#MicroblogMondays: Mixed feelings at the wedding

Saturday was dh's cousin's son's wedding -- which I've mentioned in several previous anticipatory posts in recent months/weeks. As a recap/reminder:  He's 27, exactly the same age our Katie would have been (he was born in April; Katie was due in November;  my pregnancy overlapped briefly with his mom's; I was newly pregnant and "out" about it at her baby shower). The bride is, I think, a couple of years younger than him -- but still around the same age generally as Katie would have been. 

Needless to say, while I always enjoy a wedding, and while I was happy for this lovely young couple, and while I was looking forward to getting dressed up and seeing dh's cousins (always a fun bunch to hang out with), I had some very mixed feelings as the day approached. (Especially since the day was so close to Katie's delivery "anniversary,"  a few days earlier!)  

Overall, it was a reasonably good day.  I wouldn't want to have to get dressed up and wear makeup every day, but it's fun to do it once in a while.  :)  For those of you following my dress choice dilemma (lol) -- last referred to in my previous post -- I had just about made up my mind to wear the elegant navy dress I'd bought. But knowing the weather forecast -- for another very hot, humid day (humidex around 40C/104F) --  I changed my mind the night before and wore the (lighter weight, but somewhat less formal) floral print dress instead. Even though the hall was air conditioned, there were about 200 people there, and it was still a bit stuffy -- so I think I made the right decision!  (And hopefully I'll get a chance to wear the other dress another time soon!)   

The venue was kind of unusual -- but it was beautifully set up. It was not a traditional banquet hall, but an "event space," carved out of a commercial unit in a block of similar buildings built in the 1960s or 1970s in midtown Toronto  It had obviously been gutted and slightly renovated, but was essentially one big empty minimalist space. Clever use was made of floor-to-ceiling white tulle curtains to cover up some of the outer walls and carve it into separate spaces for the entrance/cocktails, ceremony (later the dance floor) & dining areas. The food was very good, the servers were obviously well briefed, bringing a tomato-free pasta course for me (and gluten-free for one of dh's cousins).  There were little cards on the table (along with the place cards showing our names) indicating who was getting chicken or salmon vs beef.  The flowers were absolutely gorgeous and must have cost a small fortune (see the photo below). We didn't drink a whole lot -- dh was driving -- but he did one shot at the bar with his male cousins, and I did likewise with SIL & the other women, and there was plenty of wine at the dinner table.

But obviously, there were a few "ouch!" moments.  As the bride (looking lovely, of course, in a stunning white lace dress) made her way up the aisle, solo (met halfway up by her mother, who accompanied her the rest of the way), I grabbed dh's hand & squeezed it tightly. Her father is not part of her life (not sure why -- not really our business anyway...), and she's an only child -- so instead of the traditional father-daughter dance, they had a mother-daughter dance (!). It was an up-tempo number, and actually kind of cute/touching to watch -- but again, mixed feelings, as you might imagine. Our table was in a far corner of the room -- no nearby exits -- and there were enough other tables close by to make it difficult for me to just get up & leave. So I stayed seated -- but when they invited ALL the moms & daughters to join them on the dance floor (!) -- I took advantage of the surge in people getting up and leaving tables, quietly told dh I was going to visit the powder room -- and did. And lingered just a little longer until I could hear the music change! ;) 

The mother-son dance was also a little hard to watch. A couple of dh's cousins that we were sitting with encouraged me to get up and take some photos -- because I almost always do. "Oh, Cousin X (sitting closer to the dance floor) is in a much better spot to take photos than I am," I said. And thankfully, no one raised an eyebrow or pursued the matter further. 

There were also some literal "ouch!" moments -- my feet (in new sandals, with a chunky 1-inch heel) were KILLING me, lol.  There was, as I already mentioned, the heat & humidity. And the music was so loud, you could barely hear yourself think, let alone converse with your tablemates. :p  It really wears on you after a while!  

We left early, before 11:30 (although we were not the first to do so, by far). (Am I getting old or what??)  By the time we dropped off BIL & SIL, got home, took off my makeup, put on my nightgown and wound down a bit, it was 1:30 AM. Neither of us had a great sleep.  So Sunday was a VERY lazy day!  Dh spent most of it napping on the couch and we did the bare minimum required in terms of making lunch & dinner for ourselves. 

Maybe it's a good thing the next family wedding is not for another year...??  ;)  

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here. 

The beautiful floral centrepiece at our table.
Each table had one, and those on the tables for the immediate families/bridal party/head table
were even more elaborate. (We left early, so I don't know if they gave them away to the guests!)