Happy Wedding

We just got back from a weekend in Tri-Cities where we are able to attend (and in my case, be in) my youngest brother’s wedding. He married a girl named Valerie, which will cause no end of confusion, as my mother-in-law’s name is also Valerie. Now my children have both a Grandma Valerie, and an Aunt Valerie. They already have two Uncle Sams, and their dad and grandfather share the first name Michael, so there’s plenty of confusion, already. All that aside, it was a very fun wedding. I was asked to be in it last minute, and just happened to have a red dress that met the required specifications for bridesmaids dresses, so I got to dress up and be in a wedding again – second time in the last year! I thought my bridesmaid/matron days were over long ago, but this goes to show that you just never know what might happen!

My sister-in-law is Hispanic, and, if you know me at all, you know that my family is very much your average mongrel mix of Northern European white folks, so the wedding was quite a cultural melting pot. The wedding ceremony was much the same as mine, with traditional vows and hymns, but the reception was a little different. The bride’s family hired a caterer who provided some of the best Mexican food I have ever had – it was soooo good. After the wedding, the floor was cleared for dancing, and THAT was when you saw the cultual amalgamation really swing into action, with a combination of Spanish pop/dance music, country tunes, the occasional Oldie, and some current American dance music. While there weren’t many songs my husband and I knew how to dance to (and he was roasting to death and uninterested in dancing anyway), it was lots of fun to watch, because there really were quite a few folks who actually knew how to do the Latin dances and did it with a lot of flare.  For the toasts, the names of all of the people who had helped with the wedding, either with time or money, as well as the wedding party were called to the front and stood in a line and served special wine (ice wine from Kiona – don’t know what it’s called) with which we toasted the bride and groom during the four toasts. It was all good!

So, here’s to the new couple, Sam and Valerie, and may their cultural union continue to produce pleasing results for the rest of their lives together!