Wedding Musings

     I've been to two weddings outside of Louisiana and they were to put it simply, different.  The first was thrown by Baptists who were actually Baptist.  NOLA isn't exactly the bible belt; even the Baptists are relaxed.  Until then I had never met a Baptist who didn't drink and wouldn't dance.  This was a dry wedding, God bless them, in every way.  The reception was an hour and a half long and thirty minutes of that was spent praying.  The punch was watered down cool-aid and the waiter was in such a hurry to get us out of there he took my uneaten cake right out from under my fork.  The other one was nice, (admittedly the bride, my niece, has NOLA roots and so knew how to throw a party), but the guests were a bit sedate and quietly dressed.

     Maybe it's a NOLA thing, but I am used to more exuberance and liveliness at weddings.  Women wear something with sparkle, you go to the church, then the reception, the cake pull, the groom's cake, the second line, then you head to the Quarter to finish off the night with the wedding party in one of those tourist bars.  The day after you evaluate the food, compare it, (the food), to other weddings' food, and gossip about what everyone wore.  In the two weddings that I've been to outside the area, there hasn't been a whole lot of jump in and cut a rug, and let's face it It would be unfair to try to compare the food.   I've seen what other people do with their seafood and I cringe.  Bay seasoning on top of shrimp?  Really?  If only the world had access to crab boil and knew how to use it...  I digress.  I bring this up because I have to attend a wedding this weekend.
  
     Already I am salivating over the food and of course the cake, (I LOVE cake.).  Please let there be fried alligator with that dipping sauce and a roast beef carving station with horseradish sauce and tiny warm muffalettas and would it be too much to ask for grilled oysters a la Drago's?  Forgive me; I am dieting in order to fit in my dress and this turkey on wheat isn't hitting the spot.  As an aside I need to mention that native New Orleanians do not do a sit down dinner reception.  Ever.  Just isn't done.  It screams, "not New Orleans," something a native New Orleanian would balk at big time.

     Anyways I need something to wear to a wedding and it can't be a LBD.  I know, I know, people are wearing black to weddings now days, but it was drummed into my head as a small child that, "you don't do that because it's a funeral color."  Actually, I think it was pointed out so much because my paternal grandma wore black with a veil, (Yes I promise you a little black veil on her hat; it's in the pictures.), and cried on the gallery at my parents' wedding reception wailing that she had lost her son.  Actually I remember it was drummed into my head by Mom whenever Grams was in the room not to mention Grams & Gramps lived down the street from us so there was no real big loss there.  Big sis carried on the tradition when she wore black and, (gasp) red to little sis's wedding, (didn't like the groom).  You've gotta love how the spirit of the old south carries on in this family.

     As an alternative to the LBD I'll wear a LBD, (little blue dress), and a whole lot of spanx to keep my mama happy.  Why would spanx keep my mama happy?  Well that would be another story for another day...