Weddings and Such

In the last several years, I’ve attended three wedding and one civil union. Nothing dull about any of them.

The first in this series was the wedding of my niece, Kelly, to Matt, who live in Las Vegas. Kelly had been attending law school and was graduating three years ago in May. Her family (parents and most of her ten brothers and sisters) flew out for the event, and I went up too.

Her attitude was that since we were all going to be there, she and Matt might as well get married that same weekend.

So there was a graduation on Thursday followed by a wedding on Friday. And it was not your typical wedding.

Kelly, who is Korean, wore a fabulous pink strapless dress, knee-length, and Matt, who is anglo, wore nice pants and a coat. They were married under the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. By an Elvis impersonator.

Next on the wedding agenda was the marriage of my friend Lupita to the man she’d been living with for nearly twenty years. The priest in Naco, Sonora, Mexico, was on a mission to get all those who were “living in sin” to get married, and he succeeded quite well. Seventeen couples married in one mass ceremony. It turned out I knew one of the other brides, too.

Then, of course, was the civil union ceremony of my friend Mark to his partner Hywel. It was the first public civil union ceremony (that I know of) in Bisbee, shortly after the city legalized civil unions this spring.

Now the most recent – the wedding of my niece Rachel to her partner Amer. Rachel is half African-American and half Korean and has the most beautiful skin tone, hair, eyes, and well, everything. Amer is Bosnian and quite pale in comparison to Rachel. A lovely match.

They were married outdoors in a garden setting just last Saturday. Because Rachel’s brothers and sisters are all adopted, as is she, and are of many ethnicities, it was a most colorful wedding. Probably one of the very best I have ever attended.

Rachel was beautiful, as brides always are, but she was a true beauty. The wedding, followed by music, dance, food, and champagne made for a perfect evening.

I was invited to stand with the group of single women to catch the bouquet, but when I swore I stomp on it if it hit me, I was quickly disinvited.
After these last four weddings, I can only wonder what the next one will be!