Gawd... I woke up this morning feeling as if I had been beaten with sticks - plural. Stiff, sore, exhausted but happy nonetheless. Hours later I still don't feel much better, except the stiffness and soreness are gone.
My daughter's wedding was both insane and easily the BEST wedding I've ever attended. Very haphazard and California and... just simply a blast.
I think the best part, aside from the fact that she has married a marvelous man - someone who's strong enough to keep her in line when it's needed, who is patient and kind and obviously in love with her, is Victor. But I'll talk about Victor, later.
First, Elaine's wedding.
I met her in Guerneville at six-thirty Saturday morning which means I was out the door at five-forty-five. Before the chickens were even thinking of waking up. I did see a duck, though.
Got there to the Safeway where we got what was needed done, and then I was charged with moving the wedding cake from there up the coast to the campground where the wedding was being held. You wanna talk about nerve wracking? It's my daughter's wedding cake and it's not just up the street and around the corner. We are talking about forty miles along a narrow, windy stretch of the coast highway where sharp curves are frequent and hairpins not uncommon.
But, it was a
beautiful morning along the Russian River. I just had to stop and get some pictures.
Thirty-five miles per hour all the way and I got there with the cake intact. I seriously think she would have hurt me, badly, if even a single buttercream rose was crunched. But it was intact and lovely. Then what to do with it? It wasn't even eight-thirty in the morning, the wind is coming off the ocean in a gale, and it's a campground. Ah! The plastic trash bags I brought. I stretched one across the top of the box, but didn't have tape. Someone else had dishtowels. We weighted the ends with dishtowels. Problem solved.
Next problem was that no one knew how to set up a party tent. We learned. After getting the frame up, which is quite a feat since parts kept parting the midst of our lifting, we finally managed it. Then we realized, oh dear! We forgot the tent part. A lovely PVC frame and no tent part.
By then there were enough people milling around that six of us lowered the frame by removing one of the sections while two others got out, spread and draped the tent part. Yah! Framework back together, lift and... voila! Tent. With mesh sides. No wind protection.
Ah ha! Use the ground tarp from someone's tent. Problem solved. Kind of. At least enough to keep the wind that was blowing a steady ten to fifteen miles per hour from blowing all of the lighter foods out of the bowls and dishes.
Then there was Elaine's dog, Stella. Stella wanted to play ball with one and all. Great. Slobbery, drooly ball rolling around in sand and dirt. And she didn't give up. That is one seriously persistent dog. So I kicked the ball, she'd chase it. Then I'd try to ignore her but she would follow me around. I kicked it again, same routine. Finally, someone else got involved. Problem solved.
The bride and groom showed up on Elaine time (about thirty minutes late) and we began scurrying around getting ready to leave to go back to the hotel and get changed for The Ceremony.
I have to say, my daughter made a stunningly beautiful bride. And I am proud to say she "built" that dress, herself. Part was the gift of a friend's mother. Part were cast offs from the Goodwill. And she remade parts of it because they didn't fit or she didn't like the way they draped, fell or sat. Of course we had silly, because that's how these things should be, so while two of her attendants worked on creating a beautiful hair style, I got the camera and snapped a fun pic.
Back at the campground, Josh was thrilled, of course and we had more fun with the two of them together.
Along the way they took the arbor Josh built for the ceremony down to the bluff and set it up. Because I was in the parade down the aisle - I had the pleasure and the privilege of giving my daughter away, these are the only pictures I got, but I cannot imagine a better venue.
Toasts between the couple were held before the ceremony.
It was free-flowing with most of the "reception" taking place before sunset. After all, if you're at a wedding and the party extends for six hours before the ceremony, there's not a lot to do but "receive" and mill and get to know people.
All day the wind blew and we were all bundled up. I was wearing jeans under my dress (in this picture), because it was too cold. Since I was in the ceremony, I don't have pictures of my baby walking down the aisle, but it was gorgeous. The sun was low in the sky, just above the horizon when we started. Halfway through the ceremony, the ring bearer suffered a case of stage fright and snuggled a little too close to mommy, who happened to be the matron of honor.
His hand pushed the back of her shortish skirt high enough to reveal that mommy wasn't wearing anything under the dress. Dashing forward, I extracted his hand and adjusted the skirt, praying no one had seen something mommy had no desire to reveal. I don't know, but it was moon view and since everyone has one and they all look pretty much the same...
So the ceremony ended, I wasted ZERO time getting back to the car and changing into real clothes - blue jeans and layers of garments, then I sat down and had a chance to talk to Victor.
While running back and forth along the road between the hotel and campground, a distance of about ten miles, one of the guys picked up a hitchhiker. It being California, Ryan asked Victor if he'd like to come to a wedding. Sure! It's what we do here.
And it was fascinating talking to this young man who's doing what I dream of doing. Sort of, but I'll let you decide the bits I won't do (hint: it involves a thumb). He's from Copenhagen and he's trekking through America, hitchhiking and meeting people and seeing things and... Giving insights and lessons.
Along the way he's met with people who made him nervous as in 'No, that's okay. I'll get out here.' and others who let him stay with them. He got invited to a wedding where he met a bunch of average, normal Americans who pose no threat, who know how to enjoy themselves, and who take in a complete stranger, welcome him into a family event and make him feel at home.
He and I spoke for a couple of hours after the ceremony, while everyone was huddled around the firepit - one side a little almost too warm and the other side freezing cold. He's a music student. He wants to come back to America someday and get a car so he can go where he wants, when he wants. He's traveling alone, as I will do when I go on my bucket trip, so he can stop where he will, and do what he wants when he wants.
Of all the things that happened yesterday, getting to know Elaine's friends and new family top the list. Seeing my daughter happy is there, too - and she is happy. That's been the case since she met Josh so it's something of a given. She's been drawn into their family, and I am thrilled for her. But right up near the top of that Perfect List is the fact that her friend performed the ceremony, and that someone on the spur of the moment invited a complete stranger into our midst so we could get to know them.
Yeah. I'd say it was a very special day. And it's one I will remember for a very long time.
Best~
Philippa
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