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May 15, 2007
Holy Matrimony!
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Yes, we are in the glorious throws of wedding season as Beth Kendrick mentioned in a previous blog. A time of year where we are exposed to the institution of holy matrimony in one form of another. We find ourselves either in a wedding, attending a wedding, know of someone getting married, read a blog about it, or peruse a wedding feature in a newspaper or magazine. On TV, we see wedding specials, celebrities weddings, bridezilla shows or sitcoms, and witness wedding-couple contests on morning shows. And who can forget our favorite soap opera weddings over the years?
As the "wedding writer," I love this time of year and can’t get enough of the towering wedding cakes, endless layers of silk and tulle, and gathering of machismo men dressed in their finest garb (even if such garb has to be returned by five the next day according to their contracts.) I guess it’s because it offers great material for my books. I love hearing all the stories, both sentimental and crazy.
Maybe it helps me forget memories of my own engagement fiascos. My fiance and I wanted something simple. A short engagement. A tiny chapel ceremony. A party afterward. With a shiny rock on my finger and newly engaged, I was excited to plan my little wedding!
I spent the next four months in tears.
My fiance and I lived in Florida, but the wedding was to take in Massachusetts. The archaic marriage license laws and their interpretations of such laws were excruciating. MA still required a blood test. MA also wanted you to sign a form that you understand that you know what AIDS is. Simple enough. FL interpreted this as: you must take an expensive six-week course with other medical professionals. Huh? But I’m a bride not a med-tech! Then there was the long wait period prior to getting married. It wouldn’t work out due to our flight sked. Then the scheduling of the chapel wasn’t working out. Then the window of time to apply for the license at town hall came down to three hours. What? Three hours? Tears, people, tears.
Then one day, all our problems were solved with one little action.
We secretly eloped.
A handful of us went to the beach for my fiance and I to exchange vows at sunset. During a 150-day drought, this shouldn’t have been a problem, but the one thunderstorm in the greater Tampa Bay area happened over our head at that moment. So with lightening bolts shooting down around us, we quickly said, "I do," and ran inside for champagne, appetizers, and calypso music. No, we didn’t take the hint. We only knew that all the legalities that made me cry every day went away in an instant.
My new hubby and I kept our secret and still planned to renew our vows in front of the rest of our friends and family two weeks later. So, we boarded a plane to Boston and made the flight attendants check our suit and wedding gown right there on board. We weren’t taking any chances checking them with our luggage. Good thing. Due to a scheduling snafu and lengthy delays, we had to land in VA and spend the night! I kept thinking about the three-hour window at town hall and feeling so grateful that we had eloped. But then the young woman across the aisle from me said with tears in her eyes, "I’m flying home to get married, too, but I checked my gown with my luggage. They lost it. I don’t know what I’m gonna do."
Hubby and I had to do the "terminal shuffle" and trudged through our stopover VA airport. I was so worn out, I dragged my heavy gown-length garment bag along the floor of the terminal. Fellow travelers were kind enough to leap over this huge monstrosity when they saw me coming. But if they had stepped on it, I really wouldn’t have cared at that point. After a night at a hotel and an ensuing flight, we finally made it to Boston.
The chapel and ceremony were lovely. The day was sunny but hot. When it came time for photos outside, the sky opened up and another thunderstorm screeched on during the one hour needed to take pictures. (What the hell? Was someone trying to tell us something?)
We had a block party at my brother-in-law's place. It was awesome; he lived in a great historical neighborhood in a picturesque seaside North Shore town. Terrific authentic Italian food. Wild music. People dancing in the streets. All the neighbors joined in on the fun. But to afford such a great place, his great neighborhood is kinda near a rough neighborhood. Hence the gun shots ("Head count! Is everybody accounted for?") and a car getting stolen. Fortunately, it was no one’s car from the party. With excitement like that, I was dubbed, "danger-bride!"
I’m glad hubby and I didn’t take the hint of the lightening bolts zapping down around us twice on both wedding days because hubby and I still together. His name is Michael.
But there were the fun parts to the engagement, too. Like choosing a wedding planner guide. Deciding on the food and music. Picking out the wedding dress. My favorite part? Looking into Michael’s eyes and saying, "I do," not once, but twice.
The only advice I have about weddings is this: try and enjoy the engagement because it lasts longer than the wedding day itself. I wish someone told me that! If course, it’s really about the marriage, isn’t it?
So, this week is all about weddings. Its light and tender side. Its crazy-zany side. Ever deal with a bridezilla? Ever meet an ugly bride? (I worked in the banquet/wedding industry before and yes I actually saw an ugly bride once!) What’s your most tender matrimonial moment? What engagement or wedding-day advice do the LCs have to offer this week?
Oh, did I mention, Michael and I eloped on the anniversary of Elvis’ death?
This blog was brought to you by The Quest for the Holy Veil, Kimberly’s hilarious novel about making the best of things... even when everything goes horribly wrong.
Posted by Kimberly Llewellyn at 1:07 PM | Comments (8)
Comments
Ooh, I love Danger Bride! It makes you sound like a superhero.
Posted by: The LC Eileen ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at May 15, 2007 4:45 PM
WOW,Your wedding sounds like one of Laura Durham's Annabelle Archer's weddings.
Posted by: Annette at May 15, 2007 5:38 PM
WOW,Your wedding sounds like one of Laura Durham's Annabelle Archer's weddings.
Posted by: Annette at May 15, 2007 5:39 PM
Now THERES'S an author who knows how to deal with someone who's annoying her...just wack 'em off in the pages of her novel. She should have been part of our discussion two weeks ago. As for "Danger Bride," she'll have to find her way in the pages of my future book!
Posted by: Kimberly at May 15, 2007 6:27 PM
My mother's dress was mislaid. She and my dad got married in Vermont, where her parents lived so the dress was shipped. Apparently it was mis-delivered to a similar sounding address. My granddad and dad had to head out to a rundown house surrounded by "no trespassing" signs and face a toothless old guy who got the package and just stuffed it under his bed - never wondering if some bride might be wanting it. But the dress was safely retrieved!
Posted by: RandomRanter at May 16, 2007 6:30 PM
I'm glad she got the gown back safe and sound!
Posted by: Kimberly at May 17, 2007 11:00 AM
I LOVED my wedding day. It was so simple- on the beach and then a short walk into the restaurant for the after party. It was also very cost effective! :) Why start married life in crazy debt over one day?
The only downside was that it was in August and VERY HOT... FL summer hot. I just wanted to get the picture taking part over with asap due to the heat! LOL
Now, the ironic part was that we had originally scheduled the wedding for March 9th. Only, days after I sent out the "save the date" announcement, I found out I was pregnant and due.... yep, you guessed it- March 9th!
Posted by: Amber at May 17, 2007 5:06 PM
We got married in Reno. Nothing big, just his mom and my grandma, the foster kids and his friend in attendance. We had a party at his mom's a couple of weeks later.
My best matrimonial memory? Dancing with my new hubby at our reception and singing "Can I Have This Dance?" to him (along with Anne Murray on the stereo).
Funniest memory? Had to be the ceremony, which was nondenominational and the guy rambled on and on about wind through pillars and whatnot--I think he was quoting The Prophet--and my hubby and I looking at each other and trying not to lose it!
Posted by: Sheri at May 27, 2007 12:33 PM
