Home from the Wedding!

Home after a whirlwind weekend at the Royal Wedding, US style, of my daughter Mia and Andrew Fisher. There will be time to ponder, reflect and report but, for the moment, suffice it to say that the wedding was a fantastic success. My mind is crammed with images and my heart filled with emotion. I arrived in Morristown at Mia's apartment on Wednesday night and the weekend just ran away with us from then on. A brief synopsis:

Wednesday night - arrive in Morristown, sew pewter Nordic clasps on the black velvet bridal cloaks, press cloaks.
Thursday AM - drop off my dresses for hemming, pick up bridal bouquet flowers, pick up Mia's gown, spend entire day and evening assembling centerpieces, deliver them to the Hyatt (thank you, Matt the Teamster.) A big thank you to Kim Leinker and Anne Fisher for helping with the centerpieces and bridal bouquets. There is so much clipping, wrapping and organizing that goes with floral work. Many hands and laughter make it all the more fun.
Friday AM - organize and begin designing and assembling nine bridal bouquets. I can't remember having so much fun and I'm blown away with how beautiful the six different elements come together. There will many compliments on the flowers at the wedding. I am "so fulfilled" - I always wanted to be a floral designer! We would work on the bouquets until 4:30 in the afternoon when I had to get dressed for the rehearsal. We just made it to the church on time. Rehearsal goes forward, it's all beginning to hit us that the wedding is really happening. Many months of planning and decisions will all come together the next day. We walk to George and Martha's Restaurant, just three blocks away, for the rehearsal dinner. Lovely setting, great food, and I EAT IT for a change. OH, those crab cakes were delicious...and that salmon was mouth watering. I would have salmon the following night at the wedding. Ummmm, good.
Friday PM - Home to press the rest of the capes, check and adjust bouquets and begin worrying about keeping them fresh for the wedding. I refrigerate Lisa's Matron of Honor bouquet and the buttoneirres. Matt mounts a window air conditioner in the guest bedroom window to keep the rest of the bouquets fresh. The stargazer lillies are on the way out, and the white roses are just getting perfect. Yes, flowers are very tricky!! People are flying in and arriving from the airport. It is wonderful to be reunited with Hannah, Luke, Eric, Annie, AJ, Aunt Carol, Scott, many others. After the dinner we walk through the town to the Hyatt Bridal Suite to spend the night. My bag with all my make up and camera cords go missing, causing me to lose sleep. All the pressure and anticipation comes crashing down on me due to one little, or big, incident. The bag is under an atlas on the floor of Mia's car but is not found until the next morning. The lack of sleep and stress shows on my face in the wedding pictures.
Saturday AM - Josh, a nurse on Mia's floor, and his partner arrive to start making up the bridal party. Marissa, Mia's hairdresser, and her assistant arrive to start doing bridal party hair. I get my first pair of false eyelashes ever, and they give me a Country Western Singer hair style. Not sure how happy I am about it, but I go with it. The photographer, Elena Mitchell, is wild about the bridal bouquets and black capes as they make for fabulous pictures. Kimmie brings a steamer for the orchid chiffon gowns, Annie brings scrumptious banana nut bread and biscotti, the hotel sends bagels and creme cheese, and for several hours we laugh, get dressed and primped, and just make it out of the hotel in time. The weather cooperates to an extent - no snow or freezing rain and we have SUN....BUT we also have WIND, and it's the kind of wind that blows your expensive hair do right off your head. We decide we can't walk to the church, two blocks away. Kim Leinker makes some quick calls and organizes some cars to collect us. Mia and I run out of the hotel to Kim's mother's brand new car. It was really a lot of fun, and Kim's Mom was thrilled to drive THE BRIDE with MOTHER to the church. We love Mothers on Call! She stayed for the ceremony. People are still coming in. The big church is FULL!! We collect in the Wesley Room, where, 12 years before, Mia and Lisa helped me get ready for my wedding. We primp, take pictures, and get ready to walk down the aisle. My stomach is in knots. The girls join up with their handsome groomsmen, in black tux and tails, with Young Luke as the Ring Bearer, and away we go. I hardly remember the walk with Mia down the aisle, I was overwhelmed with emotion and trying not to break out in sobs. I only remember making contact with one face, my dearest old friend, Carol - Mia's Godmother and my first friend in Morristown - and her son, Scott. They give me a big smile and it really steadies me. Who gives this Stunning Goddess to her man - I DO!! I turn around and forget where to sit. It's an awkward moment, as Matt and Eric are sitting in a couple of pews back, all the way to the side, and my little parent's pew is empty. I notice Mia's father and his wife are sitting together in the corresponding parent's pew. I don't know what to do but know I better sit down quick as the ceremony is starting. I go to sit next to Eric and Matt, but don't like sitting so far away. I decide to move up the the parent's pew and sit alone, something which upset me but I want to see my daughter's face when she speaks her vows. I still don't understand how my husband or my first born son, who is NOT shy, didn't move up to sit next to me, but my feelings are not important, it's all about Mia and Andrews today. The wedding goes on, with readings and vows. Andrew sheds tears which Mia wipes away with her long, delicate fingers. It is a moment I'll never forget. Perry Balin, Mia and AJ's friend from B'Nai Or Nursery school through high school, sings her solo, which is OH SO touching as she blows a kiss to Mia and Andrew as she finishes romantic ballad. Perry only rehearsed with the pianist an hour before but her performance is perfect. The ceremony is over before we know it and out to the vestibule for the receiving line. I shake hands with people I haven't seen in decades. With such a great number of people it takes a while to finish, then we parade to the Hyatt. It's still very windy, and we rush through the Square, cloaks flapping and veil flying like a kite. Luke manages Mia's veil and from my vantage point, way behind ofcourse, teetering in my heels, the scene is like something in a movie. All those vibrant, orchid chiffon gowns and black velvet capes, and those Stargazer Lillies!! Gorgeous!! Perfect!! All those nights cutting and sewing those capes was totally worth it! The cocktail hour is in full swing and I am happy we chose the Hyatt. Splash, the band from Binghamton, is playing in the lobby. People are eating, drinking, talking, and having a great time. I am thrilled we chose Splash, and am thrilled we found them, for a great price, in Norwich, Upstate New York, of all places. They made the wedding a success. Yes, it's all about the BAND! They did a fantastic job of introducing the bridal party, couple by couple, and getting the room excited. They start the evening with Hava Negila, and other Jewish ethnic dancing tunes, and almost everyone gets up and starts dancing around in circles. It was a WILD, joyous scene and breaks any cross-cultural ice that may be forming.