First day

Here are some photos from our wedding-wedding:





People keep asking what was my most favorite thing about the day. I keep avoiding answering the question because it is a difficult question to have to answer. But...if I have to...

Towards the very end of the evening, most guests had already left. Ina and Mike were still there and so were the parents. Several other people too...finishing up their last drink for the evening. The waiters were putting things away and what was left of all the decorations were some candles at the bar and most people seemed not to notice us anymore. Kyle and I danced to Bright Eyes' First Day of My Life.

Bright Eyes: First Day Of My Life

This is the first day of my life
I swear I was born right in the doorway
I went out in the rain suddenly everything changed
They're spreading blankets on the beach

Yours is the first face that I saw
I think I was blind before I met you
Now I don’t know where I am
I don’t know where I’ve been
But I know where I want to go

And so I thought I’d let you know
That these things take forever
I especially am slow
But I realize that I need you
And I wondered if I could come home

Remember the time you drove all night
Just to meet me in the morning
And I thought it was strange you said everything changed
You felt as if you'd just woke up
And you said “this is the first day of my life
I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you
But now I don’t care I could go anywhere with you
And I’d probably be happy”

So if you want to be with me
With these things there’s no telling
We just have to wait and see
But I’d rather be working for a paycheck
Than waiting to win the lottery
Besides maybe this time is different
I mean I really think you like me

That dance is my favorite thing from that day.
The happiest I have been in my entire life.

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.

Wedding stuff

Yesterday we bought Kyle's suit for the wedding. When he walked out of the dressing room, all I could say was "Would you marry me?!"



Today we bought my wedding dress. I got my measurements taken for the alterations and asked the lady what would happen if I put on weight. She said "No worries, you just loosen up the back a little bit".

To celebrate we stuffed ourselves with pizza for lunch and spent the rest of the day looking for a new apartment.

Getting married months before the actual wedding is one of our best ideas so far. When we srart writing our "How to Marry a Bulgarian" book, we will be definitely recommending it.

P.S. The picture doesn't really belong but I like to brag about the fact that my husband photographs well, so there you have it.