Oh. My. Gawd. What A Wedding Reception We Attended!

Never in my life have I ever been to such an amazingly elegant and yet,  Texas style laid-back wedding reception. Anywhere. I will probably never attend anything like it again. It was a *once in a lifetime* affair and we were soooo glad we had planned to attend. Our friends, (parents of the bride) enjoyed the marriages of their two eldest daughters in 2010 (the 1st wedding was the weekend of Mr. Snooty's 40th high school reunion & the 2nd marriage was in New Orleans the day after I returned from Italy), so this was the last daughter to go. Their baby, *A*. I was determined we'd make this one and we did. The ice sculptures, food stations, the band, the photo booth, the groom's Fender guitar cake of red velvet, and the brides cake of Italian Creme, were all part of the magic and it was fun, fun, fun! We definitely had fun in the photo booth ---->>





All of our children went to the same private school, throughout grade school, then their daughters each went off to different boarding schools back East (which includes college & grad school), while our children went on to attend public school. We had a lake house in the same private area in the Texas Hill Country as they did do, so the kids all learned to ski, drive the golf cart, hunt, drive the boat and drive the old Wagoneer, together. Every summer, as the adults drank, ate, and told stories, the children would all get together and put on plays and musicals for our entertainment. Believe it or not, it was always fun and made us giggle into the early hours of the summer mornings.


They always brought a nanny with them to the lake while I always hired a teenager every summer as a *mother's helper* (not always actually any help), so we were usually covered for almost any situation that might arise. We'd take *Sunset Cocktail Cruises* on the boat in the evenings, sometimes with the children, sometimes without (but always without the hired help). We'd serve caviar on toast points with freezing cold vodka, or Moet & Chandon champagne, and launch ourselves into the latest tales we had to tell. I tell you, those were such magical times.


I used to take all of the kids on midnight golf cart rides, which makes me wonder how any of us are still alive. Anyway, one night we were out tooling around and came upon a big fat SKUNK. Thankfully, I saw it first, told the kids to be very quiet unless they wanted to smell like skunk for the next 2 weeks (slapping my hand over our son's mouth to keep him quiet, he was the only boy), and backed down the steep hill until we'd all break into hysterical laughter that we hadn't gotten sprayed. Then, the skunk came down the hill one night and sprayed our air conditioner unit, which made us all wake up gagging. We ended up going home so that the place could have time to air out.


To keep all the kids entertained during the day when most of us were nursing hangovers, Mr. Snooty would pull ALL of the kids at once, on the various toys we had to pull behind the boat. The main game was *Try To Stay On Without Help*, which Mr. Snoots was well versed in. He always got them, eventually. Then the rest of us would come to life and the party would start all over again. I can't begin to tell you how much I miss those days. I still can't even drive by the old lake house. Seriously. As financially draining as the estate was, it was like a perfect slice of Heaven during the years we spent entire summers there.


Now, the baby of the group is married, while neither of mine even have any prospects. Yes, this is a bit of whine, and yes, I'd love some cheese, thank you.  Still, I have to hand it to our friends. It's no easy feat to survive the enormous weddings (2 out of town) of all 3 of your daughters within one year, even if you have wedding planners. Someone still has to ride herd, right?

So, as I told the groom last (Saturday) night.... "Happy Wife, Happy Life" and he gave me a knowing wink of his eye. I think they are good to go. *A* is the second kiddo (from the left) on the Water Weenie. From left to right: *T*, *A*, *K*, *G*, *E*.



By the way, my camera wouldn't fit in my purse so I chose lip liner and lipstick. A friend is sending me the few pics she got on her phone but they are really grainy.....

An Engagement... Texas Style

We have some longtime friends whose daughter is engaged to a charming young man from Ft. Worth, the hometown of her mother as well. All of our children went to the same private school and grew up together during summers at the lake, as they had the house just up the hill from our house. I had a boy and girl and they had three girls, all within a few of years of one another. Those were such magical years in our lives.

