(Part One of The Bollywood Bride Trilogy)
It happened! Angel Wing Jasmine popped the question. "Does being married get less awkward after a while?"I just returned from the marriage of Coxsmith and Angel Wing Jasmine which took place in three California towns: Martinez, Brentwood, and Rio Vista. Was it cool? Hell, I had fun. Was it the most unique wedding I've ever been to? Saying "yes" would be an understatement.
Angel Wing Jasmine is very much apathetic on the whole wedding ceremony crapfest. She's not one to care for a traditional churchy event or even a backyard spectacle in front of a huge crowd. I very much believe that she wanted just the required witness to oversee a signing of the marriage license at City Hall.
But, as we all learned together, City Hall marriages are very much regular marriage ceremonies -- albeit without the prayers, kneeling and unkneeling, organ music, wedding party, nor anything else that resembles a regular wedding.
When MacArthur, Erico Suave, and I arrived at the Martinez City Hall, we found Angel Wing Jasmine holding a small bouquet, dressed in a new pair of blue jeans and a black sweater with hood. Coxsmith had on a blue button down shirt with boutonnière tucked into the front left pocket. Everyone else (the groom's and bride's families, the best man, me) were dressed formal-like.Angel Wing Jasmine did not enjoy the bouquet that was given to her. As her best friend, and by default her Made of Honor, I was tasked to hold onto the bouquet, which I believe I held longer than she.
Anyway, we went into the building, passed voter registration forms and testing centers, to a waiting room corner serving two wedding chambers. A wedding was currently in session, so we waited diligently. When the wedding ahead of us finished, the Judge popped out of Wedding Chamber A and led us into Wedding Chamber B. Inside were a few chairs and a podium. The Judge took his place behind the podium, CS and AWJ stood before him, and the guests occupied the chairs. But we were encouraged by the Judge to stand anywhere we wanted in order to take pictures, even offering to stand aside if we wanted to snap shots at the podium.
It was quite the ceremony; felt 100% improv'ed and unrehearsed. The happy couple could not keep a straight face during the entire occasion. I watched as they both flubbed their wedding vows. It was cute when AWJ crammed the wedding band on CS's left ring finger. A fly buzzing around their heads maintained the romantic mood. And when it was time to kiss the bride, AWJ faked CS out and allowed him a cheekside peck. We learned later that AWJ feels awkward kissing in front of her parents.
But really, it's refreshing to see such a barebones wedding. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy weddings that are spectacles. It just seems like the right thing to do, you know? It's a wedding, so socially speaking, it should be a huge grand event. But let's face it, weddings are frequently overly long and yawn-inducing. Here, even though the show wasn't flashy and big, you could see that what it came down to was that these two love each other and don't need a huge thing to prove it. Without making a huge deal, they just wanted to be husband and wife. It was quick, painless, and honestly, a hoot.
Next up: Angel Wing Jasmine dons a traditional garb... and hates it!
Relieved that AWJ is currently on her honeymoon because when she finds out I labeled her "The Bollywood Bride," she will murder me,
Ricky
