Celebrations

Excitement's in the air as it's off to the wedding today!

My darling man and I unknowingly became the link between two young people who will be tying the knot today. I'd booked a room for the wedding about a month before hubby's passing, as it's off the beaten track in a game reserve.
A friend will now be accompanying me, and the thought of how different it would have been opened the floodgates again last night!

When the groom was a wee little boy, his Mom used to drop him off at our home every Sunday to play, or rather get up to mischief with a young boy we fostered many moons ago. This was a kind deed by that Mom, as the boy was a lost young child who grew into a lost young adult, a heartbreaking story.

On the other side of town, my cousin's gorgeous little girl was happily playing dolls, going to ballet lessons, making mud cakes, and doing the things little girls do.

Both of them grew into two awesome young adults, living poles apart.

As happened with many families during Covid, we stopped visiting like we used to but started hearing about the budding romance between Cousin's daughter and a young man with a familiar name, but we still did not put two and two together, until much later when I popped into FB, and recognized the handsome young dude.

I am super chuffed as Cousin and his family as well as the groom's family, are wonderful people. and get along like a house on fire!

His family is of Scottish descent, and I'm hoping to hear the bagpipes today, something that always gives me goosebumps. My great-grandfather was a Scot, after all!
Our weddings traditionally take place on Saturdays to give out-of-towners time to drive to the venue and then have Sunday to recover after the festivities and drive back home, so a Friday wedding took me by surprise.

When we got married nearly fifty years ago, yep, giving my age away again, things were much simpler; engagement party after the 'father of the bride' had given the nod, the closest public hall (or hotel for the well-heeled) was chosen, the photographer, catering team which often consisted of family, the band, and the preacher from the local church were all booked to tie the knot, and wedding invitations posted to every family member and friends and neighbours!

Nowadays weddings are much smaller as they are way more lavish than back in my day, so it is quite an honour to be invited.

Nowadays, there's the engagement shoot done by a professional photographer, a videographer for that and for the wedding invitation and a specially designed virtual wedding invitation.
A wedding planner is appointed, and the very best wedding venue off the beaten track is booked at great cost,
We only ever had a bridal shower for the gals, to shower the bride with gifts of course, and the guys had what was called a Bulls/ Stag or Bachelor Party. This was preferably not held the night before, as more often than not, the groom was showered with way too much alcohol and would need time to recover before the nuptials.

Bridal showers where the bride is showered with gifts for her new home, and the older generation is invited. They're followed by a bachelorette party which is for the bride and her friends to let their hair down!

I can go on and on about the changes and the high cost of modern weddings, but it's time to leave, and hope to share a little of Tala Game Reserve with you.

I find it amazing how many of us have ties one way or another, be it a mutual friend or even long-lost family.

It's a small world indeed!

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