With an untied bow tie flying around my neck, I ran to the exit door where all recently married couples exit and all the families get together and ogle at the new bride and groom while pictures are snapped to celebrate this happy day. Only, I didn't see anyone that I knew at the exit.
Oh no.
In my mind, I was beginning to doubt my memory as to when I was supposed to arrive. It must have been 10 o'clock, that's why no one is here and I am a terrible friend and why couldn't someone have told me. With this in mind, I resigned myself to a bench in the shade while I finished tying my bow tie and constantly reminding myself what a terrible human being I was while I prayed that the time really was 11 and someone would show up soon. Not long after this, a few familiar faces started trickling in towards the exit door and I gave my memory a small pat on the back and happily waited until the new couple emerged.
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| "Grace is getting married?!" |
From here, we have the usual wedding day events:
-Take pictures in front of the temple
-Mingle awkwardly while you aren't sure whether or not you need to be in any more pictures at the temple
-Oh, I need to be in this one?
-Haha. Of course not, how could I think I was supposed t--Oh I am.
Then, due to my lack of literal familiar ties with the bride or groom, I got to take a few hours off until I was to show up at the reception for, you guessed it, more pictures.
I mean, we do hire these photographers to remind of us the joyous occasion that occurred, but it makes me wonder how fickle people think their memory is. I can only imagine a conversation 60+ years down the road going something like this if there was no photographer:
Old Bride: Oh do you remember our wedding day, dear? Wasn't it glorious?
Groom: Yes, what a lovely winter morning it was.
B: No, it was in the middle of august, dear.
G: I do recall though, that I had a chill that day though and people seemed quite put out that there was snow.
B: But I recall it was so hot that Aunt Gina had heat stroke and had to be hospitalized.
G: That was your sisters birthday...or was it your cousin's quinceanera?
B: Wait...were we even married?! We have no evidence!
G: Nooooo *dramatically throws fists to the sky*
...I jest.
So of course later on, the bride calls me up and inquires as to my whereabouts since I was supposed to be at the venue at 5 (the call was placed at 4:45). So again, in good Mormon fashion, I show up slightly late with my tux askew after having a small panic attack thinking I had lost my tie and cuff-links (both of which were not far away and easily located later).
Then, I walk quickly into the building to do my job!...which I wasn't really sure was at the time. Shortly, I found out my job was to stand in grass while I got a few pictures with the bride and then sat around while I hoped that no one could see pit stains on a tuxedo.
What happened next was basically how most wedding receptions go that I have attended in my life (which consist mainly of LDS receptions):
-You see copious amounts of people from your old high school years (if it's a friends wedding)
-You see copious amounts of people you do not know but constantly tell you that you look so dapper in your tux (Why thank you, you should thank the tiny hands that sewed it).
-You see copious amounts of people lined up to see the bride and groom who continually sneak sips of water and bread behind their backs because by now they're beginning to see stars.
-You get really anxious when the only place to sit is the chairs on a table where the guests are unrecognizable to you and you don't want to be "That guy" who walks around asking everyone, "SO HOW DO YOU KNOW THE BRIDE/GROOM?!" whilst giving them a look that says, "I might have been institutionalized in the last 12 months".
-You cling to the one person you brought for dear life so as not to look like a loser/wedding crasher.
This is at least how it goes down for me.
The night concluded with some awkward singing and a few speeches and eventually people cleared out after the bride and groom ran away probably to finally put real food in their stomachs and massage their smile muscles after hours of use.
I'm always glad to attend weddings because most people are so happy and I was especially happy to attend this one to see one of my best friends (ex-girlfriend even, HAHA) get hitched to someone that she feels comfortable enough to let her pick his scabs or whatever it is married people do.
My friend Grace is similar to me in the sense that very mundane situations can become trials of anxiety because we both often attach crazy thoughts to them. I was glad to see though that she wasn't running around her own wedding making sure everyone had food to eat or that someone hadn't died in the bathroom (who knows, maybe she did but at least she kept it discrete). I'm happy for her and was hoping that somewhere in her mind, she thought that this wedding would have been Kate Middleton approved; especially due to the fact that my niece called her a "princess."
Yes Grace, Kate and (dare I say) Pippa Middleton approved.
This is the only picture that I was able to snap or Grace at the temple. I really wouldn't have it any other way, though. Congrats friend, I love you so much and always hope for the best.
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| Look! It's Kate Middleton...'s biggest fan. |
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