Staying married - The wedding!

Hi, I celebrated my first month anniversary of my wedding on last Thursday!!!!! So it is finally over and I’m well and truly married.

So pardon my tardiness in not posting for almost two months.

Let me briefly take you through what happened to keep me occupied:
January 21 2007 – I got engaged (finally!!!!) to Jennifer Immaculate Divia, to all those who came in late, we were friends, rivals and even enemies over the best part of a decade. Then in April last somehow we thought (not many else did) that we were made for each other. So after a long soap opera that may rival many of the current tear-jerkers on Sun TV for its twists, turns, tears and acrimonious scenes we ended at the thresh hold of wedlock.

So it happened (my engagement) in Hotel Abu palace in a hall called Coutrallam and after all the plates or trays bearing fruits and a whole lot of stuff (I actually had to go shopping for almost everything with mum) were exchanged my cousin (bless her) decided that she will use my face for her artistic experiments, so with her hand as a brush and my face the easel she proceeded to leave me totally like a jaundice patient after soaking me in turmeric! Apparently this is a form of blessing the couple!!!!!!

Anyway I got engaged on the eve of my wedding and the dinner was yet another memorable mishap. Somehow those morons at Abu place contrived to loose the menu that we chose three times and on that night we had food that was painfully bland. I suspect they messed up the menu yet again and since we were too busy to notice the poor guests had to endure it. Then those morons (Abu palace) overcharged us and got dad all worked up.

January 22 2007 – D day, Well even on the last day I was on my toes trying to get everything arranged. Somehow lot of loose ends were left to be tied up and so at the last moment I faced the following incomplete tasks :
The power point presentation that was scheduled for the reception was incomplete. JP my friend (actually one of the best gifts Divia gave me before the wedding was getting to be friends with JP her classmate from computer class) was working on it.
The decorator had screwed up badly as there was not a single rose to be seen among all the arrangements in church and he was not around to take my fury
My new suit for the reception was on the way from Bombay and it still did not reach me
I was still not done with the hair stylist.

So I ended up at the hair stylist by 1.30 (much later than I planned) and asked him to do the basic and let me free in an hour. However the stylist felt guilty for doing injustice to his job and proceeded to give me the full works and tied me to the seat till 3.20 and the wedding mass was to start at 4 PM. As I was about to leave one of the staff there proceeded to spray almost an entire can of some setting spray over my head. The spray got through the face mask that I was asked to wear and entered my nose. I ended up mighty sick on the way home and nearly fainted before I managed to change into my wedding suit. By 4PM somehow I managed to look presentable and very sick and after prayers and blessings from my folks got into the wedding car to church. Incidentally the car was a white Corolla, I remembered that dad had asked for a Lancer so mentally thanking the travel guy for the “upgrade” I proceeded to church.

If you have ever seen a bride coming on time from the beauty parlour, you would have been the privileged one to have seen a miracle, unfortunately the miracle passed me by. So after keeping His grace The Rt Rev Anthony Devotta (bishop of Trichy), Fr. Britto (Divia’s maternal uncle) the parish priest of St. Andrew’s Choolai, Fr. Bernard the parish priest of OL of health (Besant Nagar), Fr. Lawrence parish priest of Maduravoyal, our very own Fr. Michael Raj and two others whose name I don’t recollect waiting for the best part of 15 minutes the bride arrived! She was received at the car by my brother Daniel who offered her the bridal bouquet.

So as planned I was escorted by mum to my seat facing the altar, I had already planned to get the prenuptial blessing at the place instead of the entrance as that would give a neck ache to all the faithful seated inside trying to crane their neck behind to catch the action. Bust as with all best laid plans the Bishop proceeded to the entrance to greet the couple. After Divia’s uncle frantically gestured to me I had to run to the entrance again. After the blessing I again had to scoot to my seat and await my bride as she walked in like a princess with her dad in tow to the orchestral rendition of “Here comes the bride”. I had the privilege of getting the John Milns Chorale to sing for the wedding accompanied by a 15 piece orchestra.

The bridal procession comprised Divia looking great in blue (the colour theme for the wedding was blue and silver) escorted by her dad wearing a zebra striped tie. Her mum followed then came my best men, Daniel and David. The best men were scene stealers in their sherwanis of blue and gold with their respective brides maids. Daniel was paired with his fiancée Shobitha and David with Judith (Divia’s sis).
The mass duly started, with Fr. Michael doing the intro. Divia and I did the two readings. The big event (the nuptial) was handled by Divia’s uncle and so both of us said the great “I do”. Then I tied the thali and we exchanged the rings. So it was done. However as yet another best laid plans go, His grace fell from my good books forever when he deviated from the script handed to him so painfully printed by Divia and me and proceeded to cut two of the songs to be sung by John Milns C. I was so upset that I was not getting my money’s worth and mentally mumbling for divine intervention I put on along face.

My choir The Lukeharmonix also sang a few songs during the mass and they did a good job considering the way they practiced. My worst fears that they will pale before the John Milns C was unfounded as they held their own. Anyway the mass ended and Divia told me that I would have to give the vote of thanks as His grace was departing early. I did the needful and was told later that I did a decent job of it.

Then we went to my house where thankfully my friends managed to get the reception suit home in time. After hurriedly changing into my black and orange suit (you should see the snaps!) we rushed to Divia’s place where she changed into her reception saree which incidentally was of the “Fanta orange” colour. (Now you know how coordinated we were). So we entered the hall after drinking the customary milk (yuck!!!) and fruit. ……..

(The reception will follow)