7.27.13. A Collection of Memories: Part Two

Edit: To extract optimum enjoyment from this post, we recommend that you stroll over to 8tracks and stream this playlist while you read. Thank you.

BJ's Parade Anthems from joannsnliu on 8tracks Radio.

THE PARADE


So after we wiped our joytears away, it was officially time for the celebration portion of the day to begin.

If you had to guess, between me and Bry, who it was that suggested we have a parade between the ceremony and the reception, who would you pick?

What? You would pick he who is spontaneous, lover of fun and going down things really fast over she who loves staying home on Friday nights to watch movies, and having dinner parties for four? Well, a big capital B for Bingo for you!

Out of all the questions we got from our guests prior to the wedding, I would say that inquiries surrounding exactly what we meant by a parade was most frequent... probably because we challenged people to find a 'creative source of locomotion'. It turns out that it is kind of hard/expensive/crazy to rent a tandem bicycle, or borrow miniature horses from the island, or put in the time --on top of everything else-- to create a float from a trailer. So.. walking it is!

It was about 15 minutes into the parade, after I had seen the surprise canoe bubble bar, and my quasi-broinlaw rollerblading, and all the stomping and waving of the golden flags I had slaved over... that my stomach unknotted itself. And I became present. (Better late than never.)

Joyeux!!

     


These pictures are absolutely amazing, and yet they still cannot capture exactly what it felt like to be hemmed on one side by the sea, surrounded by people singing "HO! HEY!" to The Lumineers and dancing like children, and realizing that, no matter what, everything else was okay: 'cause we had just done got married!


When we arrived back at The Meadow, telling you that I was blown away would be a cliched understatement. The Fairies had gotten together and transformed the place. White lights everywhere, my mom's entire flower garden strewn about in the most beautiful arrangements, my beloved golden animals tucked into corners, an appetizer spread on a beautiful cedar plank, dudes at the canoe bar at the ready to dole out craft beer....... everyone mingling, laughing, lightupmylife.

More memories:

 -- The amusing and stereotypically affirming juxtaposition of what Steph had to say to my extended family, vs. B's extended family, when we were taking family portraits.

 "Please, everyone.. put away your cameras + camera bags."

 (Literally every last one of my family members had black canvas bags strewn across their mid section, and were busy taking pictures of each other, us.)

"Okay folks. Time to put down your drink.. you can go back to the bar after."
(B's Family: *grumble* *grumble*)

-- --Goofing around with the (best) bridal party at Russel's Reef for more portraits

FOODSTUFFS:

-- Then, people sneaking off from dinner, heading to the the rocks, and then everyone else joining in for the sunset. The husband stripping down to anoint himself a new man (not really, he just likes to swim); his best pal going too. Eddie (which, for the life of me, I can't remember why... remind me, Edmund?) wading into the sea, very slowly, without taking off his wedding shorts (were you taking one for the asian team?)

-- Back to the tents for dessert-- c/o some lovely women who helped me potluck it-- and the best. speeches. ever. We are so lucky to have some real heartjerkers and wordsmiths in our midsts.

-- DANCE PARTY!!!!@!@!#!

These people know how to get down.

"Hands, touching hands, reaching out
Touching me, touching youuuuuuuuuuuu
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good"

That's it. I'm spent.

 I don't even know if I have the energy to tell you about that time when the night was wrapping up, and Nev put on "Hey Ho" by The Lumineers and everyone sat down, one by one, into a big love-in circle and sang along, holding shoulders.

Or when the huzz and I decided to call it a night in the early-wee hours of the morning and deliberately turned down the music to a respectable 2am decibel, only to have the one and only Scott Stewart crank it back up as soon as we were at our tent.

Writing this has been like reliving the day all over again, and I am left as saturated with foolish smiles and as exhausted with the effort of mental and heart processing as if it were the real thing.

Would love to do it all over again; glad that we never will have to.

xoxooxo

Signing off,

Mrs. Joann Liu
married to
Mr. Bryan Green