The Best Wedding Ever

Before you start reading this hoping for the usual stories laden with vulgarities and hilarity, I've to warn you that isn't like the others. This is my going to be an emotional read, for me at least. If you have no affinity for sentimental symposiums, you might want to skip this till the end where booze finally comes into the equation. Hey, everything should be about me anyway.

My sis is one of the dearest person to me, she's family and my best friend. We've a terribly notorious track history together, and if you should ever date me, its something my mum will ALWAYS recount. Yea, its like her proudest moment when she travelled back from work to beat the crap out of us because we were fighting, or that time she smeared chilli on our mouths for playing with her chilli plant. I just love my mum, wouldn't you?

Since I had to be up at 8am, I gave up my supposed plan to drink at O Bar on Friday night. I'm not exactly proud of myself for doing that, but my sis and her wedding day is too important for me to get drunk and ruin. Even I have a sense of responsibility, alot of it is due to my mum's incessant nagging.

In the morning, the sky told a different tale. Like a defiance to the prays for good weather, the air still lingered with the smell of the rain's aftermath, and looked threateningly like it was going to pour again. The air was chilled, almost perfect for a morning sleep in, which on any other given day is all I'll ask for. Then it started drizzling.. I stumbled out of bed into the bathroom for a shower, whilst the voices of the brides-maids rang in the other room.

I had to be at the church by 10am, because by tradition, I had to be there to open the car door for Nig, my soon to be brother-in-law. Which meant that I had to leave my place at 9.30 latest.

9.20am: One of the bridesmaid that's supposed to pick me up is still not here.

9.25am: No sign of her, and the others are getting worried.

9.27am: She calls to say that she'll be here in 15mins, they needed to stop to top up fuel.

9.30am: My sis gets stress on hearing that. No good for EVERYONE.

9.35am: Nig calls and I tell him the predicament. He is not pleased to hear that either. Both the bride and groom are stressed, NOT.GOOD.

9.45am: Suyin and Ying the other two bridesmaids decide to drive me there instead. Everyone is slightly relieved. I however, remain inured to the tension thats looming.

When I finally get there, the pure grandeur of the place, made everything wonderful again. The isle was beautifully laced with flowers, and everything just everything was going to turn out perfect, I knew it.

An hour later, the guests trickled in and took their seats on both sides of the altar. Amidst the receptioning and miggling with relatives, I continued rehearsing the lithurgy that I had to give. Yet this speech was nothing compared to the anticipation of watching my dad walk my sis down the isle.

Then the music cued, Bob Carisle's 'Butterfly Kisses' echoed through the halls. Out came the paige boy and the first of the bridemaids and groomsmen. Three other pairs followed before the maid of honour comes in. I stretched myself to look beyond her for my sis.

Then there she stood at the doorway, the morning sun cast behind her as the rays glimmered down. She looked beautifully, like an angel in the church finding her way to the altar. My dad stood there proudly with her, gently guiding her walk down. Suddenly, I felt something tugged me at the heart. I looked to my mum who was already tearing and immediately related to this emotion she felt. It wasn't sadness nor was it entirely happiness. It was seeing someone whom you've seen through the years mature and finally ready to move on. I'm going to cry buckets when my daughter gets married.

I can't believe my sis is finally married, it almost felt like yesterday that we were still playing dolls together, pouring powder on floor to make it a skating ring and getting our asses whooped for it, crying over dinner as kids cos we hated bitter gourd, kneeling down and falling asleep on her shoulder during punishment... it all flooded back in. My sweetest memories of my sis, the greatest gift God ever gave me growing up. And I thank him for it.

And now she's given to someone else. Nig is the best brother in law I could have hoped for, and I know he'll cherish her for all the days of his life to come. Well, it's the marriage vows ain't it?

"What God has joined, men must not seperate"

The Wedding Dinner.

Its been awhile, but for once the free liqour at weddings is not the main highlight of my night. My glass hasn't been tainted with the juice, yet. For now, I'm content with the sparkling water and lemon, until my drinking duties are called upon to ensure Nig survives the night.

A photo montage plays again of the couple and their years growing up. It was beautiful, staring into the screen to the familiar face of my sis, the one I remembered so affectionately growing up. Between you, me and the 200 that reads this blog, something stirred in me again, and my eyes filled as the photo montage played on. No, I didn't cry, but somehow or another I was very emotional about the whole thing, maybe it was the accompanying music, maybe it was the nostalgia of it, but something about it was so magically touching.

When dinner got off, I started running between tables to where Blaque and Huixx were, before my mum dragged me off to parade me to her friends. Its always the same things people tell me.

1. "Ohh so big boy already! The last time I saw you, you were still a little boy running around."
2. "Wah, funky hair ah! Dad allows you to keep such a hair?"
3. "Handsome boy! Look like your Dad."
4. "Your son ah? He looks like a Japanese."

And the ALL TIME favourite...

5. "So when is your turn to get married?"

For the entire day, I've had at least 40 people asking me this. These were some of template answers I gave.

1. "Not so soon, I want you to start saving up first."
2. "I already did, weren't you invited?!"
3. "Soon, the mail order bride should be arriving soon, its hard smuggling these refugees over."
4. "Do you have anyone to introduce to me?"

p.s: One lady actually wanted to introduce her daughters to me, my mum told her to send the resume for vetting.

The rounds were alot less demanding than I had anticipated. There were basically only two tables that required drinking and the only arsenal they had were wine and beer, which made this a farcical challenge for me. I took glasses full of wine like it was communion, and dared the guys to measure up.

By the time the dinner ended, the last mint savoured and the guest streamed off, it was evident from the ungodly gathering of their friends that this party was just facing a temporal and spacial adjournment. The night was still at its infancy, growing up is always fun.

The whole group poured over to Zouk, courtesy of Hideki, they got the private lounge overlooking the main floor. Then the devil's incarnations manifested, and I beemed with delight. 1 bottle Martell, 1 bottle Vodka, 1 bottle Black Label, 1 bottle Moet.. in between jugs of beers and trays of SOTB.

We toasted the couple in the best way our alcohol induced brains could, rowdy merry making. Zeekay came over for awhile, Huixx brought along a female friend.. and I lost count of how many people I met, drank with and forgot the name shortly after. Thats me, with enough juice in me to make friends with lamp-posts.

Strangely, that night was also the FIRST time I actually rejected drinks in a LONG LONG time. I'm beginning to develop a consideration for my health and liver, and also because the last thing I wanted was to flat out before the party ended. Plus, there were some good looking girls there, and I don't really want to be hitting on someone else's girlfriend, its happened before. Not that I really care, but for a day blessed by God, the last thing I need is to do something really stupid.