Every single summer (when the kids weren't at camp) they would put on *shows* for us that were always a hoot to watch. They were always far more entertaining than TV or anything else. They all learned to water ski together. They rode the tubes behind the boat together, they all got thrown off the water weenie together. Now, the oldest of the brood is getting married. The bride is the kiddo in the middle.

So Saturday was a kitchen/recipe shower (the first of many), which I attended. I was hesitant about going (because I don't get invited so much these days and am never sure how to dress) but, as it turns out, I'm so glad I went! I saw so many people I've missed seeing for a very long time. I wore an off-white shirt-waist dress that has a wide brown belt with brown patent/cork sling-back peep-toe wedges I'd bought over a year ago and had never worn and I felt confident in my *look*.

There was also a cocktail party the same night that included many people I thought I didn't care about seeing. As it turns out, I was so wrong. We had a splendid time and talked to friends we had not seen in years. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own little worlds that we forget how much fun it is to celebrate with friends. To that party I wore an adorable black DKNY sleeveless sheath dress with sheer black stockings and black beaded high heels, with my good jewelry. I also added a black shawl because the weather has still been cool at night.

The funny thing is, every single person I talked to said the same thing as I, in answer to "Where have you been and what have you been doing?" We've all been hanging out at home, getting to know our spouses again, since the kids have gone. That truly cracked me up. I thought I was the only one...

This Made Me Laugh So Hard I Cried...

It's The Big Wedding Weekend...

Most weekends around here are pretty tame. We don't go out much since we're homebodies and we don't really have a lot of company. So, when a weekend like this comes along, I'm all in. I've been resting up for weeks now. I've also been cleaning like some kind of maniac.

So, the girls got in last night and we ordered pizza and antipasto salads from our favorite Italian restaurant. We sat around the kitchen table talking and laughing and it really was Heaven for me. After that, the girls all went out to hook up with all their old friends who are in town for the wedding.

There are two weddings tonight and we've decided to make it to both celebrations. We'll go to the one friends' daughter's wedding at the church and then attend the other friends' daughter's reception at The Petroleum Club.

I decided to go ahead and wear the Victor Costa suit I got for my best friends' son's wedding last year, rather than go out & buy something else I'll only wear once. My biggest decision today is going to be which pair of shoes I want to ruin in the rain. It rained all night with more expected this evening. It's not fair to have rain when there are weddings to attend.

Snooty daughter invited about 15 people over for a little wedding pre-party, so I'm thinking all the cleaning was a good decision. I've got a few appetizers ready to tide everyone over until the wedding reception and SD went out and bought a huge amount of champagne to make Mimosas. It ought to be really fun!

SD may or may not have told me she thinks she's in love with our best friends' son. Hmmm... Let's see. He's smart, good looking, funny, finished grad school, has a great job, and his parents are our best friends in the world. That would be just too good to be true, which is probably why nothing will really come of it. But, I can sure dream about it....

More Tales Of My Mother, The Brown Recluse....

Mr. Snooty and I were scheduled to walk down the aisle (just over 31 years ago) and TBR announced that she was going to invite her new boyfriend, whom we had never met. I'm quite serious. Apparently, they had been living together (at her house, of course) and she said she was bringing him no matter what we said about it. Fine. Especially since she wasn't paying for my wedding. Mr. Snooty's parents paid for everything from flowers and the rehearsal dinner to the reception at the Petroleum Club and our honeymoon. They also paid for the best photographer in town so that we'd have wonderful pictures to remember our day. So, of course, we would allow her to bring anyone she pleased. Frankly, this was just the beginning of the end of our relationship with her.

Of course, she was there for all of the pictures that were taken before hand. She was there for the Rehearsal Dinner. She was there for the wedding and the reception, none of which she helped with, in any way. Oh, she had the money. She just didn't think she should pay for me to get married a second time. You know. Since she wasn't there or paid for the first wedding either. In her mind, it wasn't her responsibility since she didn't have a husband. Forget the fact that he (my first husband) was killed in a freak car accident. She has never been one to care much about other people.




