Happy Couple: Mark and Elizabeth
Wedding Date: Saturday, July 10
Location: Macon, GA
Status: attended
Mark is one of my choir buddies from Emory University, so this wedding was an excuse to re-connect with a lot of old friends. I had not met the bride before the wedding, but she certainly looked lovely. The very fancy wedding and reception were held at a church in Macon, and I saved all the bits of paper from this one (invitation, program) because I have no doubt that they followed all the rules of etiquette to the letter. The invitation was one of those engraved ones that opens up, only there's nothing in the middle (which I've always found rather curious), and I thought when I received it in the mail that they'd decided to send the envelopes through a computer program that simulates calligraphy until I looked really closely and realized it was real calligraphy, just so insanely perfect that it didn't look like it had been done by human hands. All the details of this wedding were like that. There must have been a wedding planner involved because nothing seemed spontaneous or left to chance. The food was lovely and plentiful (though I didn't get to sample much of it because I was still on my pre-surgery no-fat diet), the bride's cake had her initials embossed on it in frosting, the groom's cake was topped with sugared fruit (which I totally stole off the cake and ate - hey, I'm not proud), all the chairs had satin ribbons around them, the attendants all matched perfectly, both male (morning suits, shiny shoes, boutoinnieres) and female (dresses, hair, nails, shoes, flowers). Oh, and there were 600 people there. Minimum. I wish again that I could show you a picture, but I forgot my camera again. I'm actually most disappointed not that I didn't get a picture of the couple but that I didn't get a picture of Eric and Souzanne with their little daughter, Rania. She was adorable, and she followed me around because I had sparkles on my dress (which, incidentally, is not appropriate for a proper Southern church wedding. If one wishes to sparkle at the reception, one changes out of one's church clothes after the ceremony. Now you know, and you will not make the same mistake I did, should you ever be invited to a wedding of this sort).

Happy Couple: Lucy and Eric
Wedding Date: Saturday, July 31
Location: Washington, DC
Participation: Bridesmaid
Lucy is one of my best friends in all the world, and I was honored and thrilled to be a part of her wedding. Eric is a really great guy, and they complement each other very well. I was very glad that I was a bridesmaid in this wedding because I got to attend all the pre-wedding events, which were every bit as fun as the wedding itself! My best friend Allison was a bridesmaid as well, so we took the trip together, which was also a lot of fun because we don't often get such an extended chunk of time to talk and hang out. Lucy and I were bridesmaids in Allison's wedding, and they will both be bridesmaids in my wedding next year, bringing the whole thing full circle. Yay for good friends! Lucy worked really hard on her wedding, and it was wonderful. I love the program so much that I'm keeping it; I wonder if she'd be mad if I copied it wholesale. I'm also thinking of cribbing one of the readings she used that I really, really liked. Lucy is Southern Methodist, and Eric is a New York Jew, so it was definitely an interesting ceremony; they were married by two of Lucy's uncles (both Methodist ministers) and a rabbi. Both families were good-natured about the culture clash, and everyone clearly loved Lucy and Eric so much (and who wouldn't?) that it was really a beautiful day. Lucy wore her mother's wedding dress, which was really beautiful (I wish I had a better picture of it), and the reception was much fun, especially the Dixieland band! I could not have had more fun.

Wedding Photo:

To hear more in-depth babbling about this wedding, go to the LiveJournal entry.

Happy Couple: Daniel and Summer
Wedding Date: Saturday, August 7
Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA
Participation: attended
Daniel is another person in the "best friends of all time" category, and the prospect of his wedding filled me with great glee. I stayed with him and Summer when I went to L.A. a few years back, and they've been to Atlanta to visit many times, so I know Summer pretty well, given that we've never lived in the same city. Summer is a cool girl, lots of fun, and I think Daniel adores her even more than he lets on. They are a cute couple. Martha's Vineyard is not the easiest place in the world to get to from Atlanta, but it is definitely worth the trip. The weather was beautiful, and I got to take walks on the beach and wander around the island quite a bit during the down time between wedding events. The ceremony was in an old wooden chapel in Oak Bluffs, and the reception was at a sailing club with a spectacular view. The salt water breeze coming through the screened windows reminded me of Tall Timbers, except that everyone was dressed up for a wedding, and there was wine. Summer and Daniel looked so happy, I was glad that I could be there. Like Mark's wedding, it was also a chance to see old friends and acquaintances whom I hadn't seen in a long, long time. An awesome weekend all the way around!

