Monday, August 01, 2005
The Wedding Party (and Afterparty)
WOW...that was some trip! Unlike any I've had before and maybe ever again.
I arrived in Westchester on Friday night and met my sister, seeing her home for the first time. Along with her boyfriend, Brendan, the three of us had dinner at some local Japanese restaurant which was nice although the food took a very long time to receive. The meal was enjoyable despite the unusual circumstances. We ended up spending the night at Brendan's parents house because it was much closer to Dylan's house, making the next day a little easier.
Saturday morning we were up early to meet Dylan and get going. Mike had spent the night at Dylan's place. The four of us got together around 10AM, grabbed some breakfast sandwiches and were on the road by 11. The drive was very straightforward; we spent most of the trip just hauling ass across I-84. It only took about two hours to get to the Publick House, which doubled as our motel as well as the reception hall. Very convenient!
The ceremony wasn't until 3 so we had enough time to change clothes and go shopping for a few things the other boys forgot. Dylan needed a belt to match his suit and none of us had a camera so I bought a pair of disposables. We made it to the church about fifteen minutes in advance, arriving before most of our other friends. We all met Dan outside, congratulating him in person before taking our seats.
I haven't been to very many weddings before and this was only my second wedding in an actual church. The whole thing was fascinating and awkward at the same time. First of all, the bride's side was much larger than the groom's side and during the ceremony the bride's side knew all the right things to say while us heathens on the groom's side seldom knew what was going on. The priest (preacher maybe?) was an older, heavy set man who seemed to stumble in certain moments when you'd assume he's done this a million times before. Every time he said the names of the bride and groom he would pause as if he was struggling to remember who they were. However, it was very sweet when Erica got a little sniffly when she and Dan recited their vows.
Outside everyone shook everyone's hands. Lots of photos were taken of various pairings. My favorite (I hope) will be the photo of the seven of us: Dan, Ben, Dave, Dylan, Mike, Jason and myself. Only a few years ago it would have been common to get "the seven" together for a party or just to hang out. These days, it's a very rare occurrence as nearly all of us have left Croton, with two of us living in different states now. Dan's wedding is the first for our group of friends but certainly not the last; Jason has been thinking about setting a date for next Fall.
Heading back to the hotel before the reception, we made a pit stop to pick up a variety of booze for our own afterparty in my room. Having no fridge, we bought lots of ice and packed my sink with drinks and ice before walking over to the main building of the Publick House.
In the dining room there was a nice little plaque on the table honoring Dan and Erica with a little family tree outlining their roots. It was obviously simplified as there were no brothers or sisters but I thought it was a cool feature to have. Another fun idea was a disposable camera at each table. The idea was to fill them up with pictures but not to take them away; Dan and Erica would have them developed and added to the wedding album or something. On my suggestion, we did our best to make every photo include Dave. Our "crew" from Croton was seated together at Table 9, coincidentally very close to the open bar. Speaking of the bar, it was only "open" for the first hour so we all made it our business to get lots of drinks, usually two at a time. I think I had at least three Vodka Cranberries in that hour, plus the champagne for the toast plus a glass of white wine with dinner.
A crazy idea was born during dinner. I believe I started the ball rolling when I (half-jokingly) suggested I should sing "New York, New York" with the band. Everyone at the table latched on except Salena who I can only assume thought I was drunk and acting irresponsibly. My friends went and checked with Dan & Erica who apparently thought it was a great idea. So did the band. Very nervous, I told them I didn't want to rush into anything and insisted that if it happened, it wouldn't be until after everyone had finished eating. Still not convinced I would actually do it, I took small steps to prepare myself: I ordered another Vodka Cranberry and began rehearsing the song by myself at the table. Sensing my nerves, Mike wanted to help me so we took a walk outside and went over the song a few times together. Outside, we were spotted by a member of the band taking a break who encouraged us. Inside, I later learned that Ben and Jason actually negotiated a time slot for us to sing around 9 PM.
Around 8:40 the official photographer asked us if we would consider singing a little earlier because he was going to leave soon but he wanted to capture our performance. I agreed and quickly found myself facing the entire dining room with a mike in my hands. For those of you who enjoy karaoke now and then, I must tell you that singing into a microphone with a band behind you is completely different. I assumed it wouldn't be but it really was. I couldn't really hear my voice very well and the first two or three lines were way off pitch as a result. I gradually got more confident, sang with more power and the crowd responded. Several people (most of them from Table 9) got up and started a kick line on the dance floor. I never got over my nerves but by the end of the song my adrenaline was soaring as well as my voice.
