What Not To Wear

If there is one thing I talk about on my blog as much as appliances, it is fashion, don't you think? A while back I gave you my fall fashion preview and I really hope that you have embraced your inner diva and are workin' the Dances With Wolves Outfit. Speaking of that particular look I donned this neon headpiece at Montrose Day a couple of weekends ago and had several people tell me I looked like an Indian princess. Please feel free to now call me Princess MoonPie. :)

Anyway, these past few months have just been full of fashion opportunities. I actually had quite the experience with my class reunion. I ended up buying 3 dresses because I couldn't decide on one. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Not only did I buy 3 dresses, but I also managed to go off and leave ALL 3 dresses at home, six hours away from the reunion location. Yes, I really did. So, in all actuality, I ended up with 4 reunion dresses. I planned to take 2 of the dresses back, but I had already decided one that I wanted to keep for an upcoming wedding. That is where this blog comes in.

Months ago one of Josh's friends had asked him to perform his wedding ceremony. I have to say here that many times people who are in ministry will tell you how hard it is and bemoan the trials and situations you encounter. I've done it plenty myself. But truly, I consider it one of the greatest privileges of my life that people trust Josh and I to be a part of their lives. Whether it is praying with them through sickness, counseling through marital problems or ministering during the loss of a loved one, it means the world to me that people allow Josh and I to be a part of that time in their life. And, this being Josh's second wedding I realized that it is really exciting to be a part of this experience in someone's life. That being said, what I'm trying to say is that we were really looking forward to this! Josh had sent Mike an e-mail discussing different ceremonies and such like that. Of course he also had to ask the all important question-"What should I wear?" Really, is there a more important question? :) Mike sent this response. (It may or may not be illegal for me to reprint an e-mail that doesn't belong to me. My uncontrollable urge to include this e-mail in my blog is over ruling any sense I have. I'm claiming spousal privilege.) Here is his response:

"Josh ceremony #1 is the one.Also wear what ever you would like,were not pickey heck one guy I work with lost a bet and is wearing overalls and straw hat. I'm wearing a tux with a camo vest and tie and the guys are wearing white fishing shirts and khaki pants with deck shoes.So I gess what i'm trying to say is it is a informal wedding.Thanks again Josh and if you need anything call."

Surely you understand that since Josh received that e-mail a month ago it has been killing me to tell you about it!!! Really, it made me laugh everyday for a good six or seven days. And you would have to know this groom. I love him. I can't hear a Kenny Chesney song and not think of him. He really is just that laid back. I immediately started reconsidering my dress and wishing I still had my BONGO overalls from 7th grade. (Because I would SO fit in my clothes from 7th grade. NOT!!!) With our reunion the restaurant had called their dress code "resort casual". I named the dress code for this special occasion "camo formal". I really could not wait for this event.

We got to the rehearsal a good hour before everybody else. I still can't believe it. I will say that Josh is good about being on time for weddings. I think he got to ours like 5 hours early. :) Luckily, there was an arcade in the hotel lobby.

I would like to do a little plug for my hubby here. This is Rev. Joshua "Scooter" Fidler. He is available to perform weddings, especially ones at beautiful beach locations. He accepts arcade tokens and 20 oz. Pepsi's as compensation. :)

We were way early and the bride and groom were a tad bit late. For a while I knew no one there and hung out at a picnic table updating my Facebook on Josh's phone. I was totally THAT person. Eventually the wedding party got there and it turned out that one of the groomsman was married to a girl I used to take dance with. We got to catch up during the rehearsal and that was fun. I also later found out that her husband lived across the street from me during my middle and high school years. Wow. I was apparently the worst neighbor ever. He said he used to see me and I know Josh and I both shared the same concern that what he meant was that he used to see us smoochin' in the driveway. Not that we did such things... :)

