I attended a wedding over the weekend and it was beautiful.

I’ve sang the praises of Allison before, and she deserves it. She is one of the most real people I know: enthusiastic, friendly, and, as someone said in their speech at Allison’s wedding, generous to a fault.

I got to know Allison through Nora and even though I didn’t really know her too well, she came to my rescue three years ago. The details are now fuzzy in my mind but it involved a bridal shower I was organizing and a cake I had to pick up. My parents were away for the weekend and I didn’t have my driver’s license or a car to drive for that matter. It was very important to me that the shower be top-notch and I was feeling the stress, bigtime. I hadn’t felt much support from the people I had expected to help either, so I was quite angry and hurt at the time. I needed someone to help me pick up the cake for the shower and out of desperation (after calling others), I called Allison, though I didn’t know her very well. She cheerfully came to my rescue and helped me pick up the cake, drop it off at the house of the bride-to-be’s mother and then dropped me off at home, all with her customary “Oh, it’s no trouble” attitude (while cursing her inability to be mean, no doubt).

Over the past three years we’ve become closer, most especially in the last year and a half. She and her (then) fiancé moved within walking distance of my parents’ house recently, and we’ve met to walk and rant a few times since. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her better and I was really looking forward to attending her wedding.

I was not disappointed.

Allison was totally her cute self during the wedding, causing those of us attending the wedding to laugh a few times, and the couple was equally cute during their vows. The reception was nice but the best part in my opinion was the bride and groom’s first dance. Now one thing about Allison is she’s modest. I have no doubt she’s freaky behind closed doors (hehehe) but she’s not one for excessive PDAs so that’s why the dance was so unexpected. They danced to Santa Maria. I don’t think it’s possible to dance sedately or unsexily to this music, and Allison and her husband did not disappoint. I loved their facial expressions during the dance, too. I couldn’t tell if they were dancing a paso doble or a tango (or a medley of Latin dances, perhaps?) but they were definitely telling a story, something along the lines of the man approaching the woman, the woman rejecting his advances (yet also flirting with him just enough to keep him interested). It was very Rock the Reception (except it wasn’t a hip hop routine) and I thought it was brilliant. I can’t wait to see the video!

The last month and a bit before the wedding wasn’t easy for the couple at all, and the way the groom talked about it in his speech and thanked his wife was so sweet. The whole wedding was heartwarming and made me feel happy that one of those couples who are in this for the long haul, for the marriage and not just the wedding, got married.

I wish them all the best, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.

Filed under: Celebrations by jummy