Wedding Photo:

To hear more in-depth babbling about this wedding, go to the LiveJournal entry.

Happy Couple: Yvette and Keith
Wedding Date: Saturday, September 18
Location: Decatur, GA
Participation: Bridesmaid
Yvette is another Emory buddy, and I'm glad she asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding because we're even better friends now than we were before. Derik and Keith have become friends as well (they get to talk about airplanes to their hearts' content while Yvette and I discuss movies and fashion), and we've had many fun evenings hanging out together. The wedding itself was loads of fun, as were all the surrounding events. Yvette looked beautiful, and the wedding attendants mostly managed to maintain the decorum appropriate to the occasion (there was some concern, it must be said). All the bridesmaids except one were Emory alumni, so it was fun to find out where everyone was and what they were up to. This was one of the only weddings of the year to which Derik was able to accompany me, and I was really happy to have him with me. Yvette asked all her bridesmaids to wear long, black dresses they already owned (which is also what Lucy did), and I am 100% in favor of that now. It makes life so much easier, and you end up with a collection of women who all look like themselves, a collection of individuals, instead of a Robert Palmer video. I definitely want to let my bridesmaids pick out their own dresses, though I don't really want them to be black. I suppose they'll have to buy dresses for my wedding instead of being able to just pick something out of the closet, but hey, at least they can buy dresses they like. When it was time to throw the bouquet, I took my place in the crowd, thinking nostalgically that it was probably the last time I'd be single at a wedding. To my chagrin, I was already too late; the other single women told me I had no business standing up there with a ring already on my finger. I stood my ground, but my confidence had been shaken, so when the bouquet came my way, I let the woman next to me grab it. Then Derik caught the garter, and I really wished I'd caught the bouquet, especially when it all turned out to be a plot; Yvette told me she'd seen where I was standing and thrown it right to me on purpose. Oh, well.

Wedding Photo:

To hear more in-depth babbling about this wedding, go to the LiveJournal entry.

Happy Couple: Jonah and Joseph
Wedding Date: Saturday, October 2
Location: Stone Mountain, GA
Participation: will not attend (I have to work)
I don't know Jonah and Joseph very well, but Jonah is very close with my best friend Kelley. Every year Kelley and I throw a joint birthday party, and she always comes; two years ago she brought Joseph for the first time. They were pretty wrapped in each other, so I wasn't surprised when I found out it was serious. I am working for the opera's annual Family Day on Saturday; otherwise, I'd be attending their wedding, which I'm sure will be lovely. I wish them all the blessings in the world!

So there you have Wedding Season 2004 in a nutshell. With any luck, Wedding Season 2005 will be slightly less busy, since I'll have my own wedding to plan. I'm glad, though, that I've attended so many weddings this year and last because I've learned a lot about what to do and what not to do (lest it drive me crazy). I would like to be one of those calm, radiant brides, though I have a feeling I'll be running around like a chicken with my head cut off the day of the wedding, like most of the brides I've seen in action. But I'm going to try to be low maintenance. Allison shared with me a quote from one of her friends whose caterer literally didn't show up and who had to order pizza for the guests at her wedding. She said, "Hey, as long as you're married by the end of it, it's a perfect day." It's easy to get caught up in the dresses and the flowers and the invitations and the food, but a wedding isn't really about that. I'm going to try to remember what's important (wish me luck).

And now, without further ado, the moment you've been waiting for: The Goober Wedding Awards! All the weddings were fabulous, and these decisions were hard, but someone has to hand down judgment, and it might as well be me.

Best Ceremony Location: Daniel and Summer - I loved that old chapel. Penny and Roby run a close second here for their beautiful lakeside ceremony.

Best Reception Location: Lee and Tom - Lee really lucked out by finding The Pine Tavern. The reception was out in the gazebo, and the restaurant was closed for the wedding, but the bar was still open. The atmosphere at the bar was smoky and drinky, while the atmosphere outside was light and airy, so people could choose their party or go back and forth. The setting was beautiful but casual, nice enough to be a wedding but also laid-back enough for everyone to feel comfortable. Well done, sister, and a tough act to follow.

