Marriage, Mexican Style - A Destination Wedding MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

As most of you know, this was The Year of Destination Weddings for me.

The most recent one involved me, The Boy, and 20-something other family and friends who gathered in Cozumel to celebrate Shopaholic Friend’s wedding to her sweetheart of over nine years (yes, they took their sweet-ass time about it).

The wedding was short and sweet - by my clock, it took less than 15 minutes to get hitched, which all of us were grateful for because we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes. (all of the wedding photos show the bride’s six-yr-old niece scratching her legs frantically, and in one, you can see her BIL spraying down the bridal party with bug spray while we try not to look too itchy) Aside from the minister’s accent which turned the bride’s name to “Balerie” and a mad last-minute dash to get started on time, it all went off without a hitch.

The aim was to be done by sunset, so that the photos on the beach would have the best possible backdrop… thankfully, we actually got a very nice sunset that day, and our control-freak planaholic bride got her picture-perfect wedding day.

Of course, the wedding was only one day out of the whole week, so we had plenty of time to enjoy Cozumel - which was surprisingly un-touristy, considering it’s a cruise ship mecca. We did our fair share of relaxing on the beach, but also spent a few days exploring - we took a ferry ride to the mainland for a day, rented scooters to explore the island, and took a long walk along the water’s edge to discover the beaches. Photos from the first few days are here, with more to come later, and The Boy’s photos are here. (You may need a Facebook login to see The Boy’s photos… sorry)

My favourite wedding so far took place on a small farm just outside of Ottawa, ON. Our friends M and S had already eloped several months prior, but they put together a big party on M’s favourite holiday of all, Canada Day. They held a lovely non-traditional ceremony right by the edge of a marsh that runs through the property, where a couple dozen guests sat on blankets to watch the couple and S’s nine-yr-old daughter exchange vows to treat each other well and become a family. Afterwards, everyone walked up the hill to enjoy a small buffet dinner prepared by the couple themselves, followed by a dessert of traditional Lithuanian wedding cake, and then… fireworks! Small, simple and personal… that’s exactly how I like it.

So, what was your favourite wedding? (Married Mumpers, you can even include your own, though that’s awfully predictable of you :slight_smile: )

2

Hmm… Jewish weddings are sort of a drag… :stuck_out_tongue: So I can’t say any of the weddings I’ve ever attended was all that much fun.

Of course, I’m tempted to say that everyone’s best wedding is their own next one… :eek:

What, me cynical…? :smiley:

3

No weddings for me this year. Thank Og, too, since Arab Muslim weddings are segregated and dry (as in, no booze) and boring as batshit!

HRH is now sleeping - not a preferred option just before 6pm but her temperature has not dropped below 38C/100F all day, so I expect she is absolutely exhausted!

4

I haven’t been to many weddings, but every one that I’ve been to have been quite traditional: Church ceremony, then off to a large hall for a reception that included food, dancing, a DJ, and a bouquet and garter catch. (Only one of them had the groom remove the garter with his teeth, though.) They were all enjoyable, but could all be described interchangeably with every other traditional wedding.

I must say though, that Lithuanian wedding cake looks very different than anything I’ve ever seen. What’s it made of?

5

I think I like any wedding in which I get to sit at the “friends” table.

And in case anybody is interested, somebody is taking a bath (my room is next door to the room with the bathtub) and singing while he does so. At least I think that’s supposed to be singing.

6

muppet, other than the mosquitos, that looks like a fun wedding! Mr. Anachi and I eloped and were married unceremoniously by the head of housekeeping at the Holiday Inn on Cocoa Beach (she was the only one who was a Notary at the hotel that day). The bride wore black and was barefoot. Later we shared a champagne toast from the balcony watching a cruise ship sail between two rainbows. How symbolic is that??? :smiley:

Busy weekend. Satidy night was our neighborhood luminaries and The Princess and I got malled holiday shopping yesterday. Thank Og there’s only a week and a half to go.

Tupug

7

You’ve been going to the wrong Jewish weddings, my friend! Although the orthodox black-hat type weddings are unusual, I’ll say.

Cool cake, Muppet! And now, after looking at some of the photos-- I"M ITCHY!!!

8

I wanna know more about that cake! It looks skeery and intriguin’ at the same time.

My next to youngest niece’s weddin’ was a fun one. It took place in a hotel and we (those associated with the weddin’) were pretty much the only ones there for the weekend. The weddin’ proper took place in the atrium of the hotel which was nice. Afterwards, the reception/dinner took place in a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiig ballroom with a dj, booze, good food and much carryin’ on. Even my own mother stayed up until eleven p.m.! This was all before she was given to smoochin’ with her squeeze on the love seat. :smiley:

It does look like a good time was had by all Muppet! Nice pics too. I didn’t see the boy’s pics cause I don’t have a Face Book account and don’t know if’n I want one.

Dotty here’s hopin’ HRH feels better soon.

