Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. I have been in a funk these past few weeks. My birthday came and went and I’m glad that it did. Over the years, I’ve grown to despise my birthday. I know I should be grateful, etc., but for me, it always reminded me of my short comings. I wish I could tell you my trip to Italy was all rainbows and sunshine, but it wasn’t. I’ve been gloomy since I came back and once my birthday month came into effect, forget about it. I just wanted to be left alone.
For the most part, I HATE being around people when do I get this way. I always felt that my moodiness is something that I should deal with personally, and do not need an audience to witness my internal drama. I had some outings to go to once I got back, and that made some of my mood swings dwindle down, but as they say, too much of a good thing can do more harm. I needed some time to myself and finally had some last weekend when I stayed in and did absolutely nothing but to enjoy my own apartment. I sometimes miss my place a lot.
Back to recapping where I left off on my best friend’s wedding.
We pulled into the wedding venue of Peppe Zullo. It was breathtaking! Gorgeous hills surrounded by white fluffy clouds! We made our way to the crowd gathering afar and realized we probably weren’t going to get a seat. Luckily someone gave up their seat so me and my friend could sit together. Our makeup artist friend ran off to find the bride. I was relieved we were finally at this point. I couldn’t help but think about the past 20 years I’ve known my friend. I felt so proud of her! She was marrying a wonderful man in front of all of these people that flew in from all over! It was pretty surreal.
Next thing you know, we heard the wedding music play on the speakers. Here comes the bride! She looked beautiful! I don’t think she was aware of all of the camera phones recording her. She ended up whispering something to us but it was all caught on video! Oh well. What can you do?
The ceremony was moving along when the wedding coordinator came up to us and lead us to a line of people. I was under the impression we were going to give our mini speeches during dinner but apparently it was happening now. I was so nervous! I hated the fact I had to speak on a microphone. My friend was ahead of me, and sure enough, when it was her turn, she started to cry. GREAT. Now I’m going to shed some tears. I did manage to get it together but my voice was very shaky. I had to stop for a second so I could regain my composure. That was one of the most truthful moments I had ever encountered. Telling my best friend in front of a crowd, how much I loved her. I wish people could do this more often to one another.
Once the ceremony was over, the bride and groom got bombarded with people coming up to congratulate them. I decided to go for a drink. Light bites and cocktails were being served in one of the kitchens. We enjoyed some delicious appetizers. Eventually the couple came out and started dancing to the band. It was the start of the party and everyone was having a good time.
We were then lead to the other building where the banquet was taking place. Me and my friend luckily took some pictures before the crowd arrived. Our first course was spaghetti, followed by another plate of pasta, and then a third! Italians love their pasta! They also brought out different wine pairings to go with our meal. I loved them all!
Once dinner was over, me and my friend AGAIN took some time to sneak off and take more pictures. The bride and groom were now taking their professional pictures, too. When we returned to the banquet room, they placed the cheese table in the middle of the dance floor. I’ve never seen anything like it!
There was also a table put out filled with wine bottles from around the world! Since the groom is in the wine making industry, he asked some close friends to bring in their wine so they could showcase them at the wedding. It was a great experience being able to try different wines you don’t normally get a chance to.
Now it was time to dim the lights and start grooving! The band was amazing, but once they started playing disco music, forget it! It was time to tear up the dance floor! This was the most fun for me since I love watching people enjoy themselves. I loved seeing happy faces!
It was now time to clear out and head to the OTHER building which looked like a glass greenhouse. Here a large table of sweets were waiting for us to indulge in. I got a chance to have some of the wedding cake and it was amazing! Luckily, the dj got back on and it was time to burn off these calories! By now people were getting a little silly but everyone was having fun. I helped get the take home gifts ready which were mini bottles of wine from the groom’s winery. What a great gift idea!
After the hoopla, it was time to meet in the parking lot for our charter bus to take us back to the winery 45 minutes away from here. As you can imagine, there was no bus, (we apparently missed the last bus) and there was no other bus that was going to come back and get us. Friends offered their cars to help out and we car pooled back into town. What a day!
