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edenfallingI'm going to cut this into several sections, which you are completely free to not read; I'm writing this mostly for my own reference.
---------------
Friday Afternoon - To Massaschusetts
After the half hour delay getting my rental car (a burnt orange Dodge Caliber, for those who care about such things), I went home, finished packing, and hit the road around 1pm. My planned route was NY-79 east/south to I-81 south to I-88 east to I-90 east (which is the NY Throughway, and then -- after a brief weirdness where I-90 does an oxbow and the Throughway follows I-87 instead -- becomes the Massachusetts Turnpike), to MA-32 north to MA-9 east to the Salem Cross Inn. If you have a map, you'll see that this is a stupidly indirect route -- dipping south from Ithaca to Binghamton, then up north to Albany, and then somewhat southeast into Massachusetts, but there isn't a direct route. Very annoying.
I was further delayed by a 'wrath of God' style thunderstorm and two stretches of single-lane construction on I-88. And then, once I'd reached the Salem Cross Inn, I realized that while this was the wedding site, it was not the hotel site.
*headdesk*
So I called Cat and got directions to the Sturbridge Country Inn -- MA-9 east to MA-148 south to US-20 east and about three blocks later, turn left into the driveway.
---------------
Friday Evening - Rehearsal and Dinner
Having arrived at the inn, I took my suitcase into the suite Cat had reserved for herself and three of the bridesmaids: me, Susan, and Audrey. (The other two --Brenda and Rianna -- were staying with their own significant others.) Then, once Cat and Audrey arrived, we went outside to rehearse.
You see, Cat and Evan had designed a participatory wedding ceremony, which involved the four directions/elements and center/spirit, each represented by one bridesmaid and one groomsman (or groomswoman). So we had to figure out the order in which we'd walk into the circle, choreograph the challenges and lamp-lighting, and memorize one line each.
After four rehearsals, we knocked off for dinner at a nearby restaurant. I had lobster ravioli, which was very good, but in retrospect I think I should have gone for beef tenderloin. I had Bailey's chocolate chip cheesecake for dessert, which was marvelously decadent, and which I really should not have indulged in the night before I had to fit into a formal dress. :-)
Cat went straight to bed, but Susan, Audrey, Mr. M (Cat's father) and I spent a few minutes putting together reception favors -- bags of marigold seeds in mini flower pots -- so as to have one less worry in the morning.
---------------
Saturday Morning - Set-up
Cat, Susan, Audrey, Rianna, and Brenda went to a salon to get their hair done. Since my hair is currently far too short for styling, and since I wanted to leave from the wedding rather than waste time driving back to the hotel, I packed instead. I also spent a rather confused quarter hour trying to find the salon and playing phone go-between for Cat and her parents, via Susan, the upshot of which was that Mr. M had to buy a bag of sand (in case of oil lamp mishaps) and Susan and I had to grab all the flowers out of the suite refrigerator, head over to the Salem Cross Inn, and put together the table decorations posthaste.
I don't recall agreeing to be an assisstant florist when I signed up as a bridesmaid, but oh well... :-)
Susan and I set up in a tiny closet sink in one of the three rooms set aside for the reception dinner. I cut roses, two types of greenery, ferns, and baby's breath, and filled glass globes with water. Susan arranged them on the tables, since she's actually been a florist.
We got done in time, though it was a bit nerve-wracking.
Then we (meaning Cat, all five bridesmaids, and Mrs. M) changed into our nice clothes. We were told, partway through, that we'd have to vacate the dressing room by 4pm, since another wedding party needed it. This meant either we'd be moving stuff around right at the start of the reception, or we could move most of it out preemptively; I chose to put all my stuff out in my car.
Then we handed out flowers and went downstairs to wait for our cue.
---------------
Saturday Afternoon - Ceremony
I'm going to quote portions of the program notes and script at you now.
Lion Dance: It is [a] tradition of Asian culture to begin any important ceremony with a lion dance to cleanse the space. The lion is also said to bring good luck and fortune. Perfomed by [Evan's kung fu school].
After the Lion Dance, the bridal party (bridesmaids, Cat, and Mr. M) walked out accompanied by bagpipe music. Cat joined Evan in the center of a circle, and the bridesmaids took positions next to our respective groomsmen at the cardinal points of the circle.
Cliff, the officiant, opened with The Princess Bride: "Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam. And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva..."
