h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have been to several weddings as I was growing up; they're all awash in a haze that inhibits all childhood memories. But perhaps my favorite wedding is my sister's, who was married just last April 1st.

My mother did the catering. Dad built the stage. I designed the sound and music. All relatives and friends helped cook, clean, set up and take down. People from my sister's life, past and present, were all there to share the happy occasion in the small town of Granite Falls, Washington, USA. There were no "professionals" involved. It was purely a Yost/Tengelin/Bowers/et al production.

That will live on as my fondest memory of my family in general, as well; all of us working together to create one magical moment.

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I had a home-made wedding, too. I grew up in a farming village, and this was quite typical of a local wedding. My mother made my gown - she was a dress maker/designer, and it was wonderful. While she made my dress, I made her's. We had our sewing machines set up across the table from each other, and it is one of my fondest memories of my dear Mom. A neighbour made and decorated my cake, another neighbour, a prize-winning horticulturist, did the flowers, and the local church auxilliary did all the rest. I was married in the church I had gone to Sunday School at, and the reception was back home, in our turn-of-the-century farmhouse. One of my Dad's best friends gave the Toast to the Bride. He'd known me since I was tiny. Problem was, I married someone from the city, who thought the whole thing was primitive, and the marriage only lasted 3 years.

Hey, sounds just like my wedding, which was also this year on April 1st.
Here's the run down to a perfect home-made wedding.
Wedding dress: made by friend, a wizard dressmaker
Hair and makeup: done by mother/daughter team
Bridesmaids dresses/accessories: bought after formals (proms) died down for half price, chiffon scarves made
Cake: made by another friend
Flowers: I bought Australian natives from the flower markets in bulk, a talented aunt helped arrange them
Venue: was to be local park, changed to parent's backyard with tarpaulin when it rained
Emcee: friend of family's, who happens to be professional comedian
Photography: negotiated good deal for negatives, unlimited film and time
Video: three guests brought videos, we got our best man to splice best bits
Guys suits: hired
Wedding car: borrowed fab antique white mercedes from friend, he chauffered us
Celebrant: cousin
Reception: family-owned reception house, small and intimate, but able to accommodate 120 guests!

Though it was done economically, it never felt like we did it "cheaply" becuase eveyone pitched in with as much, if not more, love than goes into lavish "wedding-coordinated-to-death" affairs.

We were hoping to hold it in my parents' back garden, but it simply wasn't big enough (the problems of living in the UK - no huge expanses of Australian space )

So we're holding it in a converted barn that faces onto the local park. We just have to hope that the cricketers are reasonably good and don't send a ball flying towards us during the Chuppah (the ceremony - it's a Jewish wedding).

There's been a lot of discussion around me lately on weddings - 3 of the girls at work are engaged and planning weddings. One of them figures her wedding next summer will cost $15,000!! I just can't imagine. A young couple should have better places to spend that kind of money. A country wedding's better, more fun, more relaxing, and no huge bills to pay.

Ughh!

$15,000. Actually, when I was looking at glossies (magazines) on tips for weddings, I was disgusted at some suggestions. They all think you have bundles of money, and that the only thing you would ever DREAM of spending it on is a wedding. Hmmmm, got news for them...

I have also heard figures of $20,000-$30,000 (Australian) being bantered about as the AVERAGE wedding cost. Some poor sods actually take out loans - like whatever happened to the actual marriage being the important thing?

Priorities, priorities, dahhlings!

We just got our invitation to my husband's niece's wedding in Septermber. This young woman has done all her "paper" on the computer, and the invitation is lovely. Her gown is a last year's model, so cheaper. Then the real scoop on the wedding: 450 guests, and the reception held at the biggest auditorium in the city where she lives. Its going to cost my brother-in-law a fortune, and the niece and fiance, too. He's a farmer, and they just aren't doing wonderfully here right now. Niece has a good job, as an accountant, but I suspect there will be debt involved.

There's a tradition here, a newer tradition, unheard of when I got married, of a Social. The attendants put it on before the wedding - a party/dance with hired music. Everyone asks anyone they can for gifts for a silent auction, and sell tickets to win these items. Did I mention ticketsfor the social run $5.00 to $10.00 (Canadian) per person, and everyone involved sells them at work. The niece's grandmother is disgusted.