As you know, I hang out with the greatest group of gals, Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot and Shirley or the Women Who Run With the Moose as we call ourselves. Heck, we’ve been close since even before Charlie and me started dating, so that goes back a ways.
We’ve gone through good times and bad together, and I’ve still got the bridesmaids dresses to prove it. If you were in any doubt, bridesmaids dresses attest to the fact that one style is not flattering on all body types, and there are some colors you should never wear, ever. Trust me.
I got around that by dressing my bridesmaids in different color pastels. Let’s see, Celeste was in peach. Rita, with her sunny disposition, wore yellow. Dot was in seafoam green. Betty was pretty in pink. And Shirley sported the deepest shade of violet I could find. Because let’s face it: some folks are not really pastel people. My sister, Irene, was the maid of honor. She had on the prettiest periwinkle blue. Matched her eyes. Leave it to my mother to find the most gorgeous light coral colored dress. Stunning! And Simone, my mother-in-law, wore dusty rose. Let me tell you, it was a feast for the eyes. “Somewhere, over the rainbow…”
Back when Charlie and me got married, folks didn’t do different style dresses on every bridesmaid. I was already pushing the envelope with the multiple colors. So, style-wise, I tried to find something that was middle of the road. You know, not too hideous on anyone. Hard though, as Shirley tops out just shy of six feet, and Rita is shorter than me. That’s short.
Betty hosted the bridal shower, so you know it was picture perfect because Betty was giving Martha Stewart a run for her money before Martha was “Martha.” All the decorations were pastel, you know, to match the bridesmaid’s dresses and everyone wore pastels to the event. Not the guys, of course. This was before the Jack and Jill shower thing. There were pastel colored cupcakes and party favors, of course.
The girls chipped in and bought me the most beautiful lacy negligee and robe in the lightest shade of pink. I mean, just a whisper of color. The ensemble hardly left anything to the imagination (though Charlie’s always had a pretty good imagination). I can still remember the look on his face when he saw me in that lacy confection on our wedding night. Over the rainbow, indeed!
Our reception was held down to the Fish and Game, over there on Duck Pond Road. One of my favorite wedding memories is of me and the girls spending the day before spiffing up the place. Boy, did it ever need a good cleaning, but everyone rolled up their sleeves and pitched in. Then, we got down to business. Betty was in charge, or course, so the place was decorated to within an inch of its life with crepe paper, balloons, streamers. We even gussied up the animal heads on the walls. They never did get the lipstick and mascara off a couple of them bucks. Can’t remember whose idea that was. Let’s just say we were inspired after having pizza and cheap champagne for lunch. Continuing a tradition that has only grown stronger with age, at least one of us got laughing so hard, we pee’d our pants. No need to name names. God, what a great group of gals!
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: Bridesmaids
This Week
February 14 & 15: Love Lessons, The Footlights Theatre, 2:00pm, Falmouth, ME
Upcoming Shows
February 21: Down to the A&P, Franklin Opera House, 7:00pm, Franklin, NH
March 28: Once We Were Four, New Hampshire Theatre Project, 4:00pm, Portsmouth, NH
April 26: Down to the A&P, The Dance Hall, 2:00pm, Kittery, ME