I would be remiss if I went on my vacation and did not mention that last weekend I went to one of the loveliest weddings I've ever been to. Yes, Anhabelle and Dave tied the knot, the bride looked beautiful, the groom was dapper, the sister cried, the father generously shared his Hennessy, and the law school friends got drunk.
In all seriousness, the wedding was so great for a variety of reasons that make a wedding successful in my eyes. I, for one, have always been a fan of elopement, or at least going to someplace exotic and turning the event into an adventure/vacation. For me, what ought to make a wedding special is the fact that you have found a person you'd like to spend every day with. And I think that, more often than not these days, the stress of planning a party that will make everyone happy and might break your bank in the meantime, can overshadow that admirable and engaging notion.
But a traditional wedding is successful to me if it allows you to enjoy the day without going broke and stressing out about the whole shebangabang. Anhabelle's wedding was at one of my favorite restaurants in Montclair called Taro. Everyone there was a family member or close friend of the bride and groom and it wasn't so crowded that the bride and groom could only spend one minute per guest. And the food! Oh, Taro, I love you and your walnut shrimp. I have issues with shrimp - if I eat too much, I get sick (much like a 5 year old who can't stop eating candy), but I just can't stop myself.
"Don't even think about touching the walnut shrimp when it comes," I said to my former law school cohorts. "It's mine. I'm not sharing." Rather than calling me out as the selfish bitch that I am, my friends actually let me eat most of the shrimp. Now that is friendship. Of course, there was also roast duck, chicken, fried steak with an orange sauce, dumplings, chicken satay, edamame, and some fish, I believe. It was completely amazing.
Laid back and intimate, the whole affair went off without a hitch and everyone had a smashing time. The highlight for me might have been when Mike and P instigated the horah, tossing Anh and Dave up into the air on wicker chairs. There aren't enough moments of spontaneity at weddings, and this was one of those moments.
So, congratulations to the bride and groom. If I ever get married, I'll use your wedding as my model.
Seven weeks to plan a wedding . . . couldn't have happened without the help of all our family and friends. Thanks for the kind words. It sounds so cliche, but honestly, it thrilled us to have so many people share in our joy.
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note: now that I have been up in a chair, do I have to bother going to conversion classes or can I say I'm Jewish?