WEDDING BELL BLUE: And by blue I mean freezing my nuts off at dear friend/fellow poet Lisa Allender's nuptials on Saturday night. Lisa, bless her heart, decided she had to have an outdoor ceremony, despite the fact that it's the dead of winter and the temperature was hovering at 30 degrees. I heard the bridesmaids were wearing Icy Hot back pads under their off-the-shoulder gowns.

I rode up with Cleo and met a bunch of other poets -- Rupert, Dustin, Kodac, Jessica -- and we all huddled together on the terrace of Primrose Cottage in Roswell where the wedding took place. It's a lovely setting for an evening wedding...in the Spring or Summer...but there was just a stiff, frigid breeze blowing.

Lisa and Hansoo have been together for more than 10 years, so I guess they decided it was time to make it official. There was tons of family and their dogs ("Release the hounds!!!!") were the ring-bearers. There were poetry readings both in English and Korean and a snippet from that old wedding chestnut The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. Lisa and Hansoo had written part of their vows and there were plenty of tears (probably freezing on contact).

As soon as the ceremony ended, everyone rushed back inside to the open bar and banquet. The food was delicious: beef tenderloin, pasta, chicken. The poets all sat at a big table in the back so we could gossip and catch up. Lisa and Hansoon disappeared for ages and then came back for the traditional toast (including a rambling yarn from Hansoo's best friend about pulling some prank about a job interview, and a lovely toast from Lisa's sister with memories of growing up together) and cutting of the pretty cake. Kodac got up and cut a rug with several of the ladies and Jessica did a mean Electric Slide. Dustin scrambled to catch the garter, but it slipped right out of his hand. We also got to meet the oft-mentioned, but never seen, Aunt Carolyn. Although weddings are not my thing, I was glad I went to this one.

I wish Hansoo and Lisa every happiness. No wedding bell blues for you.

Comments

an outdoor wedding in february!?! love it.
Dancing with Jessica and Amy was my exercise for the month. It was great to see everyone!
Jennifer said…
I love "Wedding Bell Blues"! When I was a bridesmaid in my friend Deborah's rock & roll & drink champgane wedding, all of the bridesmaids performed this song (drunk). And later my friend Johnny Mundane did a beautiful acapella cover of "Amazing Grace," a duet he sang with one of our co-workers who was the high school sweetheart of Mark David Chapman, the guy who killed John Lennon. Deborah, I think, still has the video of all of this.
Anonymous said…
Man that is corny with a capital K, but I do like that song. I saw a rerun of Designing Women where all the girls sang it Charlene at her bridal shower.

GAV
Rupert said…
I liked the part where the wedding photographer came up to our table, took our pic and asked who we were.
"The poets," I said.
"Ahhh," she said, writing it down.
"Table 6, the Poet family."
Anonymous said…
Coll, what a witty and warm review of our wedding!

I'm SO glad you were a part of our "Big Night".
Thank you for indulging me in our garden wedding in February! I actually was hoping for icicles on the trees, thinking it would look really neat, especially with the lavender(GLBT color), and silver colors I'd chosen! (I know, I'm insane.)
And, yes, my sister Tina's suggestion was for the bridal attendants to wear "Heat-Patches" under their gowns, just as you heard they did! I, however, could not do that, in my rather bare silk charmeuse! Hansoo reading from Dante's Paradiso DID warm me up....

After Allegro Strings-- the trio who played for the ceremony left-- I hoped the d.j. would play "Who Let The Dogs Out" in honor of our beloved "Ring-Bearers". Perhaps he did--Hansoo & I were being dragged off for photos, every few seconds(sigh).
I was honored to have you, dear friend, there.

P.S. "Poet Family"--hilarious, but actually, we really ARE a family.

--Lisa Allender
Anonymous said…
sounds like a fun wedding! i wanted a wedding but jack is just a party pooper. boo hoo.

Popular Posts