Post by Shoesy on Aug 11, 2007 23:38:54 GMT -5
A week has passed since our big event, and for me it's still a dream.........almost as if it didn't really take place, and I can't believe that right now the honeymooners are in Paris, where I too wish I could be, though I'm probably too jet-lagged from my trip to the States to be able to enjoy it. 
Anyway, weddings in the States are so different from typical weddings in Israel. Here there are usually hundreds of guests, while there the numbers are much smaller. (Thank goodness because I don't think we would have been able to afford the wedding if I had had hundreds of people on the guest list.
) Actually, our wedding was exceptionally small since the groom has very little family, and all our friends are in Israel, so the final total came to 88, but the affair was both beautiful and festive, and despite the fact that I was in a bit of a daze, I could see how much fun everyone was having throughout the evening.
The day's events began in the morning with an appointment at Elizabeth Arden for my hair. For me that was extremely stressful because I NEVER do anything to my hair except have it trimmed and dyed once every few months. (Believe it or not, but 58 year-old me has very few greys!) Anyway, I was pressured into giving my hair some shape and even letting them use hairspray , which I totally detest. Then came time for the make-up at Mac (two doors down from Elizabeth Arden in the Westchester Mall), and that too was stressful. There they smeared lots of who-knows-what on my face to cover up whatever needed to be masqued, and I felt like I was ready to perform "Swan Lake" at Lincoln Center. Everyone convinced me that this was necessary because of the many hours that I'd have to spend taking photos, etc. So here I was with hair-do and make-up that I wasn't used to, and whenever I looked in the mirror, I wanted to run away from the strange woman who was staring at me. The bride, on the other hand, enjoyed the whole hair/make-up thing, so at least there was one female who felt ready to party.
Once we reached the place, it was time to get dressed. That went quickly, and before we knew it, the photographer started earning his pay. He was really good, and made everyone feel very relaxed and comfortable. The photo shoot lasted for hours, and it seemed like the actual wedding would never begin, but of course it did...........at 6:30 P.M. sharp.
One by one we entered the chapel in the order that had been explained to us about an hour before, and that was definitely the most exciting moment. Mr. Shoesy and I made our grand entrance along with the bride to the music of "Here comes the bride......", and I'm sure that I had a frozen smile on my face because the feeling was a bit too overwhelming for me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the ceremony, which was performed by a reformed rabbi since this was a mixed marriage, though I must admit that the ceremony seemed much more Jewish than I had expected. It terminated with the typical breaking of the glass by the groom, only here the bride also broke a glass since she is a firm believer in equal rights.
Then it was time for the cocktail hour. OMG ........I had never seen such a variety of delicious food displayed so beautifully in one room. The buffet was absolutely gorgeous, and according to everyone, it was delicious. The food was anything but kosher, and I remember seeing lots of shrimp and even tasted scallops wrapped in bacon. Aside from that, I hardly ate a thing because I was too nervous, and I didn't want to mess up my dress, so I kinda stuck to the sushi. That seemed to be a real hit among the guests, and I wasn't sorry that my daughter had insisted on having it ( an additional cost, of course).
After everyone was full from all that food, it was time to enter the ballroom for the rest of the evening, which consisted of a sit-down dinner plus the usual dancing, etc. There were two speeches, and I (the MOB) had the honor of delivering the first. Mine consisted of 15 rhyming stanzas, which I had written and perfected over the previous months, and from the compliments that I received afterwards, I understood that it was truly successful. Thank goodness! Then the Best Man spoke, and the rest of the evening consisted of dancing and eating and eating and eating.......... There was so much food, and once again I hardly ate, but the guests seemed to be doing well in that department.
The flower arrangements were gorgeous........different shades of pink roses. Everything had been selected by the bride. We literally had nothing to do with planning this wedding, except pay for this gala affair of course. She had made all the decisions, and throughout the evening she was radiant and seemed so delighted that everything turned out just the way she had hoped. My new SIL seemd to be very pleased too, so Mr. Shoesy and I couldn't have asked for anything else. There is no greater reward than seeing one's offspring happy. We feel truly blessed.
At this point I'd like to mention the rehearsal dinner that took place the evening before the wedding. It was held in a lovely French restaurant called "Le Chateau", and that too was a dream. Delicious food and exquisite atmosphere........real class! If you recall, I had asked your help in deciding which fish to put on the menu, and the decision to have the red snapper proved to be a good one. It was very tasty (that's what I ate!), and the people who chose the rack of lamb seemed equally pleased. Thank you all for helping us finalize that menu. I definitely thought of the Paris forum that evening......and it was as if you had been with me in spirit.