The Brown Recluse also made me have a girl in my wedding that was the daughter of her best friend (they had been in each other's weddings years ago). This girl had stolen my previous boyfriend, which I didn't find out about for a month. Oh Yeah. I can't tell you how excited I was about this development.

Trust me when I tell you I got over being embarrassed by her actions long, long ago. It just happened so often, I suppose I eventually became immune to it.

So, the night of our Rehearsal Dinner (which was also at The Petroleum Club), she tapped her glass to make a toast and proceeded to tell everyone how I'd been in love with Mr. Snooty since second grade and she once discovered my best friend and I in the backyard kissing a board. When she inquired as to what we were doing, we told her we were practicing to kiss Mr. Snoots at school which I thought was rather sweet, for her. Next, she said "What a shame he didn't remember you when next you met, even though it worked out in the end". Thanks a bunch, Mom. Great Toast!

Then, the next night, after our wedding ceremony at the church, we proceeded to the Petroleum Club for the reception. The Brown Recluse brought her latest boyfriend, John. Throughout the evening I was amazed to see John working the crowd, speaking with hundreds of people he didn't know. (There were 600 + people at our wedding and reception.) I was thinking he must really be a great guy and wondering why he was with my mother if he was such a great guy.

I soon found out. At one point during the reception Mr. Snooty's fraternity brothers made a circle around me and sang their fraternity song to me, where I promptly cried. It was so sweet and I thought the world of those guys. There were something like twenty of of his brothers in attendance. As soon as they were finished singing one of the groomsmen came up to me and asked if John was on the up and up. "About what?" I asked. "Well, he asked me to invest in one of his oil deals" replied our friend. Major sirens began going off in my head. It was like hearing the gong from the old "Gong Show". Big Time. Huge. I told him to never invest in an oil deal with someone he didn't know well and trust. I was absolutely livid, I assure you.

Before I was able to find Mr. Snooty and tell him, The Brown Recluse cornered me to tell me that she and John were going to get married the next day and they planned to go to Mexico with us on our honeymoon. Honestly, I almost lost it and started to go completely postal on her ass. Just as I was really going to let her have it, my new M-I-L came up to tell me it was time to go upstairs and change into my Going Away Outfit, thus, it was time to throw the bouquet. So, I held my tongue.

From the stairway, I threw my gorgeous bouquet of Chinese Lillies and roses to the large crowd of single women who waited below. To my complete and utter joy, a good friend caught the bouquet. The next thing was my new hubby taking off my garter and flinging it at all his single guy friends.

My friends finally ushered me upstairs to change into my Going-Away-Outfit. We raced down the stairs, had a few more pictures, then ran through a rainstorm of rice (yes, they still used rice back then), and into our awaiting getaway car. We sped back to our apartment, changed into jeans and sped off to the Hilton Hotel. Since we weren't leaving until the next day and the reception was over, we adjourned to the Hilton Hotel, where our out-of-town friends were staying, to party. And, par-tay we did!

I eventually saw the friend who had caught my lovely bouquet and she quickly pulled me aside. She proceeded to tell me that The Brown Recluse had asked if she could have my flowers since she was getting married the next day. Being put on the spot, she gave it up with reluctance. I really had difficulty believing what I was hearing. Well, not really. However, I was pissed off to the Nth degree. I went out to the hall and used the house phone to call The Brown Recluse, so that none of hubby's friends would hear this conversation. I informed her that she was not going with us on our honeymoon and if I heard that John hit up any more of our friends to invest in his questionable *oil deals*, she would be cut off forever. She told me what a selfish person I'd always been and I told her she had been an excellent teacher. A few more words passed between us, but she knew I meant business.

So as not to make this story any longer, we left the next day for Mexico where we enjoyed a blissful two weeks WITHOUT The Brown Recluse. Or her boyfriend John.

