Bridal Tea in Baltimore

My first shower was today and it was a smashing success. My adventure in green the wedding continues. And it is going off with flying colors.

Today was hosted by Kelly, my matron of honor and my future sister in law. She found the perfect location- an inn from the 1700’s that is now a state park. It has been beautifully restored with original furniture. We learned the history of the house while we sipped tea and ate lovely, rich pastries. (I was so glad I had gone for a long run that morning!) We all left quite stuffed but pleasantly so.

It was the coming together of the old and new. My “second mother” from my childhood, my friend from grad school, an old friend of Sean’s, his childhood friends, and new family and friends. I was so touched that they all trekked quite a distance to celebrate with me. It truly meant the world.

The gifts. I was so nervous. How would my desires for a green registry play out?  Was it going to fail miserably?  Was I forcing too much of my belief system on other? Was I going to have to give up and resort to Macy’s and Dillard’s? 

I had a pit in the bottom of my stomach as I sat in the center of the room surrounded by a sea of colorful boxes and bags.

Within minutes I knew all of my worry was for naught. The success was better than my wildest dream. The experiment worked!  The organic cotton kitchen towels, decorative root bowl, bamboo salad bowl, fair trade baskets.

It was a wonderful experience for all. I was able to share why I selected the gifts on my registry. My guests told their stories of their shopping adventure. Sean’s grandmother was shocked I loved the bowl made out of papaya and beets she gave me. It gave the group a terrific laugh.  There was also a sharing and exchange of knowledge across generations that I expect happened much more frequently in years past where quilt circles were common.  As the shower progressed, I felt like I had stepped back in time and captured some of what we’ve lost in the modern busy world. 

The Maid of Cynicism

I do not claim to have more experience as a bridesmaid than many women. I have also been lucky in that the weddings I have been in have mostly been pleasant experiences. However, as many women know, when a close friend tells you she has gotten engaged, an internal monologue begins: How exciting! I wonder if she will ask me to be in it. I will be so mad if she doesn’t ask. Do I want to be in it? What if the dress sucks? Can I afford this? Why did I ever agree to be in it? Wait, has she even asked me yet?

Once Mandy asked me to be in the wedding (and the monologue concluded), I immediately agreed. Only seconds later did Mandy begin to explain how she wanted a green wedding — I began to have visions of a granola-paved aisle, organic cotton togas, and a sapling at each place setting. I knew I was in for an adventure. I have been friends with Mandy since our freshman year in college, so I was confident that the greenness would not be gaudy, but would be elegant, understated, and exactly what she and Sean would want.

Obviously, we started with the fun stuff – finding a bridesmaid dress. Well, it sounded fun. Then I realized we would have to take into consideration fabrics, body types, color, cost, locality, and (the one thing that is supposed to make everyone feel better about this entire process) will we ever be able to wear the dress again?! Since Mandy and I are girls who always take the bull by the horns – or the dress by the straps, in this case – we had, in no time, ordered 10 dresses from various websites (Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, and one nonrefundable leftover sample that only came in one size) and had them delivered to Mandy and Sean’s house. In perfect Mandy form, she immediately began planning a party for several of the bridesmaids to try on the dresses; a party replete with food, alcohol, dresses, local experts, and (every girls nightmare when trying on dresses) a film crew. Being that there really will be a film crew at the try-on party, I must go work out now, but I will write a recap post-event and may or may not include photos.