Wedding Bells in Vegas Part II
Oct. 27 , 2006
4:00 PM. Back in the Bellagio hotel room, I quickly slip in my dress and put makeup on while L stands in front of the window looking at the Eiffel Tower at Casino Paris. Only about two more hours before she’s married off! T, the other bridesmaid arrives. It’s time to dress L. We definitely have a technical difficulty to put on the multi-layered wedding gown from the top and not to mess up the hairdo. Even with two people helping, it is not manageable. We make her take off the under gown so she can slip in the wedding gown from below. Voilà, that works! L then gets into the under gown which is also four layers in order to puff up the wedding dress. T kneels down and gets under L’s wedding gown to hook up the gazillion pins for the under gown. I snap a picture. This is a great moment. ;)
5:15 PM. We rush to the Bellagio garden for a few shots before the ceremony. Our speedy walk in the puffy gowns create wind wherever we pass. All across the casino floor, people stop, smile at L and say ‘good luck’. She strides with pride, like a little peacock showing off her plume.
5:40 PM. Last picture at the garden then off we go. We arrive at the Terrazza Di Sogno and take the elevator down to the lower level to hide away from the groom and guests. We wait anxiously. I must have checked on the ring ten times. I make T look at it again. It’s still there, nested safely inside the zipped pocket of my purse.
6:00 PM. The bouquets arrive, tulips in pink for the bride and yellow for the bridesmaids. L’s little cousin V comes with a basket full of white rose petals. I am burning with anxiety. I touch the ring again from outside my purse just to make sure, one more time.
6:20 PM. Sara’s here. It is my turn to go upstairs. L tells Sara her dad steps on her gown when they walk side by side. Sara says “You need to kick it so the dress goes forward”. “OK. Kick it…” L sticks out her leg and kicks the dress knee high. The gown flips outward in the air. “Not THAT high.” Sara corrects L immediately. We burst out laughing and follow Sara into the elevator. As the door slowly closes in front of me, I take a last look at L. She stands closely by her dad, peaceful like the night I stayed in the Sahara. Only her eyes betray her nervousness.
6:35 PM. “Slow, slow, slow.” I talk to myself silently as I step out… I smile to the familiar faces and wink at Mike. At the stairway leading down to the altar, I try walking down w/o lowering my head.” Someone is right in front of me holding a camera-like gadget (video man later I figure), he’s blocking my way. At the last three steps down, I feel slightly disoriented so I decide to finally look down. There, I make it to my designated spot. V comes right after me. The poor thing is so nervous. She forgets to toss any petals at all until she passes all the guests and comes around to the stairway. I motion and “yell” to her in my lowest possible voice, “Petals, V!” She looks at me and T and wakes up to pick one petal and toss it, and another. A few chuckles come out from the groom’s side. By the time V moves to the front of the terrace between T and me, she still has a basket full of petals. T and I each grab a palmful and toss them towards where the altar is supposed to be.
6:45 PM. Here comes the bride. The music starts. All I can see are people standing towards the gate of the terrace above. I turn to CF, the groom. He looks really serious. I wonder what’s in his head right now. What a lucky man he is to have L! L finally appears at the corner of the stairway. She looks like a princess. When her dad passes her hand into CF’s hand, they freeze in a hand-shaking pose. It must be nerve-racking since they both seem not to know what to do with their other hand. The kind minister says to CF, “You can hold this hand of hers” and places L’s left hand into his palm. They are exchanging the most simple vows. On several occasions, CF pauses and looks at the minister bewildered, as if he has not caught what the minister said. My heart races up to my throat. Then CF slowly completes the sentence. Through the veil that is flowing in the evening breeze, I can sense that L is crying. My eyes start to get moist.
6:59 PM maybe? “You may kiss the bride.” The minister announces. The moment CF kisses his new bride, a big bang comes from the water below the terrace, accompanied by the fountain exploding into the sky. The sultry voice of Frank Sinatra is in the air. What could be more perfect! Our cheers are subdued by the sound of the water and Frank Sinatra. Nestled in each other’s arms, L and CF turn towards the fountain show perfectly “designed” for them. Their silhouette is sketched in the background of brightly-lit Eiffel Tower and the emerging water shooting sky high.
4:00 PM. Back in the Bellagio hotel room, I quickly slip in my dress and put makeup on while L stands in front of the window looking at the Eiffel Tower at Casino Paris. Only about two more hours before she’s married off! T, the other bridesmaid arrives. It’s time to dress L. We definitely have a technical difficulty to put on the multi-layered wedding gown from the top and not to mess up the hairdo. Even with two people helping, it is not manageable. We make her take off the under gown so she can slip in the wedding gown from below. Voilà, that works! L then gets into the under gown which is also four layers in order to puff up the wedding dress. T kneels down and gets under L’s wedding gown to hook up the gazillion pins for the under gown. I snap a picture. This is a great moment. ;)
5:15 PM. We rush to the Bellagio garden for a few shots before the ceremony. Our speedy walk in the puffy gowns create wind wherever we pass. All across the casino floor, people stop, smile at L and say ‘good luck’. She strides with pride, like a little peacock showing off her plume.
5:40 PM. Last picture at the garden then off we go. We arrive at the Terrazza Di Sogno and take the elevator down to the lower level to hide away from the groom and guests. We wait anxiously. I must have checked on the ring ten times. I make T look at it again. It’s still there, nested safely inside the zipped pocket of my purse.
6:00 PM. The bouquets arrive, tulips in pink for the bride and yellow for the bridesmaids. L’s little cousin V comes with a basket full of white rose petals. I am burning with anxiety. I touch the ring again from outside my purse just to make sure, one more time.
6:20 PM. Sara’s here. It is my turn to go upstairs. L tells Sara her dad steps on her gown when they walk side by side. Sara says “You need to kick it so the dress goes forward”. “OK. Kick it…” L sticks out her leg and kicks the dress knee high. The gown flips outward in the air. “Not THAT high.” Sara corrects L immediately. We burst out laughing and follow Sara into the elevator. As the door slowly closes in front of me, I take a last look at L. She stands closely by her dad, peaceful like the night I stayed in the Sahara. Only her eyes betray her nervousness.
6:35 PM. “Slow, slow, slow.” I talk to myself silently as I step out… I smile to the familiar faces and wink at Mike. At the stairway leading down to the altar, I try walking down w/o lowering my head.” Someone is right in front of me holding a camera-like gadget (video man later I figure), he’s blocking my way. At the last three steps down, I feel slightly disoriented so I decide to finally look down. There, I make it to my designated spot. V comes right after me. The poor thing is so nervous. She forgets to toss any petals at all until she passes all the guests and comes around to the stairway. I motion and “yell” to her in my lowest possible voice, “Petals, V!” She looks at me and T and wakes up to pick one petal and toss it, and another. A few chuckles come out from the groom’s side. By the time V moves to the front of the terrace between T and me, she still has a basket full of petals. T and I each grab a palmful and toss them towards where the altar is supposed to be.
6:45 PM. Here comes the bride. The music starts. All I can see are people standing towards the gate of the terrace above. I turn to CF, the groom. He looks really serious. I wonder what’s in his head right now. What a lucky man he is to have L! L finally appears at the corner of the stairway. She looks like a princess. When her dad passes her hand into CF’s hand, they freeze in a hand-shaking pose. It must be nerve-racking since they both seem not to know what to do with their other hand. The kind minister says to CF, “You can hold this hand of hers” and places L’s left hand into his palm. They are exchanging the most simple vows. On several occasions, CF pauses and looks at the minister bewildered, as if he has not caught what the minister said. My heart races up to my throat. Then CF slowly completes the sentence. Through the veil that is flowing in the evening breeze, I can sense that L is crying. My eyes start to get moist.
6:59 PM maybe? “You may kiss the bride.” The minister announces. The moment CF kisses his new bride, a big bang comes from the water below the terrace, accompanied by the fountain exploding into the sky. The sultry voice of Frank Sinatra is in the air. What could be more perfect! Our cheers are subdued by the sound of the water and Frank Sinatra. Nestled in each other’s arms, L and CF turn towards the fountain show perfectly “designed” for them. Their silhouette is sketched in the background of brightly-lit Eiffel Tower and the emerging water shooting sky high.
posted by Koshka at 10/30/2006
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