The bride is a very special person to me, the daughter of a cousin I have been connected to since childhood, and his wife who has been my pen pal since age 7 or 8. She's a theater and music professional, a green-eyed redhead (and she has the freckles to prove it), very bright and pretty and fun, assertive and confident. Finding a man who was her equal and worthy of her - who would be a partner in the best sense of the word - would be nigh on impossible. So I was surprised, delighted, and cry-in-public happy to meet Spike, who is all of that and more. They have been living together and running a business together for a while now, this is real and no flash in the pan.
Spike has a HUGE family, most of them were at the reception, and they welcomed me into the family as warmly as did my own. Even more touching because as close a connection as I have with the bride, we're fairly distant relatives, both geographically and in relationship (my great-grandpa was her great-great-grandpa).
Karaoke was every bit as fun as you would expect from two theater families, onstage with super professional lighting. Several professional quality voices, including the bride's duet with her Dad. Sally, the wife of the bride's brother, a midwife by profession, blew me away with a gorgeous alto voice and magnificent stage presence. Turns out she was a theater arts major before changing careers. Sammi, a dance teacher at the school Shana and Mike run, could walk into any lounge show and bring down the house. And so on. I sang My Way, which was just barely in my key on the machine, and nailed it. The compliments ranged from "brilliant" to "glorious" to "I've never liked that song, until now". Major applause, for which I am such a whore. I was tempted to sing another song, but decided I really couldn't top that performance.
Wedding dress under construction in Auntie Hazel's room
Dress view from the front. That's Hazel on the left.
Dress view from the back - during the vows, with Spike facing us.
The word they use here is "brilliant". It describes the whole wedding weekend. More than worth the trip. Way more. Here are the events I attended:
Friday night:
Wedding Dress Construction at Auntie Hazel's hotel room
Reception Hall Decorating session at The Barn Theatre
Picnic on the beach with friends & family of bride & groom
Saturday morning:
Take great-aunt to wedding - picked up in cab by cousin Howard P. and wife
Pre-wedding gathering outside Town Hall
Wedding - civil ceremony in Town Hall
Double-decker chartered bus to the reception at the Barn Theatre
Reception
Personal vows exchanged, speeches by both dads, bride's and groom's older brothers (a roast, actually)
Karaoke till 11 pm
Chartered bus to hotel
Drinks with bride & groom & friends
Sunday:
afternoon Drinks with bride & groom, family & friends at a beachside bar
evening drinks at hotel bar where parents of bride were staying
(I was invited to dinner there too, but chose to try the local Thai place instead)
Cheers!
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