Most Inconvenient Location: Daniel and Summer - Like I said, though, it was totally worth the trip. It also helped keep the size of the wedding down. Hmm...

Best Hospitality: Lucy and Eric - They had many out of town guests, and Lucy and her mother actually made gift bags for every single person, each including a homemade loaf of bread.

Fanciest Wedding: Mark and Elizabeth - There was nothing about this wedding that was not fancy, with the exception of a few of the guests (such as myself).

Quickest Turnaround: Penny and Roby - They planned and executed their wedding in a couple of months.

Best Comedy Moment: Lucy and Eric - The minister told Lucy and Eric that we would always love and support them, "even if the union produces more lawyers."

Most Awkward Moment: Yvette and Keith - One of the groomsmen yelled out, "Go Bucks!" just as the minister launched into the final prayer. He said afterward, "I thought it was over," as if that explained it.

Best Ceremony Music: Daniel and Summer - With Ted singing to the accompaniment of organ and Andrea's oboe, how could they have gone wrong?

Best Reception Music: Lucy and Eric - I would never have thought of a Dixieland band would be the way to go, but this music was both giddy and romantic and impossible to listen to without smiling.

Best DJ: Penny and Roby - My friend Chaz did the honors, and he played all the stuff Penny likes to dance to, which happens to also be the stuff I like to dance to, so that worked out. And I'm not just giving the award to them because they played a couple of Lindsay Smith songs.

Worst DJ: Daniel and Summer - The music was fine, but he was one of those DJ's who kept yelling at people for not dancing enough. He'd say stuff like, "Hey, go round up all the people standing around outside, and make them come in and dance!" Dude - your job is to play music for those who wish to dance, not irritate the other guests with your chatter. We didn't come to the wedding to admire your turntable skills, and until you play a song I really want to dance to, I'm going to talk to my friends.

Best First Dance: Daniel and Summer - They learned a choreographed fox trot, complete with fancy dips and turns. I never thought I'd see Daniel doing actual choreography, but it just goes to show that you never know what the future holds.

Best Dance Floor: Yvette and Keith - I choose this wedding partly because Alan was there, partly because there were cute toddlers actually holding hands and dancing with each other, and partly because I got to dance lots of slow dances with my boy.

Loudest Screaming Baby: Lee and Tom - It's not really a wedding unless you have at least one screaming baby at the ceremony and at least one toddler on the dance floor.

Cutest Toddler on the Dance Floor: Mark and Elizabeth - Rania danced up a storm, despite the lack of other kids. Yvette and Keith are the runners-up; the ring bearer in his tux escorting a little girl in a frilly white dress was pretty darn cute.

Cutest Flower Girl: Daniel and Summer - She tried very seriously to follow the directions that had been given to her to scatter the flower petals, which only made the actual effect (she would walk two steps, pause, take out a fist-full of petals, and throw them to the ground, then repeat) more comical. Apparently, she spent the rest of the wedding making faces at the Best Man.

Best Reception Food: Lee and Tom - This was a tough one. I loved the food at all the weddings I attended this year, but I have to give the award to Lee and Tom for the tofu dish, which really transcended ordinary wedding fare.

Best Bar: Yvette and Keith - Five hour open bar. 'Nuff said.

Most Beautiful Cake: Mark and Elizabeth - I didn't even get to taste it (stupid no-fat diet), but man, it was spectacular.

Most Delicious Cake: Lucy and Eric - It had a chocolate layer and a vanilla layer, with buttercream icing. That's my kind of gig.

Best Groom's Cake: Yvette and Keith - Yvette and Keith had a Georgia Tech football theme (it wasn't as tacky as it sounds), and the groom's cake was a vanilla pound cake with marzipan frosting shaped like Buzz (the GA Tech mascot) wearing a ball and chain.

Best Toast: Lee and Tom - I'm actually giving this award to myself, which I know is conceited, but I was really nervous about giving this toast, and I came up with a really good one.

Worst Toast: Lee and Tom - I won't tell you exactly when it happened or who gave it, but it was a bit long and uncomfortable.

Most Disorganized Toast: Yvette and Keith - The toasting went on for quite a while, so a couple of the bridesmaids decided that we should all go up as a group and do one. We elected one of the girls to do it, and then a different girl took the microphone and just went with it. I think she did a good job, but the bandleader looked like he really wanted his microphone back.

