Me: ...they're making me feel severely underdressed. should've brought my ballgown apparently.
Turns out, I can't drive to the wedding site, hence, I, along with many of the wedding guests, get to board a shuttle...that then boards a ferry boat...that takes us to the island where the wedding is happening. Yes, an island. I'm going to a frickin' island to watch two people get married.
The site is beautiful, the musicians are playing instrumental versions of sweet ballads, and no one pays attention to which is the groom or bride's "sides," grabbing seats wherever they can when the ceremony is set to start. The groom and his men follow the priest, walking in line with each other. The bridesmaids follow, the last of whom turns out to the man of honor, as distinguished by the lilac tie he wears... and the crowd rises when the bride walks down the path, flanked by her parents.
Jason is obviously surprised when it's announced that he's to read the passage for the ceremony, ironically a passage I suggested to him when he was looking for something to say at the wedding, perhaps my favorite quote of the Bible,
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not
have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease;
where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,
it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood
behind me. For now we
see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
The ceremony is sweet, the people laugh at the pastor's jokes, and we all cheer when the happy couple kisses. I grab a jack and coke at the reception and I finally get to meet up with Jason, who's been busy the whole day getting ready for the wedding. We mingle with some people and enjoy the fire dancer who comes by playing with flames on sticks, fans, and balls on rope
(the ring bearer is definitely enamored and saddened when she walks away). The reception room is beautiful, offset with a golden glow and shades of lavendar and lilac.
We drink a little more, dance a lot, leading a conga line through the room and generally have a fabulous time. There's no embarrassing bouquet/garter toss, a huge photo booth out back, and they're actually serving halo-halo. (I'm personally not a fan, although this apparently equals me denouncing my Filipino heritage)
It is, without a doubt, a lovely wedding, made even more wonderful by watching the bride and groom's faces when they look at each other.
Written 12.12.11
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