I have been productive today. Ok, it started last night with a spiffin’ of da cave. Today I have been to Sam’s Club and Wally*World to get some stuff I needed. I’ve even gotten dindin started. I did some lima beans. Dindin shall be country fried steak, lima beans, steamed squish, biscuits, either smashed N.O.T. or rice and a peach cobbler which is bakin’ away as I post. I am in a definite comfort food/down home southern cookin’ mood today. It’s not cold out but foggy, drizzly and dreary. Just seems like some down home comfort food is needed.

I have never been to a Jewish weddin’. I’ve always felt I was missin’ out on sump’n.

If marriage ever indeed does happen to me, I’d be more inclined to go have a private ceremony and throw a big shindig afterwards. That, to me, sounds like a good way to do it.

9

Our wedding was fun --------- and also a bit of a surprise. We had lived together for 22 years and most of the people who knew we weren’t married had died or moved on. The average call went like this “You’re getting married; you mean you’re renewing your vows, right? No? Wait a minute!!! I’ve known you since before Reagan!!! Whadda you mean you aren’t married???”

We did a colonial wedding at a historic event near Kennywood Park - since most of our close friends are living history folks or amusement park freaks. Either way most had the weekend planned for our area anyway. It was simple - food, booze, family, friends and an old goat. (Well, the goat had been ill and his owners didn’t want to leave him behind).

Weddings -------- love them. Almost makes me want to get a divorce, find someone new and do another. :slight_smile:

10

Ok, Ruble has convinced me. If I ever do get married, there will be a goat at the weddin’. Maybe with a ribbon and a basket of flowers around its neck like it’s the flower girl. Ok, now I have a theme! :smiley:

11

It’s made by drizzling batter over a wooden spit as it spins in the oven (or over a fire, as is probably the original technique)… it’s kind of on the dry side since there’s no icing and the flavour is very subtle, but it scores huge points for overall awesomeness. (wiki link)

The Mexico wedding was indeed a fun time. :slight_smile: I have to admit that I didn’t stay at the reception for very long, though, because I was exhausted… I must’ve eaten something that didn’t agree with me the day before, because I was up all night with some nasty digestive unpleasantness. As a matter of fact, I didn’t drink at all… didn’t really feel like an alcohol-induced repeat of the previous night’s experience.

ruble and swampus, any wedding worth talking about involves a goat or two. :slight_smile: Or perhaps cows (the farm where M&S got married is next to a cow pasture… they apparently come hang out by the fenceline and stare accusingly whenever M’s family is barbecuing hamburgers).

Puggy, that sounds like my kinda wedding. Especially the black dress… that’s a neat touch.

Nooner, I’ve only been to one Jewish wedding, but it was a blast. Of course, that’s probably because The Boy left me at home the time his mega-Orthodox friend got married, on account that I’d have to spend the whole time in the women’s section where I didn’t know anybody. I hear that one was a bit of a drag.

12

Cute wedding on the beach! Timed to perfection with the sunset and the cute little girl bridesmaids with itchy bitey scratches make me wanna scratch to!

This year I have been to 3 stuffy traditional weddings - all involved long days and being ‘formal’ and one involved an owl flying through the ceremony to present the rings for the Best Man, thones and a ‘swing band’ that was a depressing jazz duo…waaaaay to much money was spent but each to their own.

Being predicable ours was waaaay fun :smiley:

  • Wedding 1 aka The Legals was in Vegas at The Little White Wedding Chapel in a $25 dress with hubby almost divorced before we got married with his “Don’t look so worried I have done this before it is easy” comment in the Limo on the way there. :stuck_out_tongue: We then drank and gambled and generally wildly partied our way through the evening in our wedding get up. My shoes were left somewhere in New York New York.

  • Wedding 2 aka the blessing in the UK - 6 minute service in a garden which ended with us boogeying back up the aisle to Barry White “You are my first…my last…my everything!” with the gathered family and friends boogeying up afterwards which was how the night continued. In the wedding pic I have on my desk at work we are in front of the fountains in the garden that are fountaining away looking beautiful - I have my head thrown back in hilarious laughter and hubby is creased over holding his stomach laughing which is pretty much how I remember the day. Fun, love and laughter :smiley:

In Paris today the temperature is 32 degs American ‘feels like 22’ …to damn cold is what it is especially when it is pretty chilly in the office as well!

13

One word – segregation.
means there’s no eye candy to break the monotony! :smiley:

I think my POV on these has been somewhat spoiled by having been to **dozens **of the damned things… they get to be kind of *uniform *after a while.
And those that aren’t cookie-cuttered are, as mentioned above, segregated…

Hugs and get well vibes for **Dotty **and HRH!

14

Yeah, those would be the black-hatters (as we call that branch of my family!)

15

Muppet would your idea of an ideal weddin’ then be a goat in a black dress? :smiley:

It is all I can do to not dive into that peach cobbler face first it smells sooooooooo good! I shall refrain though because I’m all nice like that. Besides OYKW lurves him some peach cobbler so I am refrainin’ in return for some later on this evenin’ “appreciation”. :wink:

16

SIFTING FOR DOPEFEST OPINIONS and drifting the thread already but it involves a place where a lot of people get married.

