My husband and I will celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary on September 1st of this year. It seems like yesterday that I was walking (or should I say stumbling) down the aisle on my dad’s arm, my entire body trembling with a case of the nerves. My personal wedding story was rather uneventful, the worst thing that happened was that my dad missed the signal from the organist and forgot to tell the wedding party to start marching down the aisle. All I remember was the frantic waving of the groom’s hands trying to grab my dad’s attention and get the show on the road. That does not compare to some of the summer wedding antics that I have been a part of!
My youngest 2 sons and I have formed a string trio that plays classical music for occasions such as weddings, receptions, parties, and fundraisers. We’ve been playing in weddings for the past 6 years now and have amassed quite a treasury of funny stories. Take one of the riverside weddings we have done. Imagine a beautiful summer afternoon, the musicians softly playing as the guests are being seated. All of a sudden a collective yell is heard from the guests in the front row. A bird had just pooped on several of their heads! The affected parties ran to the bathroom, cleaned up, and made it back in time to see the bride walk down the aisle.
This reminds me of the several times we have heard someone whisper for us to STOP PLAYING! One time, the bride decided at the last minute to have one of the other musicians play a piece that was supposed to be played by us. We were starting the very first note when we heard the familiar whisper. Fortunately, we maintained the dignity of the occasion by quietly easing off our instruments together; avoiding what could have been an embarrassing moment. Another time, we were supposed to play a song all the way through, but the minister became impatient and started the ceremony at the beginning of the piece. We eased our way out of that one also, without sounding like a crashing freight train. I’m not sure how we managed to end so nicely!
My most unforgettable summer wedding took place in a bar. The wedding was scheduled to be performed at a private residence, but was rained out. The wedding party rushed the decorations to the reception site, which was a very large drinking establishment. It was actually very beautiful and dignified, and everyone enjoyed themselves. I just wondered how many other musicians can say they have done a wedding in a bar!
I thought my summer wedding was rather uneventful. However, my wedding shower did not fare so well. The actual event was wonderful and went off without a hitch. The hostess took all the photos, but when she opened the camera, she discovered that she had forgotten to put in film! Sadly, I have no photos to document the event, just happy memories. I wonder, is there such a thing as a flawless wedding? Maybe in my dreams!