When we returned from our honeymoon, we discovered that good old John had married her then swiftly proceeded to take her for everything he could before making his timely exit and ultimate disappearance. He had cleaned out her checking account, maxed out her credit cards, and took some loose gemstones before doing his vanishing act. Hmmm... I guess what goes around, really does come around.

When I called her and asked for my bouquet back, she told me she threw it away. Uh-Huh.

Tonight I Was The Perfect Poster Child for How Not To Act In Church..... Especially Weddings

Wow! I am truly at a loss for words. I'm not sure that I can even begin to describe this wonderful wedding & reception tonight. Or even remember all of it, for that matter. But I'm willing to give the memory the old college try. It was almost like an Odyssey. A wonderful, delightful Odyssey that allowed everyone invited to actually be a part of this young couple's life, now and as long as we live. To tell you the honest truth, I've never experienced anything like this before. It was completely moving and I was starting to well up.

We arrived at the church about 15 minutes before the wedding was to start. We were handed these gorgeous programs for the ceremony. Our Galveston friends' son was an usher, so we spotted him and he raced over to us so that he could be the one to seat us. He is so adorable! Evidently, I'm falling behind on things, because I didn't realize that they don't seat you according to bride's or groom's side anymore. Good. That could so often be noticeably lop-sided, so this is a good change.

After the seating of the Grandmothers and the mothers, the procession finally began. The bridesmaids had on the most divine pale mocha colored full length satin strapless gowns. Each one also had a matching satin shawl that they each had tied where it goes around the shoulders, under the arms, and ties in the back. So fashionable. And, they all chose to wear their hair *up* in the Breakfast-At-Tiffany's-Audrey-Hepburn style. It was so incredibly chic! I never had that kind of style back when we got married at 25. I was a tasteless babe in the woods compared to this.

At that moment I started thinking that the groom's mother, my deceased best friend, would have been so pleased and proud. Frankly, I knew beforehand that I would do it to myself. I was starting to tear up and I knew what was just around the corner. The dam bursting. Oh, no. No. I kept telling myself "Don't do this now. You'll ruin your makeup and make a complete idiot out of yourself." Still, it looked like a pretty sure thing. Until the minister said something that totally stunned me.

He began to speak to the couple about how the odds were against them and that in all probablility, they would end up divorced. Then, he proceeded to go on some kind of rant about marriage being on the eve of destruction and all kinds of chaotic thoughts. Whew! I'm not even sure what he said for a bit after that zinger because my brain had frozen on that. I looked at Mr. Snooty for some kind of recognition but I'm pretty sure he was asleep. I looked to my other side where an adorable young man (friend of the couple) was sitting and he looked at me. We both had these looks on our faces that said WTH? As I glanced around the full church I saw that it was contagious. Many others seemed to have the same look upon their faces. Anyway, this continued on and this young man next to me & I got the giggles. I know, I am 55 and should be able to control such behavior. Especially in church. Especially as an example to younger people.

Tonight, I was the poster child for How Not To Act in Church, especially a wedding. It turned out to be one of those almost painful giggles where you want to stop really badly, but every time that you even glance sideways at the other giggler, it starts all over again. Yes, I'm ashamed to admit it. It reached a point that I almost had to be removed from the church. From the church where my best friend's son was getting married. My best friend who died two years ago today. I have a sneaky suspicion that she may have had a hand in this. She always was a very resourceful girl.

I've never before been to a church of this particular denomination and I don't want to name names, but it starts with an L. Unlike those starting with an M, a P, a C, or a B. I was definitely schooled tonight, in a round about way. It still did not help me to keep myself in check, most unfortunately.... I'm just thankful that we were sitting in the very back of the church. I think we went relatively unnoticed other than those sitting... oh, say... 10-15 rows away in every direction. Yes, I acted like a 12 year old. With my cute 25 year old boyfriend sitting next to me. While Mr. Snooty was asleep on the other side of me. During the wedding ceremony. Surely this is going to put us over the top for that *Couple of the Year* nomination.

