By Madeline Lau
Very rapidly I am becoming an old maid because all of my friends are getting married.
Normally I’d be worried, but instead I couldn’t be happier for them, because weddings mean – well weddings! And parties and manifestations of romantic love, most recently the charming “high school sweetheart” variety that is so incredibly endearing. Since I came home from school this summer, I have attended three weddings, two of which were the one-month-apart weddings of sisters I went to school with who both married guys they met while at Scio High.
All of these affairs were beautiful, homegrown efforts that so totally trump the over-the-top grandiose weddings we see on the tube. They were heartfelt, family-planned and lovely whether they took place in a gym or the Jordan Bridge in Stayton.
I have a confession. Through all of the weddings and love-events, I’ve begun to do that horrible girl thing that is so impossible to avoid – plan my own wedding. Gasp!
I haven’t gotten far on the wedding but I have developed some ingenious ideas I am willing to share concerning the important part: the party! I plan to have my wedding (whenever that happens) wherever my significant other wants it but the reception is completely my thing. After going on an extensive behind-the-scenes tour of Silver Falls State Park, I discovered a picturesque summer camp available to rent at ridiculously low prices. Once this camp is mine for a day or two, I comprise an agenda and hold my summer camp-themed reception for my friends and family! We will boat on the lake, practice archery, eat in the mess hall and roast s’mores by the campfire while savoring each others’ company in the great outdoors.
I am proud of this magnificent plan and actually kind of shocked I’m sharing it, it was an awesome secret, after all, but in the spirit of weddings – I am generously sharing.
Sometimes it can be wildly difficult to squeeze all the weddings in that you want so desperately to attend. Recently, we had a situation where we were invited to two weddings at the same time on the same day an hour and a half apart, and decided to choose the one we were invited to first. We will never know how good the cake was or how the bride looked walking down the aisle or if there were any memorable drunken soliloquies; what a shame!
But when you’re competing for attendance in the state’s most coveted event season, RSVP-ing can get a little tricky. Schedule your event far in advance to be safe and blackmail anyone else who has their big day too close to yours. Please know that is both illegal and unadvisable advice.
When you take away all the roses and embellishments, though, at the end of the day I’m really just grateful for all of the lovely love I’ve seen so much of this summer.
Whether it’s snowing, raining (and honestly, when is it not?) or the sun is shining like a beacon, love is always in season and weddings are always welcome.
My plan – whenever it shall happen – is for a summer wedding so I can take advantage of the fresh produce and locally grown flowers. Until then, here’s to all the happy couples of the Oregon 2009 wedding season!
