The ceremony

So in the bible it was stated that we would do a rehearsal of the ceremony after picnic in the park day of the town hall wedding. But it rained effectively ending the picnic and any hope I had for a rehearsal.

The provisional rehearsal scheduled Saturday before lunch ended up involving only 5 people who acted as representatives for the 15 that were actually in the ceremony. So yeah I was a little apprehensive as to how it was going to go down seeing how it was a Vietnamese/American ceremony that I made up.

We arrived at the venue and joined the wedding party in the reception area where they were hiding out from the guests. My sister in law handed me my gorgeous bouquet (I had delegated) and we were ready to start. My flower girls were all crying.

I put everyone in order for the processional. Flower girls were still crying, big giant tears.
Me: Should I take them out of the ceremony?
Sister: Let’s try to give them the baskets.
Us: Look, baskets! [said in a voice like they were the most magically thing in the world]
Nieces: [Takes baskets. Realizes they are just baskets. Cries harder]
Us: Look, flowers. Ooohhhh ahhhh.
Nieces: [Pauses to look]
Sister: [Sees her chance] Ok let’s go.

My sister with all her experience realized that during the distraction they could be moved at which point they would be too busy/confused in the shuffle to cry. But the still had to stand and wait for their turn to walk down the aisle, at which point it was anybody’s guess what they would do. Which way was it going to go?

Somewhere between the end of the world meltdown in the reception area and the end of the aisle they decided that they would be the best and most adorable flower girls in the world, gracefully paving the aisle with rose petals and effectively stealing the show.

Even though everyone at this point was like “the bride who” I followed and was instantly overwhelmed with happiness to see everyone through different parts of my life, together in one place, looking at me with my parents by my side.

We reached my husband who was waiting and smiling. There in front of all our guests we stood and stared at each other in what people probably thought was a moment of eternal love and overwelming joy but actually was me waiting for the music to change to start the Vietnamese ceremony and him wondering what I was waiting for. After about 5 minutes I said loudly “They have to change the music!”

Um no, they didn’t this had already been done when I walked down the aisle, like I had wanted. So yes I was the first person to make a mistake in a ceremony of my own creation.

On and forwards, I directed my parents to offer me gifts (pearls and a check). In keeping with the Vietnamese tradition husband and I offered them wine as thanks. I watched as my mother tried to down the entire glass. I gently pried the glass from her hands and told her she didn’t have to finish it. I looked over at my dad, who had finished the entire glass. Luckily the next step for them was to sit down.

We repeated this exercise with my parents in law and then had an American style exchange of vows and rings.

Husband and I then stood and stared at each other in what people probably thought was a moment of eternal love and overwelming joy but actually was us waiting for our maitress of ceremony to present us as a married couple, which also happened to be the dj cue to play the exit music. Two mental eye communications and a whispering nudge later, she said what was needed, the music played, and we walked away happy to have pulled it off.