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

My little sister got engaged a coupe of weeks ago. She's been going out with the chap for a long while now. Nice lad. Their relationship had no opposition or disapproval from the families. All were happy.

They've been organising a party for a while now. They started the organisation before they got engaged, so it wasn't an engagement party: just a party. Formal wear: cheese and wine. (Actually, in the event there was more seafood than cheese.) Because they'd got engaged shortly before it, it did turn into an engagement party in some people's minds.

The evening came. I went up to the venue early to assist in car parking. (I don't drive, but I'm good at waving at people.) I was outside for a good while, and went in when almost everyone had arrived. My timing was perfect: they'd just served the food. It was delicious, in itself, but there was no bread. I'll eat anything, and enjoyed the food, but shellfish and cheese are uncomfortable to eat unaccompanied.

So I wandered around the tables grazing (there was some delicious cheese), chatting, and taking photos. It was a pleasant evening.

And then Mammy grabbed me: "Have you seen Daddy? We must find him! It's important." As we went outside to look for him, she told me why he'd gone missing: L&E had taken my parents aside and told them that they'd got married that afternoon. L was shortly to make an announcement to the crowd inside.

...

We found Daddy in the car, sending a text message to my brother in Canada. (Mammy and Daddy were, in fact, just back from visiting him. They'd arrived home the previous morning.) Granny, who's visiting from her home in Kent, joined us out there. We all got our breath back and headed back inside.

L was talking as we came in. He thanked everyone for being there, thanked the venue, and, I think, pointed out the locations of the fire exits. And then, as a by-the-way, mentioned that he and E had been married that afternoon. "You weren't invited here for a wedding," he added; "and this isn't a wedding party. It's just a party, and the fact that we were married this afternoon is just one more reason to have a party."

Indeed?

He also said that it wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision: it was something they had planned. Right.

And then they went off to see L's dad, who wasn't feeling great and had decided not to come to the party. When they got back, the band started and there was dancing.

...

My parents and granny spent most of the rest of the evening in a side room. I wandered in and out.

E's friend from Dublin had been planning to stay the night with E. She stayed in our house anyway.

Granny's still here, and will be for another couple of weeks.

L&E have gone to Croatia. Let's hope they have fun.

TRiG.

I know that far too much is spent on weddings these days. But I think people deserve a little bit more notice than that of a wedding.

I fear that a wedding that starts in a hurry may end in a hurry too.

What a way of saving money! One paaaartttaayy instead of three


to them



Gnomon! You pessimist ..

You'll notice I refrained from the almost obligatory "Were there any witnesses?" joke.

*giggles*


You devil!

I know how you feel, TRiG

T be honest, if I'd had it my way, that's exactly the way I'd have done it. Unfortunately, the husband insisted on telling his parents.

They've been engaged for only a couple of weeks, but they've been going out for yonks. We all knew it was coming, and we knew the wedding would be small. But there's small and ... tiny. In my opinion, it was a bit of a silly thing to do. They hurt people for no reason.

TRiG.

Well congrats to your sis. Hope they're very happy together.

If I'm honest, I quite like the idea. I'm not someone who loves the limelight, so I quite like the idea of having a small intimate quiet ceremony and having a party afterwards with more people.