good mates were all celebrating their wedding anniversaries this year at the Mass.
He said all four of them started Prep 1 together at Our Lady of Angels, Wavell Heights.
“We grew up together,” he said.
And to this day, the four of them catch up all the time.
As for Mr and Mrs Pradella, they’ve known each other since they were 16 years old.
Mr Pradella said they met through his brother, who was friends with Glenda’s sister.
After five years of friendship, the pair struck up a relationship and never looked back.
These days, the couple enjoys gardening together.
“Glenda’s the designer and I’m the digger,” Mr Pradella said.
And as for the future, Mr Pradella said they were going to “enjoy every day”.
