Musing on a wedding

[8ballrollin]

Attended a cousin’s wedding this past weekend. It was a nice formal wedding with the service and reception held at the Ritz Carlton in downtown Philly.

-Formal West Coast and East Coast weddings are very different. I’d say 70% of the males in attendance, not in the party, but in attendance, were wearing their own tuxedos. The wedding was in the evening, but still.

-Everyone dances. The reception had a live band playing R&B, Disco, Rock, etc. and everyone would dance. During a rendition of Nellie’s “It’s getting hot in here” I’d say 90% of the people there were getting down to it. This would include the 50+-year-old executive and lawyer types, their wives, kids or trophy wives. In the middle of this get down was my dad (the bishop) and my mom. I’m sure they had NO idea of the lyrics after “It’s getting hot in here!” I didn’t tell them after the fact either (we were the gentiles at this affair).

-There is a certain amount of peer pressure with large formal weddings. We were waiting for the wedding to start and the bride was late. The minutes ticked by. We sat patiently, wearing our Yamika. At 15 minutes passed the scheduled start time, I lean to my brother and say, “Five more minutes and Loggins starts singing ‘highway to the danger zone.’ “No,” he responded, “She’s just fashionably late.”

We begin making bets as to the outcome - just late or someone is backing out. At 25 minutes after the hour, I tell him five more minutes and I guarantee you this wedding will be called off, someone is backing out. Within three minutes, the wedding party, rabbi and bride appear. Have a nice short service. Cocktails are next and then dinner.

Between the cocktail hour and dinner, my mom tells me the bride (my cousin) did have cold feet, took off her wedding dress and retreated to her room. She was talked down and the wedding proceeded. Brother pays me for one of our wagers – re the cause tardiness. If it was a smaller wedding would the outcome be different? Who knows.

I say it might have ending differently at a smaller wedding, but my brother says, no, doesn't matter. In fact, she should be made to go through with it. “They've lived together for two years, if she hasn't backed out before now, she should be forced to pull the trigger, no matter what.”

[il Padrino Ute]

I used to think it would be a lot of fun to attend a Jewish wedding, until I found out that I wouldn't be able to stomp on any glasses.

[8ballrollin]

Originally Posted by il Padrino Ute

I used to think it would be a lot of fun to attend a Jewish wedding, until I found out that I wouldn't be able to stomp on any glasses.

Yeah, that's another thing: I thought the whole breaking the glass had to do with leaving the parents or an out-with-the-old/in-with-the-new type of deal. But the rabbi said it was to remember the destruction of Jerusalem and all of the hardships of the Tribe. Ok. But why all the smiles and “Mazel Tovs!” after breaking it then?

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by 8ballrollin

Yeah, that's another thing: I thought the whole breaking the glass had to do with leaving the parents or an out-with-the-old/in-with-the-new type of deal. But the rabbi said it was to remember the destruction of Jerusalem and all of the hardships of the Tribe. Ok. But why all the smiles and “Mazel Tovs!” after breaking it then?

Hey, I learned something. I had no idea that it had some significance other than doing something cool.

Of course, I'd have a smile on my face if I could break a part of a place setting at a wedding too.