For Beck.
Lots of people have requested to see photos of the wedding, so here they are.
The following incidents took place on the first of March, 2013.
None of the bridal party were harmed in the making of this post.
All opinions are the author's own.
6 a.m.
I rolled out of bed and groggily crawled into the shower, hoping desperately that I would fit into my bridesmaid dress. I had last tried it on a couple of months ago and it was just right in the bodice, but I've had a lot of peanut butter cups since.
I came out of the shower to find Becky sitting on the landing and we shared a oh-my-god-you're-getting-married-today-hug.
7 a.m.
The makeup and hair lady arrived and started setting up in the living room. I packed a tiny sling bag with essentials for just in case. Adarra, Becky's 12-year-old niece and the other bridesmaid, stared at me as I laid everything neatly out and took a photo.
"I thought you were weird," she said with a cheeky grin, "but I didn't know just how weird."
My bridesmaid bag contained:
1) Money
2) A pen
3) The maid-of-honour speech
4) Perfume
5) Contact lens eyedrops
6) My phone
7) A pad (always important, especially because the bride's dress is white.)
8) A to-do list
9) Spare contact lenses
10) Lip balm
I've learned from experience that it's good to have just a bit of each thing in a small crossbody to leave your hands free. Keep it tucked under your seat at church or dinner, and you can help the bride out in a pinch. (She had her own bag with plasters, spare makeup and a sewing kit in it.)
8 a.m.
The flowers arrived.
"I thought you were weird," she said with a cheeky grin, "but I didn't know just how weird."
My bridesmaid bag contained:
1) Money
2) A pen
3) The maid-of-honour speech
4) Perfume
5) Contact lens eyedrops
6) My phone
7) A pad (always important, especially because the bride's dress is white.)
8) A to-do list
9) Spare contact lenses
10) Lip balm
I've learned from experience that it's good to have just a bit of each thing in a small crossbody to leave your hands free. Keep it tucked under your seat at church or dinner, and you can help the bride out in a pinch. (She had her own bag with plasters, spare makeup and a sewing kit in it.)
8 a.m.
The flowers arrived.
The theme was red, blue and white and the bridal bouquet was absolutely lovely. Becky hung a seahorse charm that Marty gave her and a dogtag with the coordinates of where they had their first date on it.
9 a.m.
Marty calmly had his breakfast on the couch while Beck got her hair and makeup done.
I know lots of people say things like this but Beck was really calm and glowing that day. There was something in her smile - maybe it was that she really felt something special was about to happen, or maybe she was really happy - it was magnetic.
While waiting for our turn in the makeup chair, Adarra and I watched a documentary about food in Laos that included tea made from silkworm poo. We played would you rather with the poo tea or the alternative dish of ants eggs.
Jimmy, the photographer, arrived. I should probably say something about Jimmy at this point since I spent a large part of the day following him around like a lovesick puppy. He's originally from Singapore, but lives in Australia now. It had occurred to me that one of the best ways to practise and learn taking photos was to follow Jimmy around and watch how he set things up and dealt with the light and the surroundings.
I told him as much and he was remarkably calm about it. "If you set things up," I explained, "the composition will already be perfect and I can just work on taking them." He laughed and ended up being really nice about me making a nuisance of myself the entire day.
10 a.m.
9 a.m.
Marty calmly had his breakfast on the couch while Beck got her hair and makeup done.
I know lots of people say things like this but Beck was really calm and glowing that day. There was something in her smile - maybe it was that she really felt something special was about to happen, or maybe she was really happy - it was magnetic.
While waiting for our turn in the makeup chair, Adarra and I watched a documentary about food in Laos that included tea made from silkworm poo. We played would you rather with the poo tea or the alternative dish of ants eggs.
Jimmy, the photographer, arrived. I should probably say something about Jimmy at this point since I spent a large part of the day following him around like a lovesick puppy. He's originally from Singapore, but lives in Australia now. It had occurred to me that one of the best ways to practise and learn taking photos was to follow Jimmy around and watch how he set things up and dealt with the light and the surroundings.
I told him as much and he was remarkably calm about it. "If you set things up," I explained, "the composition will already be perfect and I can just work on taking them." He laughed and ended up being really nice about me making a nuisance of myself the entire day.
10 a.m.
Look how great some of the shots Jimmy set up are! I would never have bothered to put the chair on a table so that the background was a pleasing hedge-green.
