24 September 2006

Steel Magnolias

My best friends wedding was to say the least, breath taking. But lets start from the beginning.

I get collected and whisked away to "city deep" where Mands is due for a final dress fitting at interflora flower market. On the way over she says "you have to help me Yay (she calls me Yay), I look like dolly parton in this dress and I have just had to buy a new bra thats cost like R600 (£50ish) in the hopes that my cleavage doesnt show" We arrive at the place and we get taken into a changing room where Mands immediately begins to strip whilst a deaf ousie pulls the dress onto her arms in preperation to slip over Mandy's head. Mands puts her new bra on whilst complaining that she has put on weight due to her having to take a pill to stop her period because of the mikvah.

Anyhoo, she gets strapped in and pinned and clipped and then they pull out, what I can only describe as.... sorry Mands.... the most hideous bolero jacket which she slips over her shoulders. Now in jewish weddings, the woman has to appear under the chuppah as modestly dressed as possible, which means nothing above the forearm must be showing. (Hence the bolero disaster)

She turns to face me and says... still fussing with her exposed cleavage and complaining that the jacket is too tight on her..."waddya think Yay?" My head realing with thoughts of "if you're a true friend you will say something" "its her final fitting, she can't change it now" "the wedding is in 3 days!!" "she obviously chose this thing, you will upset her if u say anything now!" "this is NOTHING like how I imagined she would look" "its not that bad...is it???"

I smile and say... "you look beautiful my friend!"

She looks at the dress maker and says... "omg, she doesnt like it!"

CHIT!!! :-O ok... time to come clean pal... "No! I do like it...its just... that...bolero...its....not....I mean....its lovely.... its just....the dress is gorgeous! Really!... I dunno...it doesnt sit right....maybe.... it just needs.... ugh!"

"First of all....can u stop tugging at your tits for g-d sakes!" "Yay, I cant have this cleavage under the chuppah!" "OK, damage control features, can't we just sew in a square panel to cover the cleavage?" The seamstress dissapears and comes back in minutes with a small peice of satin which she has pleated and tucks it into the top of the dress....

Presto! No cleavages! problemo solvedo! actually...it finishes the dress off...looks like it was meant to be there.

They keep trying to make the bolero from hell look better but, its making Mands stand funny. The seamstress is pulling out stitches on the sleeves to loosen it a bit... the whole time I am asking, couldnt we just try a satin wrap or something? Mands is giving me the evil eye saying she has to pay for the bolero and she isnt buying something else, besides, the Rabbi wont marry her if she isnt covered appropriately, so NO wrap!

I say to her... " do you love your dress?"

She responds hesitantly... " I... LIKE my dress..."

"ok" say I.

The bolero from hideousville still doesnt look right, its pulling across her back which is making her stick her voluptuous breasts out and pull her shoulders back and she is pulling and tugging and is clearly uncomfortable.

I keep asking the seamstress, "dont u just have a strip of satin fabric that we can throw over her shoulders...just to TRY!" Eventually she gives in and dissapears into the back room. On her return she is carrying, wot appears to be, specifically designed to match this particular dress!

She tries it on, and the result was...herMy Friendy dancing infront of the mirrors turning to me and saying without prompting...

"OMG Yay! I LOVE my dress!!!"




















This was the final result...she looked..exquisite!
















My favourite pic!
















Remember that little bump? Well this handsome young man...is the result! CA...UTE!!!

The wedding was a moment in my life which I will treasure, not only because I got to see my special freindy finally commit to one man!...ok 2 if u count the widdle guy... but more importantly because as I sat at a table at which 7, including myself, of her oldest and dearest friends sat, and in her speech as she acknowledged each of us for showing true testament of a dear friendship, she choked back the tears. When mentioning her late mother, again fighting teats...I personally was bawling my eyes out...I turned to look at the rest of her friends at the table only to find...they too...had tears streaming down their faces...each of us holding our own special memory of the same person.

It warmed my heart and I thought...O.M.G! Steel Magnolias features!! How very blessed this girl has been to have a group of such special friends who would cry right beside her. Not to mention...a good man to be her husband! Amen.

3 comments:

Tammy said...

Sounds like u had an amazing time!!

Unknown said...

I like Yay - it has that gah-den ring to it. THe dress looks gorgeous and Mands looks truly radiant. The baby is delicious and they all look VERY HAPPY FEATURES. Awesome that you went - good on ya, matey. (and wasn't it just the BEST to be eating Joeys wedding chow - yummm!) :o) xox

Unknown said...

Wish I could have been there!