I have strange friends. :-)
Cliff did a little introduction, talked about Cat and Evan as people, talked about marriage, and then recited this Buddhist poem:
In the future, happy occasions will come as surely as the morning.
Difficult times will come as surely as the night.
When things are joyous, pause and give thanks.
When things go badly, pause and give thanks.
To say the words ‘love and compassion’ is easy.
But to accept that love and compassion are built upon patience and perseverance requires kung-fu.
(Which means hard work.)
Then we had the Challenge of the Elements, which was cool and which I am therefore going to quote in full, from the script. Stage directions are given only for the first element, since it's the exact same pattern for all five.
Cliff: Who speaks for the West?
Leanne: We do. [Leanne and Brenda walk forward to face Cat and Evan across the table.] Are Evan and Cat prepared to support themselves and provide for their worldly needs?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Brenda: Then accept the blessings of Earth, of strength, stability, and wealth. [Leanne places lamp on table, Brenda lights it. Everyone bows, Leanne and Brenda walk back to the edge of the circle.]
Cliff: Who speaks for the North?
Rich: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to share their love with each other for the rest of this lifetime?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Audrey: Then accept the blessings of Water, of love, dreams, and intuition.
Cliff: Who speaks for the East?
Mark: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to clearly exchange thoughts and ideas, even if they disagree?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Liz: Then accept the blessings of Air, of sharp minds, clear voices, and precise language.
Cliff: Who speaks for the South?
Jay: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to use their wills as one, and to stand together against adversity?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Rianna: Then accept the blessings of Fire, of passion, will, and warmth.
Cliff: Who speaks for the Center?
Pete: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to accept and adapt to the changes in their lives, and to take their place within this circle together?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Susan: Then accept the blessings of Spirit, of community, transcendence, and transformation.
Cliff: The circle is complete. To symbolize this, Evan and Catriona will now exchange the rings.
At that point, Cat and Evan exchanged vows and rings, after which Cliff did the "by the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife" spiel, and closed with an Apache blessing:
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years,
May happiness be your companion and may your days together be good and long upon the earth.
Then we all processed out through a sword arch formed by Cat's Germanic swordfighting people on one side, and Evan's kung fu people on the other.
---------------
I'll do the reception and my drive home in a second post.
---------------
Friday Afternoon - To Massaschusetts
After the half hour delay getting my rental car (a burnt orange Dodge Caliber, for those who care about such things), I went home, finished packing, and hit the road around 1pm. My planned route was NY-79 east/south to I-81 south to I-88 east to I-90 east (which is the NY Throughway, and then -- after a brief weirdness where I-90 does an oxbow and the Throughway follows I-87 instead -- becomes the Massachusetts Turnpike), to MA-32 north to MA-9 east to the Salem Cross Inn. If you have a map, you'll see that this is a stupidly indirect route -- dipping south from Ithaca to Binghamton, then up north to Albany, and then somewhat southeast into Massachusetts, but there isn't a direct route. Very annoying.
I was further delayed by a 'wrath of God' style thunderstorm and two stretches of single-lane construction on I-88. And then, once I'd reached the Salem Cross Inn, I realized that while this was the wedding site, it was not the hotel site.
*headdesk*
So I called Cat and got directions to the Sturbridge Country Inn -- MA-9 east to MA-148 south to US-20 east and about three blocks later, turn left into the driveway.
---------------
Friday Evening - Rehearsal and Dinner
Having arrived at the inn, I took my suitcase into the suite Cat had reserved for herself and three of the bridesmaids: me, Susan, and Audrey. (The other two --Brenda and Rianna -- were staying with their own significant others.) Then, once Cat and Audrey arrived, we went outside to rehearse.
You see, Cat and Evan had designed a participatory wedding ceremony, which involved the four directions/elements and center/spirit, each represented by one bridesmaid and one groomsman (or groomswoman). So we had to figure out the order in which we'd walk into the circle, choreograph the challenges and lamp-lighting, and memorize one line each.
After four rehearsals, we knocked off for dinner at a nearby restaurant. I had lobster ravioli, which was very good, but in retrospect I think I should have gone for beef tenderloin. I had Bailey's chocolate chip cheesecake for dessert, which was marvelously decadent, and which I really should not have indulged in the night before I had to fit into a formal dress. :-)
Cat went straight to bed, but Susan, Audrey, Mr. M (Cat's father) and I spent a few minutes putting together reception favors -- bags of marigold seeds in mini flower pots -- so as to have one less worry in the morning.
