A Fly on the Wall
Viewing comments for Chapter 22 "On...The End of Simple Weddings"A journal musings and assessments about situations
26 total reviews
Comment from Teri7
This is a very interesting post you have penned about on the end of simple weddings. You used very good descriptive words and very good imagery from your words. I enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing. Blessings, Teri
reply by the author on 20-Sep-2022
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This is a very interesting post you have penned about on the end of simple weddings. You used very good descriptive words and very good imagery from your words. I enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing. Blessings, Teri
Comment Written 19-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 20-Sep-2022
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You're welcome! Thanks for the nice review!
Comment from Ric Myworld
I've never been a big fan of weddings, but I can guarantee I would have enjoyed this one from beginning to end. I'd have only needed some buttered popcorn to have felt like I was at the cinema. Thanks for sharing.
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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I've never been a big fan of weddings, but I can guarantee I would have enjoyed this one from beginning to end. I'd have only needed some buttered popcorn to have felt like I was at the cinema. Thanks for sharing.
Comment Written 19-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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HAHAHAHA!!! You are one hundred percent right about this , RicMyworld!! It was the ultimate night of entertainment. Shall I let you know when the next family wedding is? I guarantee I can get you front row seats!
Thanks for the very fun review! xo
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Yes, please! Just from your enthusiastic reply, we could find a corner and laugh or heads off. Have a wonderful week!
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Deal!!!!
Comment from John Ciarmello
Hahaha! I thought this was a satire piece when I first dove in, Rachelle! Then, recognizing the fun, I fell right into this entertaining piece. This is the wedding I so much would have wanted to attend. I chuckled all the way through this. I will never get the Vienna sausage legs and the identical shade thong out of my screeching brain! Ha! best, JohnC.
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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Hahaha! I thought this was a satire piece when I first dove in, Rachelle! Then, recognizing the fun, I fell right into this entertaining piece. This is the wedding I so much would have wanted to attend. I chuckled all the way through this. I will never get the Vienna sausage legs and the identical shade thong out of my screeching brain! Ha! best, JohnC.
Comment Written 19-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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Sorry not sorry, John; friends don't let friends suffer screeching brain syndrome alone.
Thanks for such a fun review. I absolutely loved it.
Comment from barbara.wilkey
I am pretty sure the glamor that goes into all these modern weddings is a reflection of the hype and has nothing to do with unconditional love required to make a marriage last. I thought I was a fan but this didn't come into my PM box. I will try again.
Less than a carat? What? How insulting! (I was getting my nails done and the person doing them commented on how small my diamond was. For real. My husband I've been married forty-seven years. We were poor back then. Now I have an anniversary ring that makes up for it, but...I still cherish my ring.)
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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I am pretty sure the glamor that goes into all these modern weddings is a reflection of the hype and has nothing to do with unconditional love required to make a marriage last. I thought I was a fan but this didn't come into my PM box. I will try again.
Less than a carat? What? How insulting! (I was getting my nails done and the person doing them commented on how small my diamond was. For real. My husband I've been married forty-seven years. We were poor back then. Now I have an anniversary ring that makes up for it, but...I still cherish my ring.)
Comment Written 19-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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WHOA!! That's quite bold, isn't it? Sheesh! (I hope you reflected it in her tip!) I've heard other women say that, too, that it's the original diamond that fills them with the most joy. I agree. I would never want my original to be replaced. I cherish it.
Thanks for the review. I've had a LOT of my "fans" having this same issue with not being notified of my new writings. What is WITH this site lately? Good grief!
Comment from Judy Lawless
This is brilliant, Rachelle. You've perfectly described the ridiculousness of the elaborate modern day weddings and compared them to your own. The last part with the bridesmaid's entrance was hilarious! Well done.
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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This is brilliant, Rachelle. You've perfectly described the ridiculousness of the elaborate modern day weddings and compared them to your own. The last part with the bridesmaid's entrance was hilarious! Well done.
Comment Written 18-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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Thanks very much, Judy. I totally appreciate this lovely review. xo
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You?re very welcome, Rachelle. :)
Comment from Carmen Durfey
You have me hooked
I loved this!!!
Too true!
Don't worry most are okay with CZ now days, they only care that social media thinks it's real.
Love it!
I liked this added story
Love it
This so sooo funny! I have done videography and a bride wanted her baby pictures put to a song about a heroin addict. Clearly she hadn't listened to the words either.
Very well done! I can seee it!
Ohh no!!!
Great job.
I'm now a fan of yours!
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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You have me hooked
I loved this!!!
Too true!
Don't worry most are okay with CZ now days, they only care that social media thinks it's real.
Love it!
I liked this added story
Love it
This so sooo funny! I have done videography and a bride wanted her baby pictures put to a song about a heroin addict. Clearly she hadn't listened to the words either.
Very well done! I can seee it!
Ohh no!!!
Great job.
I'm now a fan of yours!
Comment Written 18-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 19-Sep-2022
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Carmen, nooooo!! A video soundtrack of heroin addict...used to underscore baby pics!?? HAHAHAHA!! Did you say anything or just let her embarrass herself? (I bet YOU could write a fly on the wall journal, too, as a wedding videographer! You must have seen/videoed SOO much hilarity!)
I love having you as a fan. Welcome aboard!! And thanks for such a really nice review.
Comment from judiverse
This is so amusing. The last wedding I attended was my nephew's, and he now has a daughter in third grade. I thought it was a big wedding, but it was nothing like those you described. I had not heard of the two wedding gowns fashion before. I truly don't see the need for going so overboard, as that appears to be the trend. After all, the marriage might not last long. I could not believe the spectacle of Ashley riding in on the back of the best man. Soap operas also have a way of creating dramatic wedding scenes. The rejected woman is likely to come riding in on a horse to stop the wedding. Grooms have been known to change their minds at the last minute and stop the wedding. I say keep things simple where weddings are concerned. judi
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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This is so amusing. The last wedding I attended was my nephew's, and he now has a daughter in third grade. I thought it was a big wedding, but it was nothing like those you described. I had not heard of the two wedding gowns fashion before. I truly don't see the need for going so overboard, as that appears to be the trend. After all, the marriage might not last long. I could not believe the spectacle of Ashley riding in on the back of the best man. Soap operas also have a way of creating dramatic wedding scenes. The rejected woman is likely to come riding in on a horse to stop the wedding. Grooms have been known to change their minds at the last minute and stop the wedding. I say keep things simple where weddings are concerned. judi
Comment Written 18-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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I am 100 percent with you!! It's about the RELATIONSHIP, not the freaking party! Oy! And, like you said, the marriage might not last that long! Bobby's niece, whose wedding cost his sister and her husband $45,000, is in the throes of a divorce now, just seven years later. (The lawyer for it is closing in on the price of the wedding, too! Nothing's cheap when the topic is matrimony!)
Thank you very much for your lovely review and also the extra star. xoxo
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You're welcome. This was so interesting. I can't see spending that much on a wedding. A wedding can be lovely without being extravagant. judi
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I agree. Bobby and I spent $1000, total. We got married at City Hall, and our reception was in the gorgeous lodge [fieldstone fireplace on one entire wall] in our town's park. We had it catered and had fifty guests, and a DJ and all had the BEST night.
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It sounds like a lovely wedding. It isn't the wedding but the years after that count. judi
Comment from lyenochka
Oh my!! I'm breