Double-Booked

I was double-booked this weekend.

A 3-day Indian Sikh wedding which I had to compromise on so I could make it to a friend's post-engagement prenup girlie slumber party as well. (Not hen night.)


Day One: Friday - the evening of the mehndi (henna hand painting)

I had been working with the landlord, but was called away in the afternoon to provide some overlooked details for my bank.
While I was out I remembered I needed to buy a wedding card and some cakes for the party so made it back later than anticipated, wiped out from the errands in town and dreading the lack of rest I'd be having this weekend.

I could not go to the mehndi thingy; as it was, I was up packing (and being distracted by much-need tidying) until 5am. I took the outfit I'd wear to the wedding reception on Sunday.


Day Two: Saturday - Another wedding-related ceremony overtaken by the girlie party.

Woke up at 11.30 and faffed about forgetting what I needed, and left behind my jewellery for the reception as well as my toothbrush.

I got on the train to Reading to meet up with fellow P27/former fellow 20six bloggers Diva and Nags. Amy came down from Norwich and - after a stop off to giant Tesco to pick up cake decorating supplies - Nags dropped us off in Guildford at Sunny's place. He went back home to have a boys' night in with the dog and the bear.

Sunny's roommate and a few girl friends were there. The lights were low and the house was filled with tealights and chilled music.

We had spaghetti bolognese for dinner and then got to work like a sweet factory. Where is Willie Wonka when you need him? There were already cakes and cookies galore, and then we proceeded to make marshmallow kebabs dipped in white or milk chocolate, embellished with all the pretty sprinkles and icing flowers.

Soon the girls were gone and Diva, Amy and I were left to pump up the airbeds and arrange ourselves on Sunny's floor. All four of us. Needless to say, not much sleeping was done. We laughed so much teasing Amy about drawing on her when she fell asleep, we went hoarse. It provided for a heated debate in the morning as to who did the most throat-clearing afterwards.

I was half-asleep at this point and not joining in, but I could hear them and so I laughed too, although at this point the entire conversation is a bit surreal. It went a little like this, though:

Sunny: Amy, are you a heavy sleeper?
Amy: It depends, why?
Sunny: Diva, could you reach in that box and get a permanent marker? We can draw on her when she falls asleep.
Amy: Oh, you're so meeeeannnn...
Diva brainstorms various facial designs followed by peals of laughter.
Sunny gets up to go to the loo: While I'm up, just gonna get the marker in the kitchen...
Amy: Right that's it...you're not on my Christmas card list anymore and I'm taking you both off my phone...
Sunny: Amy, do you sleep with your mouth open?
Amy groans.
Diva: I could take care of a couple of teeth then...[pause] Or I could paint your lips and eyes black and you could be a negative Golliwog.

(That one slayed me!)

Sunday: Wedding day

We were up at 9am, which is when the first wedding procession began.
A hearty egg, toast, sausage, and bacon breakfast provided by the matchless Sunny.

I dressed for the reception; meantime the wedding ceremony proper was taking place.
Nags came back from Reading and we all piled into the car but they dropped me off at the station so I could go straight to London.

I missed the first hour of the reception, but the starters were still out when I got there and the bride and groom were undergoing the gruelling family photography process.

I sought out the bride's father's school chum, whom I'd met at the engagement. This time he brought his wife and two boys - they live in Spain now - and we had a nice time eating, chatting, and they showed me photos from the ceremony the day before.

Main courses came around. As with the starters, bountiful platters were placed on a Lazy Susan, some underheated by a tealight.
We were entertained by traditional dancers and some bhangra drummers (?), so I took videos.

Five minutes before leaving, it suddenly hit me that Jasmine was now married, and I remember her when she was little, and I got emotional and nearly cried when I hugged her.

I went home, skipping the part of the evening when the women return to the house, and the groom and the men come to officially take the bride from her parents' house.

I needed to rest up for my first day at work tomorrow...I've just put my suit out.

Pics and videos will materialise on this page as the week progresses, and I find how my time goes in the evening.

*yawn* nite nite people...