I WENT TO A WEDDING

I have a confession to make: I have never gone to a wedding before. Ever. In my entire life. I have always wondered what weddings are like, since films paints a rather romantic picture, whereas real wedding endorse a much more stressful environment that brides-to-be are willing to express. The thought of the bride walking down the aisle in a vision in white while her groom consciously attempts to conceal his utter wonder while gazing at the love of his life. Then the details of the ceremony: the center pieces, the music, the set up, the design. Pretty much everything. The bride's dress. Her makeup. What the groom is wearing. Her bouquet. All of these things were simply conjured in my mind based on what I'd see in movies and what others pinned on Pinterest. So when I would hear that people went to wedding, I envied them. I thought, how magical it must be. Since I romanticize everything and make a simple moment into this grand gesture worthy of being recorded, whether by word or photograph, I longed to see what the fuss what about with weddings. It clearly had to be something.

While I was living in Canada, there was no prospect for being invited to a wedding. With no relatives nearby, there wasn't a chance, and having no friends that are going to get married, that really wasn't going to happen. After I moved to Virginia and people were literally thrusting themselves to people in order to get married, I thought, hey, I might actually have the chance to see a wedding. (Hopefully, before I get married.) By going to a Christian university, there is a certain mindset surrounding dating, courtship, and matrimony. So, finally, I said to myself, it might actually happen to me. I got my first wedding invitation, but my heart broke when I couldn't go. So many complications essentially told me that I couldn't manage to go. Sadly, I had to decline and incessantly stalk her pictures online. Then another one of my good friends finally setting the date, I figured this might be a possible venture, but regrettably, it appears that I may have to pass this one up due to the distance, since it would be so far away.

Then I moved to Romania. I had heard stories of my friends telling me of the wedding they went to this past weekend, that it was so this and much that, and discussed what happened. The party lasted until 6 in the morning, a group of older gentlemen began arguing after drinking too much alcohol, and there was a little cat fight between two girls. When I would ask people how many weddings they attended, it varied from 2-3 per summer, to 4-5 per year. Per year! They would tell me all about the crazy things that goes on in Romanian weddings and I sincerely hoped that I would be able to go to one some time.

I was then informed by my father that a relative of mine (apparently, I have, like, a million and one relatives) is getting married and we are invited to her wedding. I AM GOING TO A WEDDING!!! I finally get to see what it is all about. Not really informed regarding Romanian traditions, I just figured that it would be like weddings I saw in America and Canada.Wrong. There is so much more involved. The religious ceremony, the civil ceremony, the capturing of the bride after the religious ceremony, the reception, and then the party. The days leading up to the wedding, I repeatedly shared my excitement with everyone around me. By the time Saturday rolled around, I was ready for business.

I began layering on my makeup, doing my hair, ironing my dress, priming every detail since all eyes would be on us since the relatives from Canada would be at the wedding. The entire process was very exciting, yet also a little daunting. Weddings in Canada and America have a more leisure tone to it; you don't necessarily dress to impress. You go there to enjoy the wedding. In Romania, how you dress is a statement. It says something about you, so image is very important and highly revelled. As a result, there was a lot of priming before we left.

{dress: calvin klein; heels: tahari; clutch: forever 21; earrings: h&m }

Indeed, going to a wedding was a lot of commitment. First of all, there is the religious ceremony that usually lasts an hour and involves the family of the betrothed and the close friends. This can last up to an hour. Then it's the reception. And the party. My goodness, I don't think I really experienced a party until now. There was music constantly (live, might I add) and high volume and people talking and people going out to enjoy a breather from the loud music inside by smoking a cig. The room was overtly divided by who danced and who clearly did not. The food was presented and the beverages were served smoothly (which included alcohol). Hours rolled by and I was genuinely surprised that it was eleven at night and the night was still young. It was as if the party only now started happening. The music got louder, people finally started dancing, and the guests started feeling looser. When it was 3 in the morning, I was ready to call it a night. Traditional Romanian folk singer graced us with her enchanting vocals, while the regional music provided interesting sights and dancing. All in all, it was a pleasant experience, one that I am sure will not be my last.