Our Wedding
It took a very long time. Master asked me after both our divorces were final, if I would marry him. I have to say it was a memorable proposal. I was in the bathroom, yes using it; Master was in the bedroom sitting on the bed. He said “So do you want to marry me?” I made all these noise because I couldn’t believe this was the moment he was asking me. From the other room, in response to my noises, Master said “Never mind.” Oh crap…not even funny! I got off the toilet, flushed it and dashed into the bedroom. I then straddled Master’s lap, pushed him back on the bed and told him “He wasn’t getting out of it that easy.”
There we had it, we were going to get married. That was the easy part…but then life got in the way. Yes we could have gone down to the court house the next day and done it. It wasn’t really what I wanted. The first time I got married it was a rushed deal, went to Vegas with my parents, my in-laws and two friends. I didn’t have a “real” wedding dress. My parents and friends did the best they could but it wasn’t what a girl dreams of for sure.
That road that took me from here to there…I wanted the special moment. I wanted to share it with my kids and with my friends. I wanted the moments I didn’t get the first time. Then life happened. Isn’t that always the way it goes, man makes plans and God laughs. Our financial situation went in the toilet, couldn’t afford the wedding, even a small version. Master and I’s relationship suffered from the stress. Then finally the job came in Las Vegas and we moved. Of course all the guests I wanted to be with us were all back in Arizona. Finally we could afford to do it but then we couldn’t have all the people I wanted. We set about starting to plan to come home to Arizona and have our wedding in a friend’s backyard. Did you hear God laugh that time? Yeah me either, until later, LOL.
While I was slowly but surely collecting the stuff for the wedding back in Arizona, Master changed jobs. He submitted all his paperwork and we ran into an issue. In order for my daughter and I to be covered on his insurance, they wanted that piece of paper that said we were man and wife. We were faced with a choice, get the paper or don’t have medical coverage on the kid and I. At the time it seemed a bad idea since I was having some medical issues. On the flip side Master and I didn’t feel the need for the paper. We had been living as man and wife for a very long time, longer than most marriages last for that matter. In the end after much discussion between Master and I, he let me have the wedding I wanted, I just needed to pull it off in very quick order, in just 3 weeks total.
Like any good planner nut, I went into overdrive. I invited all out friends to come to Vegas, and made sure my oldest Daughter could get the time out of school and work to come up from Tucson too. Master found us wedding rings that we both liked and could afford. I had already purchased some very nice glasses for our toast, 5 years before. But one of the flutes was broken! I had to track down the company and send the glasses back to them for repair. With shipping I think it cost me more to have it fixed than it did when I purchased them but they were special and those are the ones I wanted. I found a chapel, made the reservations, did the flowers. We found the restaurant to get where we ordered the food. While doing all that I also spent every waking moment making my own wedding dress. I have never been so grateful for my sewing skills, I have never been so glad I tend to get and keep stuff, LOL. I had purchased many years before fabric that I wanted to use for my wedding dress some day. That was exactly what I did, with the purchase of a few more items I was able to make my entire dress. I also found dresses for both my daughters to wear as well.
I could never have pulled all this off without the help of Master and my youngest daughter who picked up all the slack while I worked on the wedding. And the day would never have been what it was without the company of our friends who came to Vegas to be with us. Not everyone could make it with jobs and other commitments but damn a bunch of them did. With Master and I, there were 12 people. I couldn’t believe all these folks got in cars, and drove up from Phoenix and Tucson, taking time off, spending money…what a bunch of sweethearts! They all helped on the big day, my daughters looked beautiful, and hell I looked beautiful! Master looked wonderful in his kilt standing with Mark next to him in his kilt too.
As you all know weddings are something of a big industry in Vegas. Ours was no different for all its humble speed of taking place. We had to line up and wait because everyone was running a bit late. When we finally got there and they played the music I brought with me, and Master turned to look at me, it was all worth it. All the ups and downs, the broke and flush, the bitterness of life lessons and all the joy. It was all that in the moment. We had your standard service, and Master and I said our I do’s with great joy. I think our minister was the fastest speaking man unless you count the guy who used to do the federal express commercials. It was fast! It was done, we were married. We signed the paper and it was official. Our friends waited for us outside to greet the new man and wife, and in a very romantic moment, Master twirled me under his arm, like this great dance move, it was perfect!
After the ceremony, in a small chapel on the south end of the strip, we went back to the house, while the kids ran to pick up the food. Back at the house we ate great food, had our cake that I made too, a favorite chocolate cake, we took pictures and shared this special day with those we loved. Then all our guests went out on the town to celebrate, while we stayed home and had our first dance in our kitchen. I heard later just how wild and crazy their night turned out to be and I am a little sorry I missed it but oh dear god I was tired!! LOL After 3 weeks of working like a beast I was ready to sleep and take a breath. To enjoy the moment when we finally got our piece of paper and made official what we had been living a very long time.
It wasn’t the wedding I had planned for years to have but in the end it was the wedding I am thrilled I got. As our anniversary approaches again in 2009, I am just as thrilled I am hearing loving this man and being his wife. This was the life I always wanted and never thought I would get. Thankfully, it was all I dreamed it would be and could be and yet it still is filled with mystery and wonder too. Love is such a fun adventure.
Dragons of a Fallen Sun
(Dragonlance: The War of Souls, Volume I) by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
“She remained when the others had gone, and the two of them were alone together. Alone together. Medan pondered that phrase. It was all two people could ever be to each other, he supposed. Alone. Together. For the dreams and secrets of our heart may be spoken but words are poor handmaidens. Words can never full say what we want them to say, for they fumble, stammer and break the best porcelain. The best one can hope for is to find along the way someone to share the path, content to walk in silence, for the heart communes best with it does not try to speak.”
I love this quote. I read it the same day Master asked me to marry him, and for me it put in all in focus. After all it will be that is what life is and in the end or the beginning, it is us together with no words for the foundations for all our love.