Those are the bridesmaids wands that Beck made by the way. Good grief that girl is talented.
11 a.m.
Those are the bridesmaids wands that Beck made by the way. Good grief that girl is talented.
11 a.m.
By now Becky's hair was almost completely done and Marty was relegated to a corner of the house where he got dressed and ready to leave for the church.
12 p.m.
Marty left for church.
Rebecca's mother put on the veil and we all sighed at how beautiful she looked. Her hair, with a braid running across the back of it, was absolutely awesome. She went into her bedroom and we had a quiet moment when I took this picture.
Adarra and I were told to hustle into our bridesmaid dresses so that we could help Becky into the dress. The dress. Oh heavens, what a dress it was. Incredibly beautiful, but also incredibly difficult to put on, what with six layers of tulle and hoops and a lace up back with an extremely complicated pattern.
It took four of us half an hour to get it on her, weaving and re-weaving the pattern on the back until we got it right, lacing it up tighter and tighter as we went. At one point, the hoop managed to loosen itself and Bec almost tripped over it. I had to crawl right under all those layers to do it up again, and we kept giggling as Adarra held the tulle up over my head like a massive, fluffy cake.
When it was done though, she looked absolutely breathtaking. We all stood in the middle of the room staring at her as Jimmy snapped away. Look at that incredible bodice!
1 p.m.
We laughed and joked in the car on the way to church. Beck and I groaned about how tight our dresses were. And then...
2p.m.
... we were all walking down the aisle.
The whole event passed in a complete blur for me. I remember being very emotional the whole time, getting choked up once or twice when they said their vows, when they smiled at each other each time the priest said something slightly moving.
I was just so happy to see how delighted they both were, grinning and ducking their heads and glowing like children and holding hands and exchanging secret looks. When they kissed as man and wife for the first time, my heart melted to see how tender it was.
I also remember leaping up from my seat repeatedly to adjust the veil and the train.
Many years ago, I was also the maid-of-honour when Mel got married. She, too, wore a dress with a massive train. I was a lot younger then and had no clue what I was doing. At one point, she got up on the stage to sign the certificate and uncertain of whether I was supposed to get up and stand there with the couple, I hesitated for a moment. Mel took several tentative steps, dragging the train behind her, and the priest stared, looked up and bellowed, "WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE CARRYING THIS TRAIN?!" His voice was like a gunshot in the silent church and I leapt up violently, tripped smartly over a pew and stumbled, trembling, into the aisle in front of 250 people.
I've never forgotten that day. I vowed that if I was ever on train duty again, no priest would have the need to yell at me again. My train failure stayed with me for so long that I've been mentally rehearsing to be a train ninja all these years.
The first half of Bec's wedding, I was wracked with nervousness but in the middle of the Mass, the (very gentle) priest shook hands with me and said, "Peace be with you," and smiled, and years of train-guilt slowly melted away.
3 p.m.
Beck's youngest niece and nephew were just adorable. The little flower girls chased each other round the aisles while Jimmy took family photos and eventually, the littler one succumbed to sleep.
4 p.m.
Marty, Bec and I headed out to a gorgeous little beach nearby called Point Walter. Jimmy took some amazing shots of the bride and groom and I followed and learned and helped with the dress.
I carried my camera the whole time (and got makeup all over the eyepiece and LCD screen) and took some cool (and not so cool) pictures. I've thought about it and have decided that I'll make a separate Point Walter post altogther, because I wanted to think specifically about the photo-taking process.
6 p.m.
Marty, Bec and I headed out to a gorgeous little beach nearby called Point Walter. Jimmy took some amazing shots of the bride and groom and I followed and learned and helped with the dress.
I carried my camera the whole time (and got makeup all over the eyepiece and LCD screen) and took some cool (and not so cool) pictures. I've thought about it and have decided that I'll make a separate Point Walter post altogther, because I wanted to think specifically about the photo-taking process.
6 p.m.
The reception started.
7 p.m.
The cake tower that Jeremy made looked absolutely wonderful. The cupcakes were a huge hit with the crowd and Beck and Marty made the crowd laugh by kissing over the top cake in the tier.
Those cake topper cats were a present I got Becky from Hong Kong back when we were 15. I was very happy and surprised to see them on the cake.
8 p.m.
