What is the earliest family wedding you remember attending? Did your family attend many weddings when you were growing up? What do you remember of them? What was typical of weddings you attended? Were you ever in a wedding as a child? As you became a young adult were you in lots of weddings? What roles did you have? Did you catch the bouquet (or garter)? What "royal" or newsmaking weddings do you remember and how old were you? For the gals, were you one who planned your wedding repeatedly as you were growing up or was it not a big deal to you? What have you noticed that is different about weddings today, and do you consider it for better or for worse?
The earliest family wedding I remember was the wedding of my mom's sister, my Aunt Jane. My mom was her only bridesmaid, and I was the flower girl. I think I was four. I remember carefully dropping the petals as I followed my mother down the aisle. I also remember a friend of my aunt (actually a friend of her new husband), who was called "The Fat Man" leaned over and said 'boo' or something to me as I walked. I stopped momentarily and looked at him before continuing on my way. I don't think I ever heard him called by his real name. I remember getting to sit in the front row with my grandma during the wedding since they thought I was too little to stand in front the whole time. My flower girl basket hung in my room as a decoration for many years. My mother probably still has it.
The reception was at the home of my grandparents, and that's where this picture of my brother and me was taken.
I don't remember going to many weddings as a child, but at my 10th birthday party, we acted out the wedding of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki. It was the celebrity wedding of 1969, and they were married on the Johnny Carson show.
My mom was known for her creative birthday parties, and as each of my friends arrived, we drew from a hat to see which character we would play. We put on costumes, had a quick rehearsal, and then my mom (or maybe my dad) filmed it on the movie camera. I remember I was a crying mother. A few weeks later, after the film was developed, we had everyone back for a popcorn party to watch the movie.
I was the first of my friends to get married. I remember being the cake cutter for a friend, and it was hard work! I was maid of honor for my best childhood friend, and a bridesmaid in the weddings of two of my college roommates and also in my brother's wedding. This picture if from my college roommate's wedding. I am second from the left in the picture.
Of course I remember the wedding of Charles and Diana in July of 1981. We were married just 4 days earlier, and we watched it on our honeymoon. But there was another "big" celebrity wedding later that fall, the wedding of Luke and Laura on General Hospital.
Weddings are special, happy days, and today's wedding of William and Kate was certainly that. I know there are folks who really didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but I'm glad I got up early to watch. It was, well, majestic. The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, and everything seemed perfect. Amid the pomp and circumstance, and the nervousness they must have been feeling, they really seemed to be enjoying themselves.
And as they drove away from the palace, it looked to me like they were definitely having fun. An important part of every marriage.
No comments:
Post a Comment