My Bestfriend's Wedding
Almost six years ago exactly, I met my bestfriend Britt on the 14th floor of Tutwiler hall. It was the first day of sorority rush, and I went to the room next door to ask to borrow some hair spray. Britt, a barbie-doll look alike who had mountains of sky-high hair, asked me which kind of wanted... she had three bottles. Three days later, she and I sat at dinner at O'Charley's and talked about how we just knew that we were going to be bestfriends all through college and were going to be in each other's weddings one day.
On Saturday, our prediction came true. My bestfriend got married.
As I stood by her side in a strapless bridesmaid dress that I could hardly breathe in and standing in 3 1/2-inch heels that I could barely balance on, I looked at her, my lip quivering and tears welling up in my eyes. No, I would not cry. I didn't want to mess up my makeup. But, just before she said her vows, she looked straight at me, and gave me a grin from ear to ear. This was a day both of us had been looking forward to for so long. Her day had finally come.
Britt is one of those types of girls who have been planning their wedding since they were three. Although I don't like to admit it myself, I was also one of those little girls who would go prancing around with a pillowcase on my head pretending to be the bride, or would draw wedding dresses on the back of the offertory envelope with crayons during church. When we were 17 and 18, we would get Krispy Kreme donuts in the middle of the night and go to Wal-Mart to get a wedding magazine, take it back to the dorm and drool over the dresses. We would both rip out what pages we liked best and would save it for our "portfolios"... We also talked about our serious boyfriends at the time and about how we'd were sure we'd be married by junior year... Ha, if I only knew then what I know now. Britt did get engaged our senior year, but like a lot of things in life, it didn't turn out the way she had planned. She called off the engagement, and two years later, walked down the aisle with a different beau.
As she smiled at me, I knew we were thinking the same thing. How, over the past six years we have spent so much time dreaming and talking about this. How we have shared so much, how we have been through so much together, have grown up. I was so happy for her.
At the same time, I couldn't help but be sad too. I don't know what I want for my wedding anymore. I haven't bought any wedding magazines in two years and my old tattered "portfolio" is thrown under a pile of stuff underneath my bed. I used to have everything figured out. I knew that I wanted to marry the guy I dated all through college, and I knew all the details, down to the colors and flowers and monogrammed cake. One year ago, that changed when I ended that relationship and gave up on marriage for the time being. Yes, I want to get married someday and I hope that it won't be too far away.
But, I can't obsess about it like I used to. Britt's wedding proved that to me. For all the time we spent dreaming about it, her wedding ceremony lasted 25 minutes, and her reception three hours. For now, I'd like to focus on what I want for my life right now, and hope that "mr. right" somehow weaves himself into my life and I find myself at the altar almost unexpectedly, without all that extra energy or obsession.
On Saturday, our prediction came true. My bestfriend got married.
As I stood by her side in a strapless bridesmaid dress that I could hardly breathe in and standing in 3 1/2-inch heels that I could barely balance on, I looked at her, my lip quivering and tears welling up in my eyes. No, I would not cry. I didn't want to mess up my makeup. But, just before she said her vows, she looked straight at me, and gave me a grin from ear to ear. This was a day both of us had been looking forward to for so long. Her day had finally come.
Britt is one of those types of girls who have been planning their wedding since they were three. Although I don't like to admit it myself, I was also one of those little girls who would go prancing around with a pillowcase on my head pretending to be the bride, or would draw wedding dresses on the back of the offertory envelope with crayons during church. When we were 17 and 18, we would get Krispy Kreme donuts in the middle of the night and go to Wal-Mart to get a wedding magazine, take it back to the dorm and drool over the dresses. We would both rip out what pages we liked best and would save it for our "portfolios"... We also talked about our serious boyfriends at the time and about how we'd were sure we'd be married by junior year... Ha, if I only knew then what I know now. Britt did get engaged our senior year, but like a lot of things in life, it didn't turn out the way she had planned. She called off the engagement, and two years later, walked down the aisle with a different beau.
As she smiled at me, I knew we were thinking the same thing. How, over the past six years we have spent so much time dreaming and talking about this. How we have shared so much, how we have been through so much together, have grown up. I was so happy for her.
At the same time, I couldn't help but be sad too. I don't know what I want for my wedding anymore. I haven't bought any wedding magazines in two years and my old tattered "portfolio" is thrown under a pile of stuff underneath my bed. I used to have everything figured out. I knew that I wanted to marry the guy I dated all through college, and I knew all the details, down to the colors and flowers and monogrammed cake. One year ago, that changed when I ended that relationship and gave up on marriage for the time being. Yes, I want to get married someday and I hope that it won't be too far away.
But, I can't obsess about it like I used to. Britt's wedding proved that to me. For all the time we spent dreaming about it, her wedding ceremony lasted 25 minutes, and her reception three hours. For now, I'd like to focus on what I want for my life right now, and hope that "mr. right" somehow weaves himself into my life and I find myself at the altar almost unexpectedly, without all that extra energy or obsession.
posted by Lydia at 3:13 PM
1 Comments:
You DEFINITELY bought a wedding magazine a year and a half ago, the night you came over to mine & Alisa's apartment and we watched How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days!!!!!
I DISTINCTLY remember because it's the only time I've ever done that.
(And also, I like the O'Charley's conversation part of the friendship! That's so funny.)
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