The wedding went off without a hitch. The best man remembered to bring the rings, the flower girl and ring bearer were adorable, the soprano sang a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria, and the bridesmaids paraded gracefully up the aisle ahead of the bride. Even the groom, who appeared nervous the previous day, seemed to be, if not exactly carefree, at least reasonably relaxed thanks to the Valium slipped to him by the mother of the bride.
The reception in the church basement seemed to be going well. The bride and groom stood near the stairs to receive their guests, and the ladies of the Altar Society expertly served the cake, punch, and coffee. Bowls of mints and multi-colored pastel Jordan almonds and baskets filled with groom’s cake were strategically placed around the room. In the 1960s, the typical grooms’ cake was fruit cake cut in small cubes, wrapped in aluminum foil, and tied with a ribbon—a party favor not meant to be eaten but to be placed under your pillow so you could dream of the person you were fated to marry.
So … everything was proceeding as planned. But not everyone likes a wedding that follows the script. The maid of honor (my sister), for one. And she had an idea. If only she could convince the best man (my brother-in-law) to help her kidnap the bride, they could add a little fun to the wedding. She’d chosen an unlikely co-conspirator though. My brother-in-law was the ultimate law-and-order-kind-of guy. And yet, she convinced him.
the kidnappers
As they carried me off, I tried to get away. But given the size and strength of my brother-in-law, I struggled in vain. They drove me to the next town, and kept going. “Please, please,” I cried, playing the damsel in distress. “I want to go back to my husband.”
In his birth family, my husband had been pegged the rebel, but he’d also been well schooled in the courtesies a host owes to his guests. When the kidnappers finally brought me back thirty minutes later, he was not amused. Our guests had been kept waiting to see the bride.
Our second reception for close friends and family was at my parents’ house. My mom had been preparing the food for weeks. Mid-June can be cool and rainy in Western Washington State, but that day was sunny, perfect for a party in my parents’ back yard.
The drink of choice seemed to be Jim Beam.
Punch is good too. My dad passed some out the window.
The groom buttered up the great aunts.
My grandma and great aunt Gertie offered to chaperone the honeymoon. We refused their offer, dragged them out, and took off for San Francisco.
Weddings are not just fairytale events. They’re opportunities for two groups of people to get acquainted with each other. Besides, they can be lots of fun.
Do you enjoy weddings? Have you been to some good ones? Do you have some tales to tell from your wedding?
Ha ha, when I read your title I almost thought something sinister had happened at your wedding! 🙂
Great photos!
I guess that was an overly sensational title. Nothing sinister at all.
Thanks for sharing your story. The cultural details were interesting. I’d never heard the one about sleeping on the little squares of cake. One of our sons had a traditional wedding in a church and reception afterwards in a hall. Our second son had his wedding under an arbor in a rose park in Buffalo, NY, for immediate family only, followed by an intimate dinner in a party room at their favorite eating and drinking establishment. We threw a larger reception here at our home for extended family and friends a couple of months afterwards. Two more to go. I just hope nobody decides to tie the knot on top of a hot-air balloon. I’ve seen that one done in the news.
What I particularly liked about my daughters’ weddings were the bands. My oldest daughter had a klezmer band that played “Sunrise, Sunset” for the first dance. One of the musicians taught Jewish folk dances to the wedding guests. We found a band for my youngest daughter’s wedding that played some good salsas.
Your stories are so nostalgic. I loved reading about the groom’s cake and pastel Jordan almonds 🙂
Do I enjoy weddings? I suppose so. I haven’t been to very many. For an introvert like me, I’d rather be in a bookstore or relaxing at home. But weddings can be a really lovely way to get out of the house and into something new.
I didn’t really appreciate weddings that much until my daughters got married. Then I could see how nice it was for the two families and two sets of friends to get acquainted–not just the immediate family, but also all the aunts and uncles and cousins, the school friends and work friends.
I hadn’t thought about the old-fashioned groom’s cakes in a long time. It was a cute custom that seems to have disappeared.
Ah, yes, I could see that with your daughters. Rich and interesting details that weave into our lives.
