Get your ow
n diary at DiaryLand.com! contact me older entries newest entry

4:38 p.m. - 2008-10-28
The wedding festival

Well, it was just a wonderful, beautiful wedding. It was so amazing to see how happy my brother and my friend are! Friday afternoon we headed out to the church for the rehearsal at 6. It is a pretty church, and the one that my friend grew up with. We had a very terse wedding organizer who lined us up, had us practice once and then sent us on our way. My mother and father were coming up from the cape, and since my mother is having difficulty walking now, I phoned her and told her to park at the back of the church near the rectory and use the elevator to come up to the sanctuary. But...she didn't listen and blamed me because she was late. Spouse went out at 6 to find her and they weren't there. I wouldn't have minded but she had to keep saying it during the rehearsal.

My sister and I just rolled our eyes after the third mention. Then we headed to the rehearsal dinner which was a lovely, small restaurant that my brother had picked. The food was fabulous, and it was a nice, family-oriented event with nice stories and toasts given to the bride and groom, except from the bride's mother who was kind of a tool and wouldn't say anything nice about her daughter.

Then we headed down to the Cape and our time shares. My sister, my parents and spouse, Andy and I stayed in one complex; my brother and his friends stayed at another complex close by, and my aunt and uncle and my father's cousin and his wife stayed at one closer to the mainland. Andy ended up staying with his cousins at my sister's unit.

Saturday morning we went to the continental breakfast at the time share, took the kids to the pool and then spouse and other young men went to the bachelor festivities which included lunch at a lobster restaurant, exploring quaint Cape Cod towns and their shops, then heading into Boston for drinks and a fabulous dinner, and cannoli and cappuccino at Mikes in the North End. The moms and the kids went to the bride's family's house for a pumpkin carving and tea. The bride was on the phone or online for a chunk of it, taking care of last minute wedding details. The kids had a great time, and we all headed back to the time shares for a swim and then dinner with the rest of the flammy.

Sunday morning we had to be at the hotel/spa with the bride to get hair done and get dressed, so we left about 7:30 ish to drive up to the hotel and get ready. It was fun and crazy. I got my fingernails painted a pale blue that I like very much, and had my hair up which I didn't like so much. Then we got dressed, into the limos and off to the church. There were pictures and greetings, then the procession. My brother started to cry when he saw his bride for the first time. It was very sweet. The service was about an hour, and the priest was fabulous and enthusiastic - it was a wonderful ceremony. Then more pictures - the weather was perfect (they had been predicting rain for Sunday.) There was the ballet of who was driving where and who had left cars at the reception (which was about 40 minutes away) and everything worked out. We arrived at the reception for more pictures, but the bride and groom and photographer were not there, so we waited. Finally, everyone who was supposed to be there was there, we did the photos and dashed back to the reception - everyone was STARVING! We hadn't eaten all day! My brother had cocktails, raw bar, cheeses and passed hors d'oeuvres. I think I ate my weight in shrimp and oysters! Then there were more pictures, and we were asked to come into the reception and be introduced. We sat at the long head table and there were about 7 or 8 tables of 6 or 8 people. We did the toasts, and my other brother (who was best man) did such a sweet toast about a picture of a sled that he and my brother used to ride on, and how that whenever my younger brother would draw a picture, the sled was always there. It was really moving. My younger brother picked out really great songs for the DJ, and after the bride and groom danced, he played Ya make me wanna shout! and we were all on the dance floor - it was such a great moment. Dinner was fillet and lobster tails or pork tenderloin - really delicious and filling. It was nice to catch up to my second cousins whom I hadn't seen in several years. Andy was so handsome in his tux, and he and the nephews sang some songs with the DJ.

The reception started at 5:30 and we had the place until 10:30 but at that point we were all ready to go home and take our shoes off! We drove one of the groomsmen back to the hotel, then came back for my folks whom my sister and I decided would not drive themselves. We were all at the same hotel so that was nice, and the kids congregated in my folks' room for about an hour, and then everyone was ready for sleep about 12:30. Andy decided he needed a night with Nana and Grandpa, so spouse and I each got our own bed. I promised to take everyone swimming at 8 when the pool opened, and my brother asked me to set up breakfast for everyone at the hotel, so we nad a 10 a.m. reservation for 21! The kids all swam for a couple of hours. It was a nice way to wrap things up and we finished the carrot cake top of the wedding cake and talked about the wedding and looked at some pictures and then it was time to pack out and head home.

I had to work last night because we had a big event in Boston and I was hoping for media coverage which we DID NOT get. My sister and parents headed back to the Cape as did my aunt and uncle. My brother and new SIL also headed back to pack up before they left on their honeymoon today - A 10 day cruise! Ahhhhhh. Everyone met for dinner last night, except sadly, spouse, Andy and I. Andy and spouse went to Andy's scout ceremony and Andy got a big pile of merit badges that he'd earned.

I am really tired today - I got home from work around 10 last night and had an early meeting this morning. Spouse came by and brought me a sandwich for lunch, and I plowed through stuff that had piled up on the day I took off.

And that just about covers everything. My sister and her kids flew home today and I miss them already. My folks may be coming back to our house towards the end of the week, but they haven't firmed up their plans. I know they will be here at least on Monday because I have to take them back to the airport.

But considering how stressed-out I felt about all the events and potential family land-mines, it was just beautiful and I am so happy for my brother and my friend and was just caught up in the love and family stuff and am trying to beat that negative stuff out of my brain - the part that feels I have to protect myself.

My sister and I had a really nice talk. She is better at letting my mother's behavior roll off her "like water on a duck's ass" she says. She recognizes the same stuff that I do, so at least I know it is not just by dark heart or my imagination. And we realized we could lean on each other.

And for now, that's all I got.

previous - next

|

about me - read my profile! read other Diar
yLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get
 your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!