An Awesome Wedding

So Saturday I went to my friend Jess’s wedding and had a great time.  I definitely needed a joyous occasion to bask in love and new beginnings.  Some of you may remember I wrote that when I sent back my RSVP I impulsively checked off “+1” even though I don’t have a significant other and didn’t have any prospects for a date.  I did it as a way of opening myself up to the universe and the possibility of meeting someone in the intervening two months that I could ask to accompany me to the wedding.

Well, *chuckle* the universe did NOT deliver.  Sure, I can shoulder some of the blame, I could have desperately asked every woman I ran across out for dates but it’s not like my life offers too many possibilities in that regard.  There were a couple possibilities that hit my radar that I pursued a little bit but neither panned out.  But that’s okay—this wedding wasn’t about me, it was about Jess and her fiancé and I was determined to soak up the good vibrations. 

It started off a little comedic, with me pulling out all my stunt-driving techniques to get through the city streets and into downtown by 4pm… and I nabbed a parking spot on the street about 7 minutes after 4pm and hoped that the wedding was running a little behind and/or there would be a way I could slide in without disturbing things.  I meekly snuck inside and find out that the wedding actually starts at 5pm.  Okay, whew!

I see someone I know—actually the only person I know in the entire guest list besides the bride.  My old friend Scott and I go way back, decades of friendship, and we hang out together and chit-chat.  He’s actually conducting the actual wedding ceremony.

He’s also waiting for his girlfriend to arrive.  I can’t wait to meet her!  Scott’s been a near-eternal bachelor for the time that we’ve been friends, but is a super-cool dude and someone who enjoys his own company and so never has come across as miserable and lonely.  He’s always drawn a wide variety of good friends for good company and things to do.  But it’s fantastic to know he’s found love.

When she arrives Scott’s got to go do some of his pre-ceremony duties and so she and I get to talk a bit and get to know each other.  Turns out she’s an educator and a single mom with kids the same age as mine, and we hit it off well – and she, like me, doesn’t know anyone else there but Scott and the bride.  So we’ve got a little club of 3 going over at the table we claimed strategically located beneath the air conditioner vents.

What’s especially great to see is how affectionate her and Scott are together.  I’ve written a few times here about my opinion of affection being so important to a good relationship, and I’m thrilled to see the two of them have that going on.  I know this is a relatively new relationship, but I know Scott’s a sweet guy and she seems like a sweet girl too so I don’t think this is just that new relationship touchy-feelies.

Closer to the actual start time of 5pm a friend of Scott and Jess’s arrives and Scott introduces her to me and his girlfriend.  Like the rest of us, she only knows Jess and Scott so our club grows to 4.  J’s got a contagious smile and the kind of personality that just draws you in, and we keep each other company for most of the evening.  She’s known Scott nearly as long as I have, and likely bumped into each other long ago at some of Scott’s parties but never really had the opportunity to talk much.  However, Scott’s talked enough about her to me – and apparently talked enough about me to her – that we both feel like we kinda/sorta know a little about each other already.  Turns out we also have some things in common—she’s also got an artistic streak but is rather busy with life and responsibilities and finds it hard to scrounge up time to stop and smell the roses.  As I think back on it, we talked about a ton of things—how hard it is to find dates as a busy professional, politics, movies, TV, online dating, food, drink, blogging—just so much great conversation.  I loved it!  She’s definitely the kind of person you walk away from being so glad you met them.  It made me realize that had I come there with a date, there’s no way that I’d have finally gotten to know J and strike up a possible new friendship.  Maybe the universe knew what it was doing after all…

BTW, regarding the ceremony itself, Jess pulled a great surprise on her husband-to-be.  While they were originally planning the wedding, he jokingly said that they should have cheerleaders dance at the wedding.  She apparently shot it down with semi-outrage, letting him know in no uncertain terms that no bride wants to have a bunch of scantily-clad young women gyrating in front of her man… but that was just a smoke screen for a plot that culminated in what was captured on video – and uploaded to YouTube – right after they exchanged vows.  The look on the groom’s face – and Jess’s grin – was priceless!

 

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