I love these pictures! Weddings seemed to be way less simple back then, I like that. I’m not a big fan of modern weddings, I think they are too much and too expensive. I haven’t had my own yet, but I hope it is simple.
Apart from the weddings I attended in China, all the weddings I have been in the past years were in the Philippines! One in Cebu, one in Davao and one in Boracay. I like weddings there, they are fun! There were always games to entertain the guests! Not like Chinese weddings, which are just give hongbao, eat and then leave!
Filipinos know how to have good parties. One thing a remember from a wedding in Manila was the pair of doves they let loose at the reception. I also remember the pigeons we ate at a Chinese wedding in Manila.
Er… do you think the pigeons were those doves? xD
I hope not. Ugh!
Love this post and the photos! I’ve always enjoyed attending weddings – the dresses, the flowers and all the emotions involved. Today’s weddings are so much more “outside the box” than years ago. Sometimes a good thing and sometimes not so much. Thanks for sharing your wonderful story.
I enjoy weddings too, Carol. I helped two of my daughters plan their weddings, and it was fun. One thing their weddings had that mine lacked was dancing and a live band.
Great story, NIcki. And those photos are priceless! I’ve yet to be at a wedding where the bride was kidnapped. I did attend a wedding, years ago, where we waited a long time for the bride. She wanted to get married a little later in the day then the given time. We all wailed in a very hot, non-air conditioned, church, fanning ourselves with those paper fans and anything else we could use. The bride eventually showed up, right on time for the time she wanted her wedding to start. She was beautiful, the guests were not. 🙂 We had all wilted in the heat and humidity.
That’s a strange story, Geralyn–a bride who is so determined to do things her way that she leaves her guests waiting until she’s good and ready. The poor groom. It sounds like he’s in for a difficult marriage.
Sounds like a sense of humor flows through your family, Nicki ~ from Grandma and great aunt Gertie down!
My grandma did like a good joke, and Aunt Gertie was a real character.
You all look like you enjoyed both receptions 🙂
Here in Austria it is the bridemaid’s/maid of honor’s duty to hinder anyone from kidnapping the bride and have to get her back if she was kidnapped. But in your case it was actually the other way around – what an evil masterplan!
My wedding reception is still to come somewhen in the future and I hope everything will be according to plan and we all will spend an awesome time.
Sometime in the future I hope you will have a great time at your wedding reception, Betty.
Nicky, what a great way to remember some fun at your wedding.
I’m glad you stopped by, Michelle. No matter how formal a wedding tries to be, someone always injects a little fun into it.
Weddings should be fun.
How funny your sister and your husband’s brother were able to pull off a prank like that! Were I the bride, I’m not so sure I would have been a good sport about it. I imagine the humor was much greater after the fact.
Lovely, lovely photos. Ave Maria at a wedding, bliss! Great story, love it.
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. The soprano, AneMarie Gorman Porter, sang a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria.
Loved this, Nicki! Thanks for putting up a second post, complete with pictures. So did your husband ever forgive your sister and his brother?
Oh, yes. My husband forgave the kidnappers. He wasn’t one to hold a grudge.
What a great story, Nicki! Love the photos! The kidnapping is hilarious! Poor Eugene. He wanted to spend time with his bride!
I’m not married, but my brother told me of a wedding that wound up a whopper thanks to one of his college friends. The bride-to-be had cheated on the groom. The best man knew about it and threatened to tell the groom. During the wedding when the minister asked if anyone had an objection, the best man objected! The bride’s family grew angry and ran him out of town.
Wow! Your brother’s story is definitely a whopper. The best man wasn’t content to simply tell the groom. He had to do it during the ceremony and in front of everyone. And then the bride’s family not only told him off; they ran him out of town. What a drama!
What a great story, Nicki. Your sister sounds like a real prankster. I really enjoyed the photographs. Every wedding I’ve attended has been perfect, no one left at the altar or forgetting their vows.
The perfect weddings you attended are a testament to good planning. Although I suspect that some of those same brides remember some small mistake that almost no one else noticed. For example, when my youngest daughter got married, I just sat there, enjoying the ceremony when it was my turn to go up and light a candle. I wouldn’t have remembered without my daughter signaling to me … more than once.