we do, you do, I do...

 we do.

Mundri - Entebbe - London - Philly

In 24 hours or so on the world's clock (1pm 26 March - 4pm 27 March) but more like 34 hours on my biological clock...a delayed flight from Entebbe meant a delay with free (and functional!) wi-fi. bonus.
And a short layover in London - freezing, drizzling, drab, everyone wearing black, depressing Heathrow Terminal 5. bonus.  Lousy movie options allowing for more snoozing. bonus.  Seats next to large men who hog the armrests and invade my seat space? not so much a bonus.  Arriving in Philadelphia with 2 full weeks with my sister before the rest of family and friends started arriving for the wedding? BIGTIME bonus.

We laughed and cried together.  We ate and drank together.  We ran errands together.  We went to church together.  We celebrated Easter together.  We chatted about the future and the past together.  We made decisions about candy and shoes and clothes pins together.  We cranked up hip hop songs about thrift stores on the radio together.

These were the days when "we do" things together.  boy oh boy! were they sweet.

you do.

Then family and friends started coming into town.

I started delegating, she continued delegating.  "Could you do these name cards? I've tried and just can't figure it out." Emails were sent out to those coming in, "Could you do the set up for this portion of the reception as your 'day-of-bridesmaid-duty'"?   "Could you groomsmen figure out how to do this?"  "Hello Trader Joe's, what kinds of flower orders do you do?"

There were many moments of cross cultural questions and light bulbs going on (or off as the case may be) about how you do things...

• Are "family dinners" times where you invite whatever friend you happen to be with at the time, or are they kind of sacred and typically limited to family only?
• what do Singaporeans talk about/not talk about at the dinner table?
• what do Americans talk about/not talk about at the dinner table?
• who needs to attend the wedding rehearsal?
• what exactly is done at wedding rehearsal dinners?
• where should a tea ceremony be held?
• where should tables of family be seated in proximity to the head table?
• what people need to give speeches/toasts at the reception?
• how do people get themselves to/from wedding events?
• what are the best options for bachelor parties the night before the wedding?
• etc etc etc

There was some chaos, some balls dropped, some perplexed looks, some faux pas in operation, but over all the things we asked you do were done and laughs were had in the process.

i do.

Saturday 13 April

We all knew what things I needed to do.  And we did them.

From the moment we entered the 10-day forecast window, the weather report was changing almost hourly.  I stopped paying any attention. The 12th had been stormy and dark and cold, and the ceremony the next day was planned to be outside, but the forecasters were predicting 64 and sunny for the 13th.  "I pray they're right." I thought to myself.  Carrie, of course, was optimistic and confident in their predictions. 

7:45am - Lutjens ladies leave the house to start the preparations for the day.  Weather? Sunny and warm.  Praise the Lord.

10:45 - Lutjens ladies leave the hair/make up salon - Carrie, who had left the trial run 2 weeks previous a bit disappointed but unable to articulate why exactly, was very pleased with the final product.  "Do you like it?" I asked.  "I do." She answered.  And mom?  Well, her comment to Nicole, the stylist, says it all: "It's perfect, it's like you know me." SO mom.                                                                                         

                 
                                                                                

3:45 - The sun is still shining, drifting behind the white cottonball clouds every now and again, but the sky is crystal blue.  I realized in this moment, that I would never be able to plan an outdoor spring wedding.  For the same reason I have a hard time praying for the things that mean the most to me, that are closest to my heart and desires...because things in my life have most of the time not really worked out like this for me...sunny and blue skies I mean...and I kinda doubt they ever will...but in the next moment I thought to myself, "maybe there is something I need to learn from my little sister..."  Hope and risk hurt sometimes, and other times they pay off in really sweet ways.

4pm - Ceremony begins.  (and miraculously my dad has no Meniere's symptoms and can walk his daughter down the aisle without fear of vomiting or falling over, and it's warm enough in the sun that I'm not shivering in my sleeveless, short (knee length) dress...)

~5pmish maybe? - a good friend of mine from college, and officiant of the ceremony, Jason, asked Matt and Carrie, do you take this woman? do you take this man?  And  they each answered, "I do."

The party went on - great food, amazing cake (so I hear...), great band, great company - 

 

               until we learned the park gates would soon be closed.  We sent them off with sparklers, packed the event back into our cars, and away we went.

We did, you did, I did.