Jeremy Grey: John? I need to see you right away. It's important.
John Beckwith: [Walking into Jeremy's office] What's going on?
Jeremy Grey: [sighs] We got three big weeks ahead of us. It's wedding season, kid!
John Beckwith: You sandbaggin' son of a b----!
Jeremy Grey: I've got us down for 17 of them already.
You may recognize that exchange from the comedy “Wedding Crashers.” While my name is John or Jeremy, I haven’t been crashing weddings this summer, and it hasn't quite been 17 weddings, I have felt like my summer is a whole lot like the montage of the two friends crashing a slew of different weddings.
This summer has been, indeed, “wedding season, kid!” Between Laura’s friends and mine, our official count of weddings attended over the past four months may very well have topped double digits. While weddings are, certainly, joyous occasions, and the receptions are typically a lot of fun, that’s just a whole lot weddings to attend, a lot of gifts to buy, and a lot of awkward conversations with people you know, but not really, but just well enough to feel obligated into that awkward semi-conversation. I know you know what I’m talking about.
The positives have been great, though. I’ve seen a bunch of my friends marry really great girls they are very in love with. I know the statistics about lasting marriages aren’t great, but I’d be truly surprised if any of them boosted that statistic. One of my favorite things to do at my male friends’ weddings is to buck tradition and keep my eyes trained on the groom when the bride is revealed. I love to see that look in his eye when he sees her for the first time. Without fail, it’s the happiest I’ve seen him in all the years I’ve known him.
I’ve had the opportunity to see friends that have moved to other parts of the country, get out and dance a little bit, even though not too many people would qualify what I do as “dancing,” and spend some really fun evenings with my fiancé. Each wedding we go to brings us closer to our own, and each one hits a little closer to home as our date rapidly approaches.
I can’t wait until all my friends have to return the favor and buy me a gift!!
