mairie(d)

So after finally getting the kids and themselves to bed Thursday night my family was promptly woken up at next morning so they could attend the town hall ceremony.  Not by me of course, a good bride knows to delegate the dirty work.

Friend:  I don’t get it, what am I suppose to do?
Me:  Go to the hotel and make sure everyone gets in the car to go to town hall.
Friend:  If they are going from the lobby to the car, I don't know what I can do to help facilitate.
Me:  I need you there.  Just in case.
Friend:  In case... of… what?
Me:  Just in case.

When soon to be husband and I got to town hall we saw that some people had already arrived.  Our families were not amongst them.  Stbh pulled out his cell phone while I greeted everyone.

10 minutes before our appointment time there was still no sign of our families or friends sent to help them.  I turned to sobh with panicked eyes.  They’re coming he reassured me.  I was not reassured, until finally I saw my friends approaching town hall.

Me:  Was it ok?
Friend 1:  [Eyes of someone who just survived a traumatic event] It was not ok.
Me:  Why what happened?
Friend 1:  Nobody was ready.  Except the Japanese couple.
Me:  Oh.
Friend 1:  We called and called and nobodypicked up.
Me:  Oh.
Friend 2:  They had so many bags!!! [Sweat pouring down her face]

But alas I didn’t have time to get the details because I had to, you know, get married.  Later my brother filled me in.  He was staying at my apartment and I had sent him that same morning to help out.

He got there thinking everyone will be up and ready to check out.  He instead saw my sister trying to put pants on her 2 year old daughter.  He decided to take charge:

Brother:Why isn’t anyone ready?
Sister:[stares at him with the look of a woman who hasn’t slept for 3 days and is fighting to put pants on a 2 year old and losing]
Brother:  Ok, ok, it’s cool.

After everyone is finally ready and fully dressed, my mother decides, 10 minutes before leaving, that the shirts that my father and brother were currently wearing needed ironing.  Even if this involved my dad going downstairs to ask for an iron and everyone taking off their shirts.
   
So that is why nobody was ready.  Why didn’t they answer the phone?   My sister had taken the phones off the hook because it had become a toy for the girls and she was afraid they would dial the police or China.

But in the end everyone made it and into their respective seats for the town hall ceremony.  Relieved I turned to look at, my sister seated next to me on my wedding day:

Me:  Did you comb your hair?
Sister:  [stare of a woman who hasn’t slept for 3 days and, as I was told later, had put on makeup for the occasion]
Me Ok,ok, it’s cool.