Least Appropriate Toast: Lucy and Eric - Someone toasted them and complimented the florist (a friend from Lucy's hometown) on his work, at which point the florist went up to the microphone and gave what could only be called an acceptance speech. It was a good acceptance speech, but people don't usually give acceptance speeches at weddings.

Best Garter Removal: Penny and Roby - Roby removed the garter to the strains of "Legs" by Z. Z. Top, an idea I am totally going to steal because it's such an awesome choice.

Best Photographer: Lucy and Eric - I haven't seen the pictures yet, so this may be premature, but he definitely seemed to be getting all the right shots. He and his wife were super-nice to talk to.

Most Pictures: Lucy and Eric - It took hours, but at least they know they got a picture of every single person who was there. Yvette and Keith are the runners up.

Best Wedding Dress: I can't do it. I swear I tried. I just REALLY loved ALL the dresses this year, and they all suited the women who wore them. The lace on Ivonne's bodice was lovely, Lee's ensemble was chic and streamlined and perfectly accessorized, Penny's dress was the kind of thing I dream about being able to wear if only I had a completely different figure (strappy, with a lace-up bodice) and looked amazing on her, Elizabeth's dress was elegant (although I'd have gotten a better look if they hadn't been quite so blocked by the video production crew), Lucy's dress had been her mother's, had faded to that wonderful "antique" color, and was gorgeously detailed (they truly don't make them that way anymore), Summer's dress had bands of beaded flowers and the coolest bustle I've ever seen (it went under the dress instead of being attached outside of it), and Yvette's dress was a fabulous creation, beaded and sparkly all over, that she found on E-bay for $100. It was a very good year for wedding fashion!

Best Veil: Nathan and Ivonne - It was long, and she wore it with a matching wrap.

Best Gloves: Lee and Tom - They were elbow-length, of course.

Best Hair: Lucy and Eric - It was a fabulous updo with white flowers in it.

Best Bridesmaids' Dresses: Penny and Roby - Penny picked out the pattern, and the bridesmaids made their own dresses, each in a different color blue. They walked barefoot through the grass, down to the edge of the lake, and all looked so pretty that any artist would have wanted to paint portraits of them.

Worst Fashion Choice by an Attendee: Nathan and Ivonne - I'm not going to say who it was, and no, you don't get to see the picture.

Best Rehearsal Dinner: Lucy and Eric - Combine Indian food, wine, witty New York Jews, prankster Southern Methodist ministers, hilarious slide shows and games, heartfelt tributes to family members who've passed away, and plenty of great conversation, and you've got one of the best events I went to all year.

Best Favors: Yvette and Keith - They made CD's, complete with liner notes written by Yvette explaining what each song means to them as a couple, and including all the "first dance" songs from the weddings of the members of the wedding party. Not only is it a keepsake people will actually use, it's a great make-out CD! Lee and Tom are the runners up for this award for their personalized beer cozies.

Best Bridezilla Moment: Yvette and Keith - An ambassador from the cocktail hour came down to the photo session to tell Yvette that people were getting restless and wondering when they could go into the ballroom. Yvette said, "Well, the doors should be open; they were supposed to open at 6:30." The ambassador started to say something else, and Yvette cut him off with, "You go up there, and you tell them to open the doors!" (That actually wasn't very Bridezilla-like, but my friends are pretty laid-back, so it's the best I can do.)

Best Refusal to Stress: Lee and Tom - There were certainly opportunities for Lee to stress out on her wedding day, but she simply refused to do it. She enjoyed her day, the way most brides don't get to because they're still handling all the last-minute details.

And now... the final award...

BEST OVERALL: Oh, come on. Do you really think I can pick any one of these weddings over any of the others? They were all so beautiful, so appropriate to the couples who planned them, so much fun, and so meaningful that choosing among them would be sacrilege. I absolutely loved going to all these weddings this year. If their marriages are as happy as their wedding days were, they are blessed indeed.

What’s in my stereo at home:

• mix CD from Keith and Yvette's wedding

What’s in my car:

• mix tape from Kymm

What's in my CD player at work:

• London Philharmonic Orchestra - Highlights from Carmen

What I'm reading:

• Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

prev | Goober Diary Archives | next