I hadn't been to a wedding since 2009. This is strange, if you think about it. I'm in that sweet spot of age where everyone is getting married as we all graduate, settle down, get careers, and BOOM! now we need fiances and cupcake dresses. My hus-friend was a groomsmen and ironically, the only one married on the groom's side. Although the mister to be married and I had had a sorted history, we had recently started fresh and I was honored to had been invited to the entire weekend of festivities, including the rehearsal dinner.
Here comes the nerves. It's one thing to know the groom's people, but I don't do well by myself in strange social situations. There were people from my past that I hadn't necessarily done well with in my earlier years and without someone to gaze at knowingly, I was slightly spooked. Shame on me. I have a snobby part to my personality sometimes and when I really sit down to thinking about it, it makes me sick. I do assume that 75% of my life will be sharing space with people who don't "get" it, whose maturity just isn't "there," who aren't respectful of how "I" feel. Pair that with the Ronau bravado that comes on when I think these things.
But this weekend floored me. Not only were past people mostly gracious, open-armed and respectful, but I made a TON of new friends (yes, friends) including the officiant's wife that instantly became my stylist, shopping AND dancing partner, partook in some wonderful conversation about a whole host of topics, met 4 attorneys, danced enough to acquire well-worth-it toe blisters, saw my hus-friend in a tuxedo for the first time, because a pocket square-folding aficionado (for 9 men!), and was able to brush off any immature fodder with grace. I impressed myself and felt pretty good at it, and if only for a moment or weekend, regained my faith in most people.
Now, mostly, I don't really care for weddings. This is no secret as I made my "wedding" into a "jubilee," whole-heartedly. However, when the FOG (father of groom, I love this), gets teary right off the gate, the bride can't even talk because she's too choked up and the groom goes to her face to make sure her makeup wasn't melty, it's a beautiful thing. I know I cried.
But weddings, if done right, are about more than just the bride and the groom getting married. It's a PARTYBUS full of people that love each other in some way, enough to dress up like a penguin in the middle of June. It's little kid dancing and cheek kisses from old people. It's an excuse to wear a cocktail dress and fuss over your nails. It's a camera full of silly dancing pictures. Where on earth do you ever get that much positive social interaction? Secret's out! Wedding snobbery aside, I had a fantastic wedding weekend.
Here comes the nerves. It's one thing to know the groom's people, but I don't do well by myself in strange social situations. There were people from my past that I hadn't necessarily done well with in my earlier years and without someone to gaze at knowingly, I was slightly spooked. Shame on me. I have a snobby part to my personality sometimes and when I really sit down to thinking about it, it makes me sick. I do assume that 75% of my life will be sharing space with people who don't "get" it, whose maturity just isn't "there," who aren't respectful of how "I" feel. Pair that with the Ronau bravado that comes on when I think these things.
But this weekend floored me. Not only were past people mostly gracious, open-armed and respectful, but I made a TON of new friends (yes, friends) including the officiant's wife that instantly became my stylist, shopping AND dancing partner, partook in some wonderful conversation about a whole host of topics, met 4 attorneys, danced enough to acquire well-worth-it toe blisters, saw my hus-friend in a tuxedo for the first time, because a pocket square-folding aficionado (for 9 men!), and was able to brush off any immature fodder with grace. I impressed myself and felt pretty good at it, and if only for a moment or weekend, regained my faith in most people.
Now, mostly, I don't really care for weddings. This is no secret as I made my "wedding" into a "jubilee," whole-heartedly. However, when the FOG (father of groom, I love this), gets teary right off the gate, the bride can't even talk because she's too choked up and the groom goes to her face to make sure her makeup wasn't melty, it's a beautiful thing. I know I cried.
But weddings, if done right, are about more than just the bride and the groom getting married. It's a PARTYBUS full of people that love each other in some way, enough to dress up like a penguin in the middle of June. It's little kid dancing and cheek kisses from old people. It's an excuse to wear a cocktail dress and fuss over your nails. It's a camera full of silly dancing pictures. Where on earth do you ever get that much positive social interaction? Secret's out! Wedding snobbery aside, I had a fantastic wedding weekend.