Highlights from the trip: July 7

[cjsmith]

Rolling a wheelchair on carpet is like going continually a tiny bit uphill. My room was (best guess) a quarter mile from the elevators. I did ONE round trip under my own power, and the tendons in both wrists are still screaming at me days later.

The Primping Room! Two hairdressers. A bunch of women. A plate of fruit for snackies. Cameras all over the place. Hair spray and jewelry everywhere. Random people delivering stuff for the flower girls. Waving out the window to the non-primpers at the pool. The groom trying to get ready in the midst of this chaos.

My carefully sewed outfit did fit fine, but never having tried the whole thing on at once, I didn't know how I would look in it. I put it on for the first time about five minutes before the ceremony. Verdict: heinous. It's salvageable, but not quickly. With two minutes remaining I threw it on the bed and wore the Backup Plan (ankle-length and midnight blue). Lesson learned. Unit testing != system testing.

Flower girls are the cutest things in the universe. Especially when one of them somehow manages to lose her shoes by the time she arrives at the ceremony. That right there is the eternal and primal force of cute.

Beautiful, beautiful wedding. Lovely readings. Jaw-droppingly gorgeous bride (okay, I'm biased). Handsome groom with a joyful smile. Beautiful outdoor setting. Adorably cute ring bearer. Relaxed and happy and enthusiastic officiant who's a long time friend. If I ever have a ceremony I hope it's half as nice. This one was great.

It was wonderful to see my sister and her groom dancing, and it was just as wonderful to see my parents dancing. They were clearly loving it... and wow can they dance, too.

I still wonder how much alcohol a wedding consumes.

I actually danced a little at the reception. Yeah, I'm paying for it, but yeah, it was worth it.

Comments

[tryslora]

Tell her I said congratulations!

Oh, and my folks were asking after you this past weekend, so they send their hellos and regards!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Will do! And hello back to your folks. How is your dad's vision doing these days?

[tryslora]

His vision is actually fabulous. He's driving again and without glasses! Apparently lasik comes free with the cornea replacement surgery. Now if only he could get a JOB, things'd be simpler. Mom's still working at the consignment shop for kids' stuff and spoiling my kids rotten.

On the other hand, I find saying the word "job" in the same sentences with my parents highly disturbing because oh dear gods, someday I'd like to think I get to STOP working.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That's excellent! Good for him! I'm so glad to hear it.

Ugh, I hear you about "job". My dad is still working (at a startup, no less) and still thinking about what his next job will be, and yeesh, I'd like to have a role model saying that retirement exists.

Dancing

[fyellin.livejournal.com]

Danced? With rfrench? That's a scary thought!

Re: Dancing

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Hey, we used to be quite good at it before square dancing rotted our brains!

Re: Dancing

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

"Dancing" is a bit generous, I think. CJ danced, and I sort of hung out in the general area. But yes, we used to be quite good at ballroom - say 16 years ago.

Re: Dancing

[fyellin.livejournal.com]

What's the visual equivalent to "la la la la la." I've got to get this image out of my head.

Re: Dancing

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Hey at least we were clothed...

[sharya.livejournal.com]

Aww that sounds like such a good time :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It was great. Almost made me want to have a ceremony ... almost. :)

[wooddragon.livejournal.com]

I always enjoy weddings. Get to see folks I don't get to see often, and all dressed up, get to meet folks I've never met that are important to folks I do know.

Sounds like a wonderful time!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I enjoy weddings if I know enough people. It's a little tough for introvert me when I don't. But yes, this one was great! And it's always fun to take pictures of everyone in their finery (and of the little kids doing goofy things, of course)!

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

G and I are tempted to have a cash bar. Its not so much to save money (though it would in a big way), but to prevent over consumption and bad mojo.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, not once did I see anyone get out of control. The bride was reminding people to hydrate; people were laughing and smiling; everyone (except me of course) was walking steadily with good balance. But forty people plus a couple of evening events lasting many hours... it adds up.

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

Ah, I guess 100+ would be harder to moderate.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this wedding was small and intimate. It worked very well for that group.

Wow, I totally missed that you are getting married! Congratulations! You're going for 100+ people? Wow. Does that mean a lot more planning than, say, 40 people, or is it the same amount of planning and just more plates and tables?

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't hold you're breath. We've been engaged since 2000 and together 16 years.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha good going! Well, when you get around to it I hope it is a fun and wonderful event. At least you know one bit -- how well you get along long-term! (My sis and her groom are in that boat as well, together probably I don't know ten years or so so far, and Rob and I are going on twenty with probably no ceremony ever in sight. Yay for partnerships with or without throwing the Official Party!)

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Wow, have they been together that long? I still remember her previous boyfriend, and the one before that, and...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

We're old.