Anyway, back to the wedding. Stay focused. At the church they had an entire orchestra playing, which included horns and strings. It was truly beautiful. Then, during the lighting of the candles, they had someone else playing a harp with music that was so soothing, I nearly started racking Z's. Until I looked over at my new boyfriend turned-partner-in-crime. All I had to see was his shoulders shaking from laughter with my peripheral vision. It started all over again. I AM SO IMMATURE!!!!! So, when the final prayer was said, I asked God to please protect these two precious young people and PLEASE don't let me get started with the giggles again. Please. I beg you. Probably shouldn't have wasted a God Beg there, but I was on the verge of going over the edge... publicy, no less.

The wedding lasted approximately 35 minutes, but we had been instructed to remain seated until all of the rows in front of us were escorted out of the sanctuary. Well, there's a good argument for not sitting in the back. Which I leaned over and whispered to my new young boyfriend. Which caused the giggling to begin again. So, we both did the proper thing and bowed our heads as we tried to suppress our hysteria. You know, so we'd look like we were praying or something virtuous like that. Which drew a look of disapproval from Mr. Snooty when he woke up. I gave him one right back. I'd rather be guilty of giggling in church than sleeping. Thank you very much.

Shortly after the ceremony everyone congregated again at The Petroleum Club for the reception and sit down dinner. When we first arrived the bride & groom had not yet arrived, so I got a quick shot of the gorgeous wedding cake and the amazing flowers. The appetizers included assorted canape's, boiled shrimp w/ cocktail sauce, assorted cheeses and an Open Bar. They also had a string quartet playing during the hors d'oeurves. Mr. Snooty and I started thinking that this was all that was going to be served, so we were discussing whether or not to leave in a bit to go feed elsewhere.

Then, a friend of mine mentioned that we should go retrieve our dinner placecards, which had the table number on it. Seeing the puzzled looks we had, she said that behind the white satin curtains (the main dining room) was where our dinner awaited. You see, I knew this was going to be a sit-down dinner but Mr. Snooty had somehow convinced me I was wrong. You know, because he's always so knowledgeable about everything, all the time. Hello. He was wrong. I was right. SCORE!!!! Here's a picture of the *Menu*. It was wonderful. Enough said.

Then, the bride & groom danced, then bride & father of the bride danced. They had the most outstanding jazz band with a female lead singer who was amazing. Then, although there was a fabulous main dinner table for the wedding party, this interesting young couple went out and worked the crowd. I loved it! I saw them sitting for perhaps 5 seconds, as you will see in the shots that I was trying to take. The rest of the time they were going around speaking to literally everyone in the room. It was quite something to witness. I'm still in awe of these two.

If anyone else remembers being made to stand in a reception line at their wedding, please raise your hand. How boring and dull and totally uninventive. I remember how horribly my feet hurt and that I hardly knew any of the people. Fun times there. Tonight, this couple made sure that they spoke personally to everyone, gave hugs to everyone, made everyone else feel special. It was truly the most enchanting wedding reception that I've ever been to.

The menu was totally delectible. Here's a picture of Mr. Snooty's plate. Yummm!

Check out these flowers at our table. Are they not divine?

Oh! Then, as a wedding favor, they had CD's of their favorite romantic music for all to listen to on the way home.

All in all, we had a most wonderful time. I think this couple is going to be married as long as they live. No doubts whatsoever.

So, after the reception they were off by private plane to Dallas and then on to Fiji for two weeks. Even though we wished them well, I don't think they will need it. These two special young people have their feet firmly planted on the ground and know exactly what their future is all about. Wow! I wish I'd been so confident at that age.

They had roses in great abundance and I have never been one to pass up smelling the roses. We'll talk about the change in outfits for the wedding when I am able to speak rationally & not sound like a lunatic when I talk about it.