Soon it was time for us to go eat and I was very ready! We learned that somehow one of the groomsmen had made his way to Winn-Dixie and needed a ride from there to the dinner. I am still at a total loss at how he made it to that store in the time he did. Anyway, I mistakenly heard him say he was getting bail money for his roomate when we picked him up. He really said he was getting "bill money" but I did not know that until the next day so I spent the whole time wondering if we would eventually be making a run to the county jail or something. All I could think was that only Josh and I would be driving the wedding party around to post bail for somebody. :)

They had the dinner outside at a park on the Navy base. It was amazing. I have a picture of the food, but I'm a dork and didn't upload it in the right place. Anyway, I ate shrimp with the heads still on and gator tail. I don't think Josh has ever been so proud of me. He had to tell his friend how far I've come. Can I just tell you there is no ladylike way to eat gator tail. That is the chewiest stuff. I finally just had to pick it up and gnaw on it. For real. They also had grouper grilled in bacon and I think Josh told every living soul we saw for the next 3 days about it. It was really that good. After dinner we visited and then I left the boys to talk. It was completely rude and anti-social of me, but there was a swing overlooking the water and I just couldn't pass it up. The sun had just set and there was a breeze blowing. I could have sat there for hours. The groom had already gotten his wedding gift by mistake. It was a lifetime hunting and fishing license. So, he went ahead and gave the bride hers. He told us it was something she had wanted for a long time. I started mentally examing the box. It was big. There are always 4 things you can't go wrong with for me. 1. Clothes 2. Purses 3. Perfume 4. Furniture. Well, it was a bow. To hunt with. I had to smile. Mike really found his soul mate. So sweet!

I couldn't wait for the wedding to see everybody dressed up and to find out if the overalls and fishing shirts were for real. Josh wanted me to wear my dress from the reunion, but I couldn't for two reasons. 1. I had just worn it and had pictures in it a month ago and 2. I still had 2 other new dresses to wear!! Well, you will not believe this. The bridesmaid dresses looked almost exactly like my reunion dress!!! Here is a pic from the reunion with my friend's Beth and Pao. I have known them since elementary school and I was missing them this weekend as Mike and Josh shared stories about their friendship that started in 4th grade. There is just something about the friends who rode bikes and took spelling tests with you. I hate that I did not get a pic of one of the bridesmaids to show you, but I did not know any of them and I didn't think it would be appropriate to approach them and say "Can I take your pic for my blog?"

Man I'm glad I didn't wear that dress!! How embarrassing would that have been? I had been asking Josh to find out what the colors were, but he kept forgetting. He was always more concerned with stuff like the marriage license and the ceremony they wanted to use. Silly preacher boy!! :)
Josh and I in my non-bridesmaid matching dress.

Here is the food from the rehearsal dinner.

Josh and Mike in his camo vest and tie. It looked really sharp. Josh really does have a face I am just photographically challenged and do not know how to take pics when the sun is facing me.

The bride and groom had let Josh know that they wanted the ceremony short and sweet. It was. They played the Adam Sandler song "Grow Old with You" during the pouring of the unity sand. I had never seen that done before it was really cool. Instead of a candle they poured two different colors of sand into a jar. The dj also played "I Feel Good" right after Mike and Heather walked down the aisle. So cute! It was definitely a fun wedding. And in case you were wondering....

There really was a guy who lost a bet and came in overalls.

And, although I wouldn't do it with the bridesmaids I totally went up to him and asked to take his picture. I started by introducing myself as the preacher's wife and he was probably concerned I was going to give him a full gospel presentation or lecture him on the seriousness of marital vows. Probably if I were a good preacher's wife I would have. But not me. I asked to take his picture. It cracked me up! Oh yea, did I also tell you he brought a portable TV to watch the Alabama game. I know some of my blogging buddies will appreciate that. :)

So what can we learn from this blog today? Probably not much. What did I learn from this experience? It's not what you wear, it's how you wear it! I love people who are okay just being themselves. Camo vest, fishing shirts, overalls and all.