---------------
Saturday Morning - Set-up
Cat, Susan, Audrey, Rianna, and Brenda went to a salon to get their hair done. Since my hair is currently far too short for styling, and since I wanted to leave from the wedding rather than waste time driving back to the hotel, I packed instead. I also spent a rather confused quarter hour trying to find the salon and playing phone go-between for Cat and her parents, via Susan, the upshot of which was that Mr. M had to buy a bag of sand (in case of oil lamp mishaps) and Susan and I had to grab all the flowers out of the suite refrigerator, head over to the Salem Cross Inn, and put together the table decorations posthaste.
I don't recall agreeing to be an assisstant florist when I signed up as a bridesmaid, but oh well... :-)
Susan and I set up in a tiny closet sink in one of the three rooms set aside for the reception dinner. I cut roses, two types of greenery, ferns, and baby's breath, and filled glass globes with water. Susan arranged them on the tables, since she's actually been a florist.
We got done in time, though it was a bit nerve-wracking.
Then we (meaning Cat, all five bridesmaids, and Mrs. M) changed into our nice clothes. We were told, partway through, that we'd have to vacate the dressing room by 4pm, since another wedding party needed it. This meant either we'd be moving stuff around right at the start of the reception, or we could move most of it out preemptively; I chose to put all my stuff out in my car.
Then we handed out flowers and went downstairs to wait for our cue.
---------------
Saturday Afternoon - Ceremony
I'm going to quote portions of the program notes and script at you now.
Lion Dance: It is [a] tradition of Asian culture to begin any important ceremony with a lion dance to cleanse the space. The lion is also said to bring good luck and fortune. Perfomed by [Evan's kung fu school].
After the Lion Dance, the bridal party (bridesmaids, Cat, and Mr. M) walked out accompanied by bagpipe music. Cat joined Evan in the center of a circle, and the bridesmaids took positions next to our respective groomsmen at the cardinal points of the circle.
Cliff, the officiant, opened with The Princess Bride: "Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam. And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva..."
I have strange friends. :-)
Cliff did a little introduction, talked about Cat and Evan as people, talked about marriage, and then recited this Buddhist poem:
In the future, happy occasions will come as surely as the morning.
Difficult times will come as surely as the night.
When things are joyous, pause and give thanks.
When things go badly, pause and give thanks.
To say the words ‘love and compassion’ is easy.
But to accept that love and compassion are built upon patience and perseverance requires kung-fu.
(Which means hard work.)
Then we had the Challenge of the Elements, which was cool and which I am therefore going to quote in full, from the script. Stage directions are given only for the first element, since it's the exact same pattern for all five.
Cliff: Who speaks for the West?
Leanne: We do. [Leanne and Brenda walk forward to face Cat and Evan across the table.] Are Evan and Cat prepared to support themselves and provide for their worldly needs?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Brenda: Then accept the blessings of Earth, of strength, stability, and wealth. [Leanne places lamp on table, Brenda lights it. Everyone bows, Leanne and Brenda walk back to the edge of the circle.]
Cliff: Who speaks for the North?
Rich: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to share their love with each other for the rest of this lifetime?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Audrey: Then accept the blessings of Water, of love, dreams, and intuition.
Cliff: Who speaks for the East?
Mark: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to clearly exchange thoughts and ideas, even if they disagree?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Liz: Then accept the blessings of Air, of sharp minds, clear voices, and precise language.
Cliff: Who speaks for the South?
Jay: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to use their wills as one, and to stand together against adversity?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Rianna: Then accept the blessings of Fire, of passion, will, and warmth.
Cliff: Who speaks for the Center?
Pete: We do. Are Evan and Cat prepared to accept and adapt to the changes in their lives, and to take their place within this circle together?
Evan & Cat: We are.
Susan: Then accept the blessings of Spirit, of community, transcendence, and transformation.
Cliff: The circle is complete. To symbolize this, Evan and Catriona will now exchange the rings.
At that point, Cat and Evan exchanged vows and rings, after which Cliff did the "by the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife" spiel, and closed with an Apache blessing:
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years,
May happiness be your companion and may your days together be good and long upon the earth.
Then we all processed out through a sword arch formed by Cat's Germanic swordfighting people on one side, and Evan's kung fu people on the other.
---------------
I'll do the reception and my drive home in a second post.
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(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-24 07:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-25 10:06 pm (UTC)And there was a "By the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife," line. I just forgot to put that in the post... which oversight I have now corrected. *grin*