In north-central PA is an amusement park called Knoebels Grove. This place is a throw-back to the 1950s; some sort of KGB training camp idea of what America is/was like. The carousel still has a brass ring, the bumper cars are the old 500lb Lusse jobs that are like hitting with real cars, there are a couple free museums in the park. There is NO GATE, NO ADMISSION, NO PARKING FEE. If you don’t want to ride, you can spend the day watching and not drop a dime. You can even bring your own food and non-alcoholic drink. Got a pet dog? As long as its on a leash and under control, bring it along! It’s as welcome as you are.

This is not a hinky little park. It is over 50 rides and attractions with two world class rollercoasters and has been the international award winner in food for ages and ages. (It’s both good and cheap - not much more than McDonalds) Within 2 hours you have Harrisburg, Philly, almost New York, almost Baltimore and some other good population centers. Fairly cheap motels nearby and a campground attached to the park.

Opening weekend at Knoebels is super-light crowd-wise. If you get a wristband and really like to ride, you will have fun until you are sick of having fun.

I am thinking - just thinking - of trying a Dopefest for there opening Saturday or Sunday. Pick a bench/grove (free) where we can meet and great, an “ITOT” schedule of rides we can enjoy as a group, (say one per hour) ------- other than that folks could drift in and out and do as they wish.

I know – I know. Swampy and most of you are too far away to even consider it. But look up the park, do a couple Googles, and think ------ were I close enough would this sound cool to me? I’m at a disadvantage; I’ve never been at a get-together and never really read the threads much. And while I’ve been lurking here forever I haven’t stuck my head up enough to be a known factor. I trust you Mumpers enough to be honest about a possible thumbs up or down.

17

The Mexican beach wedding was nice, but I think the bride really missed on picking the colours for the bridesmaids - they all looked lovely, but black was too formal for that lovely setting. I would have gone with tropical colours. It’s what we in the design biz call “a sense of place.” Plus, having the groom and that other guy in such casual outfits made it look like the boys were at one wedding, and the ladies were at a different one.

18

Yes, but only if the goat gets to wear a garter and the groom has to remove it with his teeth! :smiley: (I’m pretty sure that as it is, the goat would manage to catch the bouquet in mid-air during the bouquet toss… so we may as well make sure it gets involved in the other aspects of that silly tradition)

mmmmmmmmmm, I’m surprised you didn’t make him walk the rest of the way to the chapel after that remark. :slight_smile:

ruble, that sounds like a great place to hold a Dopefest. Too far for me to go, unfortunately, but I’d totally jump on the idea if it was closer to home. (BTW, we never stay on track for more than a couple of hours when it comes to MMPs, so derail away!)

Cat Whisperer, speaking as one of those black-clad bridesmaids, I totally agree. It all had to do with the way the wedding evolved as the bride started planning - it went from casual beachside affair with everyone in simple summery outfits (hence the groom and his groomsmen in comfy linen), but then the bride started adding bits and bobs onto her outfit until it went from plain white dress to white dress w/ detachable train, birdcage veil and updo w/ giant white flower… which meant the bridesmaids had to up the ante to avoid looking too casual next to her. Thankfully, we managed to talk her into sticking with a white dress… at one point, she was thinking of going bright pink for her dress. :smiley:

On the bright side, I’ll be able to wear my dress over and over and over again… that’s the nice thing about Little Black Dresses.

19

kopek that sounds awesome. Too bad you’re on the other side of the country…

Yes, I’m still around! (since I’ve so far heard that yesterday at the Dopefest, and when in a thread. :rolleyes: :stuck_out_tongue: ) School’s been stealing all my mental energy, but now I’m out for a month.

I’ve got a job interview later today. Nothing real exciting (the Golden Spoon - they sell frozen yogurt), but anything would help.

20

That looks lovely, if itchy. :slight_smile:

The nicest wedding I’ve been to was my own. Sorry, but it’s true. :smiley: It was a big party with all our best friends from all over. And we took most of them on or honeymoon, which was fantastic.

The worst was my BiL and almost-ex-SiL’s. It was fifty different kinds of redneck hell.

Urgh. We’re just back from family Christmas with Mr. Lissar’s dad and stepmum in Niagara. And my BiL and (whee, fun.) his estranged wife, who brought their two kids. The kids are lovely, the SiL didn’t mention her urinary tract infections once, and it was okay.

Except for (beginning to whine) that my FiL’s house is the least child-friendly place ever. Seriously. As soon as we get inside I break into hives from stress. All their furniture is sand-coloured, they have all these breakable knicknacks at kid-height, and the Christmas tree is decorated with glass ornaments.

Keep in mind that we had three kids under four there. One of us followed Nat at a distance of two feet for the entire weekend. There is nothing that the kids are allowed to touch, they want them to use coasters and not play with their toys on the livingroom floor (because it might get scratched), and have you ever tried to keep a toddler away from a light-up porcelain town set, with miniature trees?

And the Christmas tree. With glass ornaments.

There wasn’t a single place we could put Nat where it wasn’t likely he would wreck something, and if we insinuated that the way they decorate and refuse to childproof in any way is damn stupid, they’d be mortally offended, because we’re supposed to control our children. It reminds me very much of this post on the nature of futility. Look for the rabbit.

I need fifteen drinks, and I can’t have them, because I’m pregnant.