A BEAUTIFUL THING HAPPENED TO ME – AUG 2020

And last night, in mid pandemic, I am invited to a wedding, that will forever change my opinion of how they should be celebrated. I was excited all day in anticipation of the event. Two of my most favorite people, who also happen to be our niece and nephew got married, after a lifelong courtship. I might say that this is as close to crying as I have ever come, except let’s say when Deysi dressed me like a dork and made me go to a medieval dinner in Africa, or when she made me eat the raw fish roe sacs in Japan, or when she used to wake me from a sound sleep with the vacuum at 11:00pm. These events in my life also made me well up with tears but for a different reason.

Again, I was so excited, because this was to be my first “virtual” wedding, completely online and attended in our own living room. It was spectacular, I loved it, I think that this should now become the “go to” standard for weddings. You no longer have to agonize over guest lists, venue or the thousands of things a bride must coordinate in an onsite wedding. I was resplendent in my tux, who’s gonna say I wasn’t, with my hair groomed and was freshly shaved.

I was so excited that I fumbled around bringing it up on our big screen, however my mastery of things computer finally prevailed. We had ringside seats. Deysi had a box of tissues, just in case (as it turned out she coulda used two boxes). I had a few random tissues with which to mop up any tears that escaped me. I am ready. Let’s do it!

Precisely on time, the video stream opens and starts to play some warm up music, just to get us into the mood. Again, as announced in the virtual invitation, the wedding started, exactly on time. Onto our screen, from across a lawn, comes the bride and my god was she beautiful. I couldn’t help but think, she’s so pretty and looks so much like me, that maybe she is a H…d after all. Ol’ Cliffie, the lucky dog, was standing on the stage, on his best behaviour and looking like his mom had dressed him for the occasion, just as she had been doing throughout his life, up to a year ago when he finally left home!

Cliffie was breathing in but not breathing out. H knew deep down that there was still time for MP to cut and run for freedom. He dared not move. He tried to make himself inconspicuous. Which is it hard, when you are wearing a tux and are about 6’4″ and muscular. He stuck out, and looked beautiful also. The parents and witnesses sat in front of the stage on the lawn and the camera fed the footage from the back, over their heads and straight onto the stage. The audio was great. I heard every word. The first time I have been able to watch and hear a film without subtitles in a long, long time.

The ceremony was well done, and each of the bride and groom, had a chance to express their feelings for each other. This was the part where Ol’ Deysi kinda lost it and her sobbing almost made me lose it as well. They then exchanged vows which brought another round of weeping from my partner. I had to look away for fear of completely breaking down. Finally, after 22 years of chasing her, Clif could now claim his partner for life. I must say this, he is one lucky guy! Besides MP and his mom, he wasn’t really knocking the girls out (kidding Cliffie, you knocked them out).

The ceremony was completed, very efficiently and beautifully, and the new husband and wife were introduced too and presented to the crowd, amid thunderous, virtual cheers. Wow I was so impressed. The new couple now made their way onto the lawn and had their first dance together as man and wife. I was emotionally exhausted, but still managed to whirl ol’ Deysi around our floor, once or twice. Who’s calling BS? None of you were there. It finished with the couple thanking all of the “virtual” attendees.

If I have it correctly there were 189 devices connected to the ceremony. Say 2 or 3 watching per device, there may have been 300+ people in attendance. No guest list problems here! It was my firm opinion that I had just witnessed a breakthrough in how modern couples will, from here forward, make their commitments to each other, public and forever captured in their own live stream. I loved it. They were both beautiful, my deepest congratulations go out to them.

A footnote; although MP (our new niece) made a full disclosure of how their path to this day came about, Ol’ Cliffie was a little more reticent and chopped his version down to two or three words. Not so fast you little devil, maybe everyone out there is not aware of just what you went thru to arrive at this day. I know you are shy so I’m going to explain the path you took, in your place. Cliffie don’t be upset, you know I have been teasing you all of you life. No need to say thanks I love to do it. Firstly, as far as ol’ Cliffie got, during the ceremony, was “we met when we were six”.

Well, that was the start alright. He was so smitten, and terrified of rejection from someone so beautiful, it then took 12 more years for him to get up the courage to ask her for a date. At times he sent some of his friends over to ask her out, for him, but they ultimately kept the dates for themselves. MP was quite popular, while Cliffie cried inside. Anyway, after hanging around her, too afraid to speak, he pops the question of the possibility of a date, she says yes and he runs home to hide under his bed for two days (teehee). He had thought she said NO. But Cliffie was a fast mover in his time. From the time of that first official date, it only took him another 8 years to pop the question of marriage. Geezus, didn’t I teach him anything?