Lots of speeches, including mine. I'm not ashamed to admit that Beck and I teared up when I talked about the kind of friend that she was. I felt like a contestant on America's Next Top Model, fanning my face frantically and trying to pull the tears back in.
In particular, I talked about how happy I was that they'd found each other because, you know, what girl doesn't want her friends to be happy? (To be honest, I got to know Marty a lot more over this trip and found him to be kind, warm, gentlemanly and with an awesome sense of humour. He was always looking out for Bec and making sure she got all the love and care that she deserves. I trust that they will look after each other just fine.)
Marty and Bec gave a beautiful speech together, thanking their guests and parents and all the special people in their lives. Bec had written a cute little poem into part of her speech. Marty said some moving things about his parents and everyone got a little bit choked up, and then he said some very lovely things to me.
9 p.m.
The couple shared their first dance and I got all choked up again. Afterwards, Bec's parents and Marty's parents also slow danced to Close To You and it was sweet to see all the couples swaying gently together, faltering slightly, all human, all full of love.
10 p.m.
The brides' brother-in-law got his iPad out to DJ an entire set after dinner and everybody got up to dance and mingle. Bec, Marty, Marty's mom and I headed to the photo booth at the back to take some silly photos and Bec finally got to eat the cake that she had been waiting on all evening!
Eventually, some little tuckered out souls couldn't take it any longer. People started to say goodnight and as the day had started, it ended with just the closest family and friends.
Barefoot, we made final rounds of the room packing up and cleaning and storing the presents away in the car. I took Becky's bouquet back to the house for keeping and Bec and Marty drove off to a hotel to finally get some rest.
I was just glad that everything had gone off smoothly, that they were married and happy and that they had this amazing chance to start a brand new phase of their lives together. Everything must be so exciting!
If you're still with me at this point, I'll leave you with the song that the bride and groom first danced to because I think it's lovely and maybe you will too.
7 p.m.
The cake tower that Jeremy made looked absolutely wonderful. The cupcakes were a huge hit with the crowd and Beck and Marty made the crowd laugh by kissing over the top cake in the tier.
Those cake topper cats were a present I got Becky from Hong Kong back when we were 15. I was very happy and surprised to see them on the cake.
8 p.m.
Lots of speeches, including mine. I'm not ashamed to admit that Beck and I teared up when I talked about the kind of friend that she was. I felt like a contestant on America's Next Top Model, fanning my face frantically and trying to pull the tears back in.
In particular, I talked about how happy I was that they'd found each other because, you know, what girl doesn't want her friends to be happy? (To be honest, I got to know Marty a lot more over this trip and found him to be kind, warm, gentlemanly and with an awesome sense of humour. He was always looking out for Bec and making sure she got all the love and care that she deserves. I trust that they will look after each other just fine.)
Marty and Bec gave a beautiful speech together, thanking their guests and parents and all the special people in their lives. Bec had written a cute little poem into part of her speech. Marty said some moving things about his parents and everyone got a little bit choked up, and then he said some very lovely things to me.
9 p.m.
The couple shared their first dance and I got all choked up again. Afterwards, Bec's parents and Marty's parents also slow danced to Close To You and it was sweet to see all the couples swaying gently together, faltering slightly, all human, all full of love.
10 p.m.
The brides' brother-in-law got his iPad out to DJ an entire set after dinner and everybody got up to dance and mingle. Bec, Marty, Marty's mom and I headed to the photo booth at the back to take some silly photos and Bec finally got to eat the cake that she had been waiting on all evening!
Eventually, some little tuckered out souls couldn't take it any longer. People started to say goodnight and as the day had started, it ended with just the closest family and friends.
Barefoot, we made final rounds of the room packing up and cleaning and storing the presents away in the car. I took Becky's bouquet back to the house for keeping and Bec and Marty drove off to a hotel to finally get some rest.
I was just glad that everything had gone off smoothly, that they were married and happy and that they had this amazing chance to start a brand new phase of their lives together. Everything must be so exciting!
If you're still with me at this point, I'll leave you with the song that the bride and groom first danced to because I think it's lovely and maybe you will too.
"If my heart was a compass you'd be North,
Risk it all cause I'll catch you when you fall,
Wherever you go,
If my heart was a house you'd be home"
Risk it all cause I'll catch you when you fall,
Wherever you go,
If my heart was a house you'd be home"
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