Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Getting nervous (not)
It's fascinating, whenever I have a pending big event (e.g. graduation, leaving home, 30th birthday, or in this case, a wedding), to discover what it's like to be on the receiving end of the stock-standard questions people ask you in the lead up [Disclaimer: I don't consider any of these questions are unreasonable or silly, I'm simply intrigued by my personal response/reaction now that I'm in the situation of being asked them].
For example: 'Ooh, only a month or so to go, you must be busy/getting stressed?' My poor mother had to phone me to check there was nothing she was forgetting to do, because she had been asked this a few times and was feeling no stress.
Or: 'Will you be sleeping in separate rooms the night before?' Well, no. In our case we've been living together for over 3 years now, so it makes no sense to waste a lovely night in a lovely four-poster bed in a lovely castle for the sake of tradition. This is a similar response to many questions I get regarding wedding traditions. What I love about this day and age and 'modern' weddings, is that we can pick and choose the traditions we like, that suit us, that are appropriate to us. No, my dress is not white. I have a hard time keeping red wine and chocolate off my clothes at the best of times. Yes, my dad will be walking me down the aisle as is traditional, because it feels right. No, our cake is not a traditional cake, because we don't like the taste of traditional wedding cake. Yes, there will be a first dance because you only get a first dance once.
We now live in a day and age where us women no longer have to marry at all, because we can support ourselves financially without the help of a man. So if we do choose to get married we really can be doing it for all the other (right) reasons such as, I dunno, love?, wanting to be with the other person?), instead of having to find the most eligible available bachelor. Despite us no longer being in the era of Eliza's and Darcy's, and marrying for prestige, status and money, the most frequently asked question of a bride-to-be (in my experience) is still: 'Are you getting nervous yet?' I'm sure many brides-to-be still get nervous in the lead-up to their wedding, in my case if any nerves do set in it'll be more to do with falling over my dress, or having forgotten something. But generally the nerves people seem to expect of me are those regarding the act of getting married itself. I am of a school of thought that if I were nervous about getting married, I shouldn't really be getting married, because I live in a time when I really don't have to unless I'm sure. So no, I am not getting nervous. I am looking forward to marrying Gregg, and more importantly, to being married to him.
For example: 'Ooh, only a month or so to go, you must be busy/getting stressed?' My poor mother had to phone me to check there was nothing she was forgetting to do, because she had been asked this a few times and was feeling no stress.
Or: 'Will you be sleeping in separate rooms the night before?' Well, no. In our case we've been living together for over 3 years now, so it makes no sense to waste a lovely night in a lovely four-poster bed in a lovely castle for the sake of tradition. This is a similar response to many questions I get regarding wedding traditions. What I love about this day and age and 'modern' weddings, is that we can pick and choose the traditions we like, that suit us, that are appropriate to us. No, my dress is not white. I have a hard time keeping red wine and chocolate off my clothes at the best of times. Yes, my dad will be walking me down the aisle as is traditional, because it feels right. No, our cake is not a traditional cake, because we don't like the taste of traditional wedding cake. Yes, there will be a first dance because you only get a first dance once.
We now live in a day and age where us women no longer have to marry at all, because we can support ourselves financially without the help of a man. So if we do choose to get married we really can be doing it for all the other (right) reasons such as, I dunno, love?, wanting to be with the other person?), instead of having to find the most eligible available bachelor. Despite us no longer being in the era of Eliza's and Darcy's, and marrying for prestige, status and money, the most frequently asked question of a bride-to-be (in my experience) is still: 'Are you getting nervous yet?' I'm sure many brides-to-be still get nervous in the lead-up to their wedding, in my case if any nerves do set in it'll be more to do with falling over my dress, or having forgotten something. But generally the nerves people seem to expect of me are those regarding the act of getting married itself. I am of a school of thought that if I were nervous about getting married, I shouldn't really be getting married, because I live in a time when I really don't have to unless I'm sure. So no, I am not getting nervous. I am looking forward to marrying Gregg, and more importantly, to being married to him.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Getting festive
What better way to spend a day in Scotland in the lead up to Christmas than at the local primary school helping 6 year olds make paper angels and cover the floor in glitter, calling the gay gordon's in the senior class scottish country dancing lesson, watching the angel walk on enthusiastically scratching her bottom in junior school nativity play rehearsal, and finishing off the day choreographing mimed fights between the pigs for the senior school panto. Marvellous!
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Getting technical
It's been a long time since I was involved in amateur dramatics, and the technical side of amateur dramatics for that matter. Former Cecilian tech crew colleagues will be pleased to know that I have not lost the knack. I spent this morning helping out dad (and in turn the am dram society he is involved in and their fabulous pantomime) by hand-painting the words to their sing-along song on a large sheet of canvas. It looks amazing, if I say so myself. Ahem.
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