Our Wedding-Wedding

The night before our wedding, we stayed up waaay later than we should have. We also consumed way more alcohol than necessary. So, the morning OF the wedding, we felt just as fresh as dill pickles. But we did get out of bed and before I knew it, I was having bobby pins nailed into my head. I spend the day thinking I was a walking fire-hazard with the amount of hairspray worked into my bridal style.

Prof. Grady and I both suffered minor heart-attacks at the reception room of our church as we realized we had forgotten to bring our civil marriage certificate, which had seemed like the only real prerequisite for being able to marry into the Christian Orthodox church. The priests were scary at first but then understanding and agreed to follow through with the ceremony. Pheew!

During the ceremony:

P: I am sweating like a pig.
K: Me too.
Priest: Kiss the cross and say Amen.

We had three priests perform the ceremony. One was stern, one was sweet and one had the most beautiful voice but did not seem to give a shit. The choir was so fantastic, our guests bet money on whether it was a recording or not.

We walked out and our guests just stood there, mostly stupefied, not knowing what to say or do...intermingled with another wedding party...of German-speakers...and stray dogs...and so many pigeons...Our photographer got a huge kick out of it all.

We took photos ON the tram line by the little produce market where street vendors hustled my husband into kissing me and offered us beers and yelled OHMYGODTHEBRIDE!!!!!! as the next tram came down the street and they worried we would get run over. Like I said, the photographer got a huge kick out of it. He also made us walk all the way to the National Theater and took photos on the way...kids dropping their ice-cream cones while watching Kyle and I, together with our KUMOVE, take high jumps off the fountains.

Our reception was at MOTTO, a place we've always liked, but now LOVE...for its beautiful garden and delicious food and wonderful, wonderful staff who greeted our guests with glasses of Italian sparkling wine but also saved a bottle for just the two of us because they thought we would need it the most. We exchanged vows in both English and Bulgarian and, I must say, doing that was the most romantic thing I've ever experienced. It was something we always wanted to do, but I did not realize how much I really meant all those words and how much I wanted to actually say it in front of our closest friends and families. It was just magic.

What followed was a night of good food and better music and, really, the best people in the entire world. It was sweet and, ok, a little sappy at times. But mostly just really really FUN. No strange rituals. No chicken dances. No MACARENA. Just love and romance and hugs and kisses everywhere. Also, little flower girls spilling red wine all over their white dresses, and grandmas drinking beer out of BIG glasses, and toasts that made everyone tear up a little bit and then laugh, like, A LOT.

I was amazed by the ability of people to reach across cultural and language barriers:

- My grandma spent the entire evening hanging out with Kyle's sister Ellie, the conversation culminating with the two of them taking a picture of their tired feet: Ellie in her silver Manolo's and Grandma, in her brand-new flat Dr. Scholl's.

- Kyle's mom and my grandpa bonding over their appreciation for mastika.

- 4 parents dancing the horo to Madonna's Like a Prayer.

- Ina's boyfriend, Mike, seating people and then getting them all gather up for our first dance...and for the throwing of the bouquet...and for the cake.

- Kyle's dad giving a small lesson in skateboarding history during his toast at the reception

- Watching my mom drag my friend Cristi into the toilet and attempting to stick her finger in her mouth. See, mom thought that Cristi was drunk and, being the true problem-solver that she is, wanted to help her throw up. The thing was...Cristi was not drunk. She simply had the flu.

***

We had been so tired and busy the week leading up to the wedding, that we had started worrying we wouldn't be able to enjoy it. But we did. I am so happy we had fun at our own wedding. But, I am the most happy that somewhere between the dinners, and errands, and bad bouquets, and the constant going back and forth between English and Bulgarian, and the music, and the seating charts, and the crosses and the crowns, and the first, and second and third dances, and the I-love-you's and the pigeons and the rice, and the tired feet and the big entrances, and the small breakdowns...I fell in love with my husband, all over again.

And, to me, my friends, that makes the whole thing all worthwhile.