Now would you believe that in less than a year my son will be getting married ? ;D This time the wedding will be in Israel, and there will be 400-450 guests attending this affair, so everything will be different. We've already booked a place, and I guess we'll be busy doing a lot of planning during the next 11 months.
Anyway, weddings in the States are so different from typical weddings in Israel. Here there are usually hundreds of guests, while there the numbers are much smaller. (Thank goodness because I don't think we would have been able to afford the wedding if I had had hundreds of people on the guest list.
) Actually, our wedding was exceptionally small since the groom has very little family, and all our friends are in Israel, so the final total came to 88, but the affair was both beautiful and festive, and despite the fact that I was in a bit of a daze, I could see how much fun everyone was having throughout the evening.The day's events began in the morning with an appointment at Elizabeth Arden for my hair. For me that was extremely stressful because I NEVER do anything to my hair except have it trimmed and dyed once every few months. (Believe it or not, but 58 year-old me has very few greys!) Anyway, I was pressured into giving my hair some shape and even letting them use hairspray , which I totally detest. Then came time for the make-up at Mac (two doors down from Elizabeth Arden in the Westchester Mall), and that too was stressful. There they smeared lots of who-knows-what on my face to cover up whatever needed to be masqued, and I felt like I was ready to perform "Swan Lake" at Lincoln Center. Everyone convinced me that this was necessary because of the many hours that I'd have to spend taking photos, etc. So here I was with hair-do and make-up that I wasn't used to, and whenever I looked in the mirror, I wanted to run away from the strange woman who was staring at me. The bride, on the other hand, enjoyed the whole hair/make-up thing, so at least there was one female who felt ready to party.
Once we reached the place, it was time to get dressed. That went quickly, and before we knew it, the photographer started earning his pay. He was really good, and made everyone feel very relaxed and comfortable. The photo shoot lasted for hours, and it seemed like the actual wedding would never begin, but of course it did...........at 6:30 P.M. sharp.
One by one we entered the chapel in the order that had been explained to us about an hour before, and that was definitely the most exciting moment. Mr. Shoesy and I made our grand entrance along with the bride to the music of "Here comes the bride......", and I'm sure that I had a frozen smile on my face because the feeling was a bit too overwhelming for me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the ceremony, which was performed by a reformed rabbi since this was a mixed marriage, though I must admit that the ceremony seemed much more Jewish than I had expected. It terminated with the typical breaking of the glass by the groom, only here the bride also broke a glass since she is a firm believer in equal rights.
Then it was time for the cocktail hour. OMG ........I had never seen such a variety of delicious food displayed so beautifully in one room. The buffet was absolutely gorgeous, and according to everyone, it was delicious. The food was anything but kosher, and I remember seeing lots of shrimp and even tasted scallops wrapped in bacon. Aside from that, I hardly ate a thing because I was too nervous, and I didn't want to mess up my dress, so I kinda stuck to the sushi. That seemed to be a real hit among the guests, and I wasn't sorry that my daughter had insisted on having it ( an additional cost, of course).
After everyone was full from all that food, it was time to enter the ballroom for the rest of the evening, which consisted of a sit-down dinner plus the usual dancing, etc. There were two speeches, and I (the MOB) had the honor of delivering the first. Mine consisted of 15 rhyming stanzas, which I had written and perfected over the previous months, and from the compliments that I received afterwards, I understood that it was truly successful. Thank goodness!
Then the Best Man spoke, and the rest of the evening consisted of dancing and eating and eating and eating.......... There was so much food, and once again I hardly ate, but the guests seemed to be doing well in that department.The flower arrangements were gorgeous........different shades of pink roses. Everything had been selected by the bride. We literally had nothing to do with planning this wedding, except pay for this gala affair of course.
She had made all the decisions, and throughout the evening she was radiant and seemed so delighted that everything turned out just the way she had hoped. My new SIL seemd to be very pleased too, so Mr. Shoesy and I couldn't have asked for anything else. There is no greater reward than seeing one's offspring happy. We feel truly blessed.At this point I'd like to mention the rehearsal dinner that took place the evening before the wedding. It was held in a lovely French restaurant called "Le Chateau", and that too was a dream. Delicious food and exquisite atmosphere........real class! If you recall, I had asked your help in deciding which fish to put on the menu, and the decision to have the red snapper proved to be a good one. It was very tasty (that's what I ate!), and the people who chose the rack of lamb seemed equally pleased. Thank you all for helping us finalize that menu. I definitely thought of the Paris forum that evening......and it was as if you had been with me in spirit.
Now would you believe that in less than a year my son will be getting married ? ;D This time the wedding will be in Israel, and there will be 400-450 guests attending this affair, so everything will be different. We've already booked a place, and I guess we'll be busy doing a lot of planning during the next 11 months.
and make a quick run over there! ;D
hahahha