Following my vanity performance, I was thanked by many people including the bride and groom, which made the whole thing worth it. Drunk with success (and alcohol!) I sent a celebratory text message to Hyde. She has yet to respond but I know she went out of town for the weekend so there's no reason to assume she's even received it yet. We've been talking about singing together so I really wished she could have been there. Call me a sap but I miss her when she's not around.
The reception ended within an hour of my performance; I hope I didn't kill the party! We all said our goodbyes to the happy couple, especially me because I probably won't see them before I leave the country in a few weeks. I'm gone for nine months so Dan might have a kid by the time I get back! That would be a crazy idea to get my head around; my friends, having children of their own.
The afterparty was surprisingly chill. I was nervous because my room had been chosen to host the party and I hate trying to be responsible while trying to enjoy myself. After a while I settled down a little because I came to realize that hotels were used to cleaning up after parties. So long as we didn't break anything, our party would not inconvenience anybody else. I relaxed by drinking a 40 oz. bottle of High Life. We spent a lot of time playing poker with Jason's impressive poker set with real clay chips. He has a cool briefcase to hold it in and everything! I was actually winning for once but there was no money at stake and eventually everybody gave up. I fell asleep sometime around 1 AM which is earlier than usual but it had been a very long day at that point.
Today was, obviously, very relaxed. There was some excitement early when no one could find Dylan or Kate but they showed up before check out time so no harm was done. We had a big breakfast at someplace called "Annie's Country Kitchen" which was cheap and tasty; still on "vacation" from my responsibilities, I had the steak and eggs. I went home with Dave, Ben and Mike and we had some hilarious conversations on the ride; I really can't repeat much of it here because our "guy talk" would almost surely offend everyone (especially my sister).
Dad's out of town tonight. I thought about exercising but I don't feel up to it. I'll have to get back on track tomorrow with both working out and dieting because last week had a lot of deviations. Especially the wedding, where I ate and drank to great excess without regret; it's a celebration, bitches! Be merry! Hopefully the next three weeks will be enough time to lose more weight. I want to hit Japan with my feet moving, so to speak.
8/4 EDIT: Photos from the wedding are now available here.
I arrived in Westchester on Friday night and met my sister, seeing her home for the first time. Along with her boyfriend, Brendan, the three of us had dinner at some local Japanese restaurant which was nice although the food took a very long time to receive. The meal was enjoyable despite the unusual circumstances. We ended up spending the night at Brendan's parents house because it was much closer to Dylan's house, making the next day a little easier.
Saturday morning we were up early to meet Dylan and get going. Mike had spent the night at Dylan's place. The four of us got together around 10AM, grabbed some breakfast sandwiches and were on the road by 11. The drive was very straightforward; we spent most of the trip just hauling ass across I-84. It only took about two hours to get to the Publick House, which doubled as our motel as well as the reception hall. Very convenient!
The ceremony wasn't until 3 so we had enough time to change clothes and go shopping for a few things the other boys forgot. Dylan needed a belt to match his suit and none of us had a camera so I bought a pair of disposables. We made it to the church about fifteen minutes in advance, arriving before most of our other friends. We all met Dan outside, congratulating him in person before taking our seats.
I haven't been to very many weddings before and this was only my second wedding in an actual church. The whole thing was fascinating and awkward at the same time. First of all, the bride's side was much larger than the groom's side and during the ceremony the bride's side knew all the right things to say while us heathens on the groom's side seldom knew what was going on. The priest (preacher maybe?) was an older, heavy set man who seemed to stumble in certain moments when you'd assume he's done this a million times before. Every time he said the names of the bride and groom he would pause as if he was struggling to remember who they were. However, it was very sweet when Erica got a little sniffly when she and Dan recited their vows.
Outside everyone shook everyone's hands. Lots of photos were taken of various pairings. My favorite (I hope) will be the photo of the seven of us: Dan, Ben, Dave, Dylan, Mike, Jason and myself. Only a few years ago it would have been common to get "the seven" together for a party or just to hang out. These days, it's a very rare occurrence as nearly all of us have left Croton, with two of us living in different states now. Dan's wedding is the first for our group of friends but certainly not the last; Jason has been thinking about setting a date for next Fall.
Heading back to the hotel before the reception, we made a pit stop to pick up a variety of booze for our own afterparty in my room. Having no fridge, we bought lots of ice and packed my sink with drinks and ice before walking over to the main building of the Publick House.
In the dining room there was a nice little plaque on the table honoring Dan and Erica with a little family tree outlining their roots. It was obviously simplified as there were no brothers or sisters but I thought it was a cool feature to have. Another fun idea was a disposable camera at each table. The idea was to fill them up with pictures but not to take them away; Dan and Erica would have them developed and added to the wedding album or something. On my suggestion, we did our best to make every photo include Dave. Our "crew" from Croton was seated together at Table 9, coincidentally very close to the open bar. Speaking of the bar, it was only "open" for the first hour so we all made it our business to get lots of drinks, usually two at a time. I think I had at least three Vodka Cranberries in that hour, plus the champagne for the toast plus a glass of white wine with dinner.
A crazy idea was born during dinner. I believe I started the ball rolling when I (half-jokingly) suggested I should sing "New York, New York" with the band. Everyone at the table latched on except Salena who I can only assume thought I was drunk and acting irresponsibly. My friends went and checked with Dan & Erica who apparently thought it was a great idea. So did the band. Very nervous, I told them I didn't want to rush into anything and insisted that if it happened, it wouldn't be until after everyone had finished eating. Still not convinced I would actually do it, I took small steps to prepare myself: I ordered another Vodka Cranberry and began rehearsing the song by myself at the table. Sensing my nerves, Mike wanted to help me so we took a walk outside and went over the song a few times together. Outside, we were spotted by a member of the band taking a break who encouraged us. Inside, I later learned that Ben and Jason actually negotiated a time slot for us to sing around 9 PM.
Around 8:40 the official photographer asked us if we would consider singing a little earlier because he was going to leave soon but he wanted to capture our performance. I agreed and quickly found myself facing the entire dining room with a mike in my hands. For those of you who enjoy karaoke now and then, I must tell you that singing into a microphone with a band behind you is completely different. I assumed it wouldn't be but it really was. I couldn't really hear my voice very well and the first two or three lines were way off pitch as a result. I gradually got more confident, sang with more power and the crowd responded. Several people (most of them from Table 9) got up and started a kick line on the dance floor. I never got over my nerves but by the end of the song my adrenaline was soaring as well as my voice.
Following my vanity performance, I was thanked by many people including the bride and groom, which made the whole thing worth it. Drunk with success (and alcohol!) I sent a celebratory text message to Hyde. She has yet to respond but I know she went out of town for the weekend so there's no reason to assume she's even received it yet. We've been talking about singing together so I really wished she could have been there. Call me a sap but I miss her when she's not around.
The reception ended within an hour of my performance; I hope I didn't kill the party! We all said our goodbyes to the happy couple, especially me because I probably won't see them before I leave the country in a few weeks. I'm gone for nine months so Dan might have a kid by the time I get back! That would be a crazy idea to get my head around; my friends, having children of their own.
The afterparty was surprisingly chill. I was nervous because my room had been chosen to host the party and I hate trying to be responsible while trying to enjoy myself. After a while I settled down a little because I came to realize that hotels were used to cleaning up after parties. So long as we didn't break anything, our party would not inconvenience anybody else. I relaxed by drinking a 40 oz. bottle of High Life. We spent a lot of time playing poker with Jason's impressive poker set with real clay chips. He has a cool briefcase to hold it in and everything! I was actually winning for once but there was no money at stake and eventually everybody gave up. I fell asleep sometime around 1 AM which is earlier than usual but it had been a very long day at that point.
Today was, obviously, very relaxed. There was some excitement early when no one could find Dylan or Kate but they showed up before check out time so no harm was done. We had a big breakfast at someplace called "Annie's Country Kitchen" which was cheap and tasty; still on "vacation" from my responsibilities, I had the steak and eggs. I went home with Dave, Ben and Mike and we had some hilarious conversations on the ride; I really can't repeat much of it here because our "guy talk" would almost surely offend everyone (especially my sister).
Dad's out of town tonight. I thought about exercising but I don't feel up to it. I'll have to get back on track tomorrow with both working out and dieting because last week had a lot of deviations. Especially the wedding, where I ate and drank to great excess without regret; it's a celebration, bitches! Be merry! Hopefully the next three weeks will be enough time to lose more weight. I want to hit Japan with my feet moving, so to speak.
8/4 EDIT: Photos from the wedding are now available here.
Feedback:
When leaving comments, please don't remain Anonymous. Click on "Other" and pick a name!
Be sociable! No sign-up is required!
Nice re-cap of the weekend. I enjoyed the quality time with you and the whole crew. I'm pretty tired after the partying last night (although I simply can't drink as much as the crew and don't really enjoy it like you all do). I did get to sleep later than usual which is really why I'm tired, plus I've got a cold. See you sometime later this week!
コメントがあります？ Type something, please. It's less work for me.
When leaving comments, please don't remain Anonymous. Click on "Other" and pick a name!
Be sociable! No sign-up is required!
unpaid advertising...I'm no sell out!
