Once More Into the Breech!

Of a new year, anyway.

Fortunately, I survived the stress I induced upon myself regarding my friend's wedding. Don't get me wrong, there were problems to solve. Quite a few, really. But, on the whole, everything went well and I'm glad they're happy with how the weekend went.

The ceremony and reception were something of a forced sacrifice for many of us. The bride really wanted a glamorous New Year's Eve Party (black tie affair). Thus, she chose to use the reception to get all of her friends in the same place at the same time to do so. This had annoyed me, immensely, leading up to the event. Particularly as more and more year-end parties began to surface. Not many people really want to spend New Year's eve in a tiny town, with extremely strict laws regarding the sale and transportation of spirits.

As I look back, though, I have no regrets. I made quite a few new friends, this weekend, all of them great. I also got to know several folks far better than opportunities had allowed me, in the past.

So, when I consider the inquiry "Do you regret how you spent your New Year's Eve?", posed frequently in the last few days, I'm quite comfortable saying "Nope, not in the least." To respond any other way would imply that I don't care for anyone I met, or their invitations to spend more time together, in the future.

So, I'm glad I got over myself for the weekend and shared this momentous occassion with my friends.

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When it's all said and done, though, I feel some odd need to recall all the little things we resolved to keep the bride and groom in a peaceful state of mind:

1. Ring inspections: Satisfying the bride that the wedding bands made it to the venue and were ready for the ceremony.

2. Wardrobe Malfunctions: There were far more of these, than any other wedding I've ever attended. Of course, I've never attended or participated in a wedding with specialized apparel needs. Specifically, several members of the groom's party wore USAF Mess Dress and we did our best to match their uniforms.

Malfunctions included:
a. One missing tuxedo shirt (groom's). Resolved by the loan of a groomsman's mess dress shirt.
b. One pair of woefully mismatched shoes. Resolved by a visit to the local mall.
c. One unruly undergarment. I received this news third hand, so it's not 100% reliable. It was resolved using pins.
d. The resolution of 2.c. resulted in some blood on the most important garment. I thought the repair was stunning, as I never noticed any sort of stains on the garment.
e. One dearly departed zipper. Resovled by sewing a bridesmaid into her dress.

3. There were some oversights, on the hotel's part, insofar as preparing things for the event.

Most noteable was their attempt to use plastic champagne cups. Really, if you're going to offer ballrooms and other facilities for weddings, you shouldn't even attempt to use plastic anything.

Second was their choice to set the tables with wrinkled tablecloths. Another really silly thing to do. The wedding planner and I discussed this in the afternoon and prayed the bride would not notice it. As luck would have it, she didn't. Or she chose not to mention it. Upon returning from the salon, she inspected the room. During a phone call afterwards, she told me she'd looked in on everything and was "...very happy...", which was undoubtedly the first time anyone had heard such a thing from her all weekend. Really, my friend's wife isn't an unhappy or miserable person, she's just a rabid stickler for details and obsesses about all the small things. That she was finally able to relax and get on with her own preparations was great.


I'm really one happy geek, though. The entire affair was handled with astonishing aplomb and grace by friends and family. Dare I say it? That they're damned lucky to have friends as great as we are? Yes, I think I can get away with it once or twice in my life!

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