A Wedding and A Reunion

Today was a family reunion. My Mom's Step-Mom's Side. We consider her my Grandma but I thought a clarification was in order. It was a side of my family that I rarely see. The first time I started to realize that I was related to them was last year when my Grandmpa was in the hospital before he died. Not happy times. It was nice to see them under better circumstances.

While there I went around and had everyone write down their names and addresses. One step closer to mailing out the invites which me and my sister Sammi put together.

On Saturday my cousin Cyle was married to his long-time girlfriend/fiance Jessie. It was nice to go to a wedding. I've been to three total now. The first two happened when I was younger and we never went to the receptions (if they had them). So when I went to this one I was very observant. Any details I wanted to copy? Or not copy?

For starters, I did not like the location. It was a church...a creepy church...with a creepy painting of some landscape in the background.

Just so you all know, I am not a fan of any organized religion. I think that, Yes, there is something bigger. No, people should not conform to rules and beliefs written long ago and passed down through the years changing slightly with every re-writing and swaying with current popular beliefs. I think that to have ideas about higher powers, a bigger concept and Gods etc. are great! But to believe that poof and then there were is ridiculous, even childish. People should take pieces of each religion that make since to them and have some ideas from there. You should not be constricted and bound to words others tell you and ideas that are not your own. My religion is a belief that there is something more. What that is I don't know, but I love my ideas of it.

So you see, I'm not a fan of churches. Places to worship (not a fan of the word) one of the Gods people created. The ceremony was close to a sermon, therefore, not a fan. The end of the ceremony made me almost tear up. When they kissed. It was the only part that was very personable of the whole ceremony. It was the only part of the ceremony we saw emotions. That part was great.

By the way, in his preachings the pastor said something along the lines of Jesus called the church is bride. He loved the church even though it was imperfect. Then he likened the church to Jessie (the bride) but that Cyle still loved her anyways. Did anyone else catch he called the bride imperfect? Ouch. *eyeroll* Why if a woman has a child and she is not married is she imperfect? I feel ready to hulk up when I hear such stupidity dribbling out of high and mighty, holier than though, usually Christian (sorry I don't actually have anything against Christians...it's all organized religion. Christian is just what people around here tend to be.) assholes. All of them.

Her colors where yellow and black. Her bridesmaids wore black and white dresses. Yellow bouquets all around. Two flower girls (their daughters) very cute! No ring bearer. We had the reception at the local golf course. It was nice and sunny for the wedding all day. The cake was amazingly beautiful. The bride was prettier. I loved her dress and it made me sad to realize I don't think I'll find the one perfect dress. The cake was actually made by a relative of theirs. It had three tiers each set on a plate thing with columns. It was about a 5 year old high off the table. It had yellow roses all around each layer and the table itself. The top layer had a bulbous vase with yellow flowers and ribbon. The middle layer had pictures of the bride and groom around it. It was a great cake.

In another corner was a money tree. I was iffy on doing this at my wedding. I'm not a fan of asking people for money. But I have to say, both sides of their family loved it. They had stickers to put on the bills, then people got creative with how they could tie it to the tree. They were laughing and having a great time just tying money to the tree. Justin's Mom actually insisted we have one of these. She said we have to, it's just something people do at weddings. Then the dreaded word...tradition! Well, I'm all about getting free money and after I saw that people actually enjoyed it...why the hell not?!

They only had about five small round tables I think that they decorated. Just some plastic table coverings in black and yellow. And then some black tulle in the center with tiny plastic wine classes and yellow stuff (candy?) inside. A round vase with one candle tart in the center and those little plastic bubble blower things so we could blow bubbles. It came off very nicely. But different than what I had invisioned for my wedding so nothing I could really copy.

It was a great day. I can't wait till our wedding day. Only 62 days left! Holy cow!