The day after
Yesterday turned out to be absolutely wonderful. My dad and I did a bunch of errands around mid-day -- taking crazy Lucy to the kennel, picking up the veggie platter and collecting the most amazing assemblage of pastries ever -- then came back to my house for a little down time before getting dressed. My mom and sister were off at the mall getting E's makeup done, and Darren headed out to pick up her bouquet and turn on the heat in the little chapel. We'd left plenty of time for all these errands, but all of a sudden it was 2 pm - wedding at 2:30 - no one was dressed, the photographer was here wanting to take pictures of the preparations... it went from serenity to chaos in about 12 seconds flat.
In the end, though, all was fine. My sister looked absolutely amazing in her ivory, halter-neck gown. I got to drive her the mile to the chapel, in which we told dumb dog stories so as to prevent her from dissolving into sentimental tears. Then she and I sat in the car for a moment while my dad ran inside to set up the video camera in the back pew and her soon-to-be father-in-law took pictures of us inside the car.
The ceremony was short and sweet. All 10 of us attendees participated, with most doing readings -- Darren and I read Love Sonnet IX by Pablo Neruda -- and others carrying the rings and signing the license. Our friend S. officiated -- she's a notary public, and so could perform the ceremony, which was just great... to have someone we all know running the show made it so much more meaningful. And then it was over. We took pictures of every possible combination of those 12 people, and then the crew headed down to the beach for more shots of the bride and groom. I heard P whisper to her that his favorite moment was when the door opened and she walked in... so sweet. They are a wonderful couple, and it makes me so happy to see my sister in such a fantastic relationship.
Later, we gathered at their house for some light appetizers and the opening of presents, then went on to an amazing dinner at a warm, cozy restaurant near the chapel. There is a tension-filled divorce on the groom's side of the family, which necessitated some creative seating arrangements, but everything went very smoothly. P's mom hugged me and cried at the end of the night, saying she's so glad the four of us live so close together and that she wants me to take care of her son, too (along with my sister, his wife, I assume?). Her words came out a little jumbled, but the sentiment was heartfelt.
And then the bride and groom hopped into their car and headed up the coast for a brief honeymoon. Within five minutes of arriving at our house, my parents and Darren and I were all in our pajamas (at 8:15 last night!). We sat on the couch and discussed the day. By 9:45 I was asleep on the couch.
Today will be quiet. My mom and I are off to get massages in an hour or so. Darren's at the gym, and my dad is still sleeping. We have to rescue Lucy from the kennel before noon, and this afternoon we're planning to head over to E and P's to clean up and leave them some surprises for their return tomorrow night. I have preparations to make for my meetings on Monday, and a freelance piece to write tomorrow, but the rest of the weekend should be quiet and calm nonetheless.
In the end, though, all was fine. My sister looked absolutely amazing in her ivory, halter-neck gown. I got to drive her the mile to the chapel, in which we told dumb dog stories so as to prevent her from dissolving into sentimental tears. Then she and I sat in the car for a moment while my dad ran inside to set up the video camera in the back pew and her soon-to-be father-in-law took pictures of us inside the car.
The ceremony was short and sweet. All 10 of us attendees participated, with most doing readings -- Darren and I read Love Sonnet IX by Pablo Neruda -- and others carrying the rings and signing the license. Our friend S. officiated -- she's a notary public, and so could perform the ceremony, which was just great... to have someone we all know running the show made it so much more meaningful. And then it was over. We took pictures of every possible combination of those 12 people, and then the crew headed down to the beach for more shots of the bride and groom. I heard P whisper to her that his favorite moment was when the door opened and she walked in... so sweet. They are a wonderful couple, and it makes me so happy to see my sister in such a fantastic relationship.
Later, we gathered at their house for some light appetizers and the opening of presents, then went on to an amazing dinner at a warm, cozy restaurant near the chapel. There is a tension-filled divorce on the groom's side of the family, which necessitated some creative seating arrangements, but everything went very smoothly. P's mom hugged me and cried at the end of the night, saying she's so glad the four of us live so close together and that she wants me to take care of her son, too (along with my sister, his wife, I assume?). Her words came out a little jumbled, but the sentiment was heartfelt.
And then the bride and groom hopped into their car and headed up the coast for a brief honeymoon. Within five minutes of arriving at our house, my parents and Darren and I were all in our pajamas (at 8:15 last night!). We sat on the couch and discussed the day. By 9:45 I was asleep on the couch.
Today will be quiet. My mom and I are off to get massages in an hour or so. Darren's at the gym, and my dad is still sleeping. We have to rescue Lucy from the kennel before noon, and this afternoon we're planning to head over to E and P's to clean up and leave them some surprises for their return tomorrow night. I have preparations to make for my meetings on Monday, and a freelance piece to write tomorrow, but the rest of the weekend should be quiet and calm nonetheless.
posted by mc at 8:26 AM
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