Wedding post

Maybe not an actual post but a list and not even a complete one. But, the start of one.

After the wedding I was laying on the couch at my handsome friend's place, picking bobby pins out of my hair and talking to his roommate/brother.

"How was the wedding?" Roommate/brother asked.
"Wonderful." I said. "But, you know what, I don't think I could actually give a valid opinion I love them both so much." And it's true. I'm so fond of them and happy for them that it is impossible to be biased.

Things I loved about getting to be a part of this wedding.
1. The bride's grandmother wore shiny sparkly blue nail polish on her toes and fingers.
2. My little brother finagled an invite, by reassuring the bride that no matter what happened with her dress, she'd still be beautiful. He somehow had never been to a wedding, besides my mother's and needed help shopping. It had to be explained that pinstriped pants do not match any sort of striped shirt.
3. The bride was brave enough to let the florist, a friend, "surprise" her with the bouquet. It was a beautiful surprise, vintage NOT earthy.
4. The step mother of the groom offered the bride a half a Valium before the wedding. The bride politely declined.
5. The wedding started at 5:00. At 4:40 the bride, two bridesmaids, a grandmother and the officiant (me) were still at the salon. Which was okay, because when we got there the arbor had apparently just toppled over and problems were being solved.
6. A hellion of a flower girl. Very cute, very bad. I have a dog she should meet.
7. Dogs! At the reception. A squirmy black lab puppy and two very old wiener dogs.

That's all for now, possibly more later.

The department of licensing

Quick post.
Still not the post I want to write, but sorta funny none the less. I just got a call from a deep voiced, older sounding gentleman from the Multnomah County Department of Marriage Licensing.

Apparently in the hubbub and haste of Saturday night, someone forgot to fill in some necessary information, I think it was me. I meant to check on an address that I didn't know off the top of my head...the name and official address of the religious organization who made their wedding legit.

Seriously? I'm supposed to know this off the top of my head. I filled out a an online form almost 10 years ago to marry two of my friends and that was the last I thought about it. In the 5 weddings I have performed this is the only one who called to verify ANY information. Which in and of itself is funny. Portland is a stickler for the right information, really? But, the man on the phone was nice and seemed neither amused or annoyed at me so it was okay. He even knew the correct address off the top of his head.

A Rant about Hollywood (I'll skip the introduction for later)

So, at the END of my summer I've decided to do this thing for real. I'll show some of the projects I've been working on but first a rant.

I watched 27 Dresses yesterday. It was slightly disastrous. I didn't end up a teary mess, but honestly I finished the movie and was pissed off. Really angry.

Now, I admit that my timing may have been less than stellar. My younger sister K got engaged this weekend and she and her betrothed stopped by on a pretense of hanging out on their way home, they were at the coast, but really so she could show me her ring. Which was great, I wanted to see it and them. I'm super excited for her and love him. They've been together forever and need to get married. I want to be an aunt. Some might say this is anger/jealousy being directed a cultural ideal instead of at my sister whom I adore. I guess this could be true, but really it's Hollywood endings I have a problem with.

So, the whole movie is about how this girl is sweet and wonderful, she helps everyone she knows and is basically a doormat. One could call it kind and generous but anyone who can't say no is a doormat. In the last half hour of the movie she ruins her sister's wedding, confesses her love her boss, jumps (literally) into the middle of a total stranger's wedding, and then lives happily ever after with the handsome cynical man who spends the whole movie not believing in marriage.

No problem right? Happens all the time.

Now this is my issue: she supposedly has this big epiphany. She is able to say no, stand up for herself, and express her own wants and needs. Great. Self-actualization, what we're all heading for, what we all hope for and work towards right? Or at least on a good day. She starts heading in the right direction and then black screen and One Year Later?

Beach wedding. Of course, how could one hope to get past that apex of happiness. The whole damn movie was about her obsession with weddings and the over importance she seemed to place on this idealized day. Maybe for some, even most, people their wedding day is perfect. I've been in 8 weddings (I've performed 5 ceremonies, been the maid of honor, a bride's maid and a reader) and most of those women would not have changed a single thing about their wedding day. Although one claims she should have just gone to Vegas. But, this pinnacle happiness as proscribed by Hollywood. Am I the only girl, single married or whatever who would like there to be something more. Why is a wedding the end all be all?

Or am I just cynical and bitter?