Twenty years ago this week I was busy planning our wedding. After a few years of dating, breaking up, dating again, discussing and negotiating, we decided to get married. It was late April and we chose Memorial Day weekend for the big event. As my Mom thought we would regret it if we went to City Hall, we got busy and managed a lovely wedding!
I bought a dress in the Prom Dress Department of Jordan Marsh - white with biggish sleeves and no train. My aunt and sister chose their own dresses as I was too busy for the traditional “choose-awful-dresses-for-your-bridal-party” event. My aunt had her friend do the flowers; they were not exactly what I would have chosen, but they were a gift and they were very pretty. Photographer? My girlfriend. Videographer? My uncle. DJ? None – just the classical music the restaurant had in the background.
Old (pearls), new (shoes), borrowed (veil) and blue (undies) – got it all! We chose an apartment, bought a bed and an ironing board, and received glasses, a hand mixer and The Joy of Cooking at my very-surprise shower. We were set!
Except….we were pretty broke. So we decided not to bother with a honeymoon. After the reception, I stuffed my dress into his car and we drove off to our new apartment. He carried me over the threshold! Then we opened all our cards, prayed for everyone who had come to our little wedding (48 including ourselves!), counted our loot and ordered Domino’s pizza, which we ate off the ironing board. It was just about perfect!
A few months later my new husband told me that we really ought to go visit his Grandmother in Florida. She had not been well enough to come to the wedding and was looking forward to meeting me. Then he suggested that, since we would be flying down, we ought to take a little vacation while we were there. I started thinking about leisurely mornings, a king size bed, room service, a glass of wine on a terrace somewhere…I was imagining a floaty dress or something like that when I realized that he was still talking. I heard the words – Disney World.
I said – What? He said – Disney World! I said – Oh!
I readjusted my thinking really quick-like – I had been to the Magic Kingdom for a day, once, and Space Mountain had been really cool. There were hotels with king sized beds and room service and wine there – right? OK – this could be nice. I think.
It was a long time ago, but I do remember smiling. Because we were actually going to go somewhere! Alone!! Like real grown-ups!!! Even if it was to Disney World. Still –I was 21 and I was grown-up and I was going to have a honeymoon.
I bought a dress in the Prom Dress Department of Jordan Marsh - white with biggish sleeves and no train. My aunt and sister chose their own dresses as I was too busy for the traditional “choose-awful-dresses-for-your-bridal-party” event. My aunt had her friend do the flowers; they were not exactly what I would have chosen, but they were a gift and they were very pretty. Photographer? My girlfriend. Videographer? My uncle. DJ? None – just the classical music the restaurant had in the background.
Old (pearls), new (shoes), borrowed (veil) and blue (undies) – got it all! We chose an apartment, bought a bed and an ironing board, and received glasses, a hand mixer and The Joy of Cooking at my very-surprise shower. We were set!
Except….we were pretty broke. So we decided not to bother with a honeymoon. After the reception, I stuffed my dress into his car and we drove off to our new apartment. He carried me over the threshold! Then we opened all our cards, prayed for everyone who had come to our little wedding (48 including ourselves!), counted our loot and ordered Domino’s pizza, which we ate off the ironing board. It was just about perfect!
A few months later my new husband told me that we really ought to go visit his Grandmother in Florida. She had not been well enough to come to the wedding and was looking forward to meeting me. Then he suggested that, since we would be flying down, we ought to take a little vacation while we were there. I started thinking about leisurely mornings, a king size bed, room service, a glass of wine on a terrace somewhere…I was imagining a floaty dress or something like that when I realized that he was still talking. I heard the words – Disney World.
I said – What? He said – Disney World! I said – Oh!
I readjusted my thinking really quick-like – I had been to the Magic Kingdom for a day, once, and Space Mountain had been really cool. There were hotels with king sized beds and room service and wine there – right? OK – this could be nice. I think.
It was a long time ago, but I do remember smiling. Because we were actually going to go somewhere! Alone!! Like real grown-ups!!! Even if it was to Disney World. Still –I was 21 and I was grown-up and I was going to have a honeymoon.
