Wedding Reviews

Tis time for fun memories.  Most of you know I study romantic comedies from classics like, “When Harry Met Sally” to recent one’s like “The Big Wedding” and whatever catches my attention.

In decades past, romance novels were practically required to have a Happily Ever After ending often portrayed as a wedding. Fortunately the stories have changed as readers’ expectations are not always favorable toward weddings. Actually, sometimes weddings are the worst! Drama! Emotions running wild! Even when everything goes great there are layers of stories behind the photos. So for your amusement I’m sharing tidbits of three weddings from the past decade when I was the mother-of-the-bride.

http://www.allisonmoanphotography.com

The Big Wedding was the most recent.  The father of the groom is a wealthy businessman with two sons and he wanted an EVENT so he paid for doubling the guest list in addition to an excessive amount of booze. The bridesmaids all loved their dresses but looking past the royal blue for the day, one woman is a CPA, another a LMT, one blond is a bank loan manager the other a beauty consultant. There’s also an optician, a cupcake baker, and a HR manager.  The men represent a broad flavor of careers from minister to stock broker, computer sales, food services, construction, and more.  The bridal party also included two flower girls, a ring bearer, and a junior bridesmaid who escorted the dog.

Adding to the story of this (above) picture, one woman is newly pregnant and kept it secret until stripping out of her dress after the pictures were done so she could breathe. Sadly, the groom’s beloved grandfather died only weeks before this event but there was a tribute shrine and tearful toasts to him at the reception.

The Outdoor/Theme Wedding happened on a Tuesday afternoon so the bride and groom could always celebrate their anniversary on the Summer Solstice. Men In Kilts! The men were all part of a competitive band in their younger days. Though this was a tight budget affair, the groom is also a professional chef so the food was outstanding. The location included a large pond with pedal boats and the bride did pedal around the pond in her wedding gown.  They had originally planned to wed in a rustic campground in the mountains but the roads were washed out during the winter and a new location had to be found three months before the day, and it was so much better! Guests came to Oregon from Ohio and Alaska and it was the only sunny day during the entire month of June.

http://www.tfkphotography.com/

The Small Wedding was the first for our family and riddled with drama; recent funerals, uninvited guests, emotional issues! Fortunately the actual event was delightful and everyone had a great time.  Even now, ten years later, we still cringe at some of the memories. The main story worth repeating about this event is that after the honeymoon the groom had a growth on his neck checked then immediately began treatment for aggressive lymphoma. Yes, he survived and has been cancer free since, they are still thriving and darling together.

It is impossible for me to look at a wedding photo and not wonder about all the stories behind the smiles. As big a deal as a wedding might be as a “rite of passage” event in our journey through life, it’s really just a party and not a HEA. The marriage deserves the celebration but it’s not an ending in any way, it’s the beginning of a grand adventure.

This is why I love reading and writing romance novels, and the requirement of studying romantic comedy films. Love happens all around us and the stories are limitless and unique!

Renovation

Mercury is in a retrograde season, as are Mars and Saturn. This is a nudge from the planets to review, research, rewind, renew, and the “re” word-of-your-choice.

The rocks Ed is standing on with our dog and 7-yr-old grandson are only accessible during low tide. This image is how I feel about retro energy as it reminds us to go-with-the-flow. We have the opportunity to look beneath the waves and know there is both a solid foundation and sandy streams that are often hidden with the currents.

Natures rhythms are not something to fear unless they include earthquakes, hurricanes, eruptions, bolts, and turbulence. These phases are reminders to communicate clearly, relax, and be aware that all actions have a reaction. Sometimes it’s a boomerang reaction, sometimes it’s delayed, but if you inhale you need to exhale and I always recommend doing both.

Renovation has been the theme of my life for the past year and we are in the process of the building a small home, the one we debated and dithered about for six years because we couldn’t picture what to build. It was like a blank canvas (actually a plot of scrub grass) and we only had a clear vision of needing a flush toilet and a large metal building to store the toys of my family for summer camp outs. Now we are creating a nice living space to be comfortable in all seasons. Alas, we now have to remove that flush toilet and cut through four inches of concrete to correct the drainage. This is another example of retrograde energy – deconstruct and rebuild.

I’ve learned to appreciate pause and review retrograde seasons, though this one has a strong “spinning wheels” flavor. That term was coined about fifty years ago because the cars were designed so if you had one foot on the gas and the other foot on the brake the tires would spin and burn a lot of rubber, going nowhere. While I am spinning my wheels I can look around and see that I am creating a fun future I would never have dreamed of, despite the sewage issues.

I’ve heard a few people state they are “living the dream” yet the sarcasm is strong when they say it. I don’t understand the appeal of chasing dreams when creating something is tangible and vibrant. Now I’ll close with the nasty RE word, responsibility. It is required. Be responsible for your happiness, your life. Creating because of a dream requires actions and often – renovations.

Mom’s Day

This sat on Mom’s counters in the back room where she spent more of her days.

We still honor my Mom’s Birthday every Feb 1st because her energy is still very much a part of who we are and we believe she likes it. In the first years, the celebration mirrored many during her life with us getting together for a spaghetti dinner and apple pie. Then we realized instead of a big party, Mom would rather we do something special for ourselves in her honor.

On Feb 1st, 2010, I already had a website and a blog but that morning I felt it was time to become an author-business, instead of a writing hobby, so I submitted forms to the state online. My sister and I wondered when it would be official then, less than two hours later, I got the confirmation with a DBA registry number and everything.

In 2013, I delayed signing my first publishing contract for my debut novel for two days so it was dated Feb 1st. By my birthday that May I was already negotiating the publishing contract for the AM101 marketing workbook with my partner. Both books were released a week apart in September.

In recent months I’ve been proactive with my writing projects and business strategies. This will enable me to present my diverse projects into one brand for a new website and future promotions as these projects turn into books. My only plan today was to upgrade my cell phone to a smart phone.

However, Mom added her touch today. Mainly our eldest daughter had a great change of plans happen – long story but she knew it was because of Feb 1st. For me, the RWR (Romance Writers Report) magazine arrived today and I’m in the list for my debut novel, and as officially a PAN member (the RWA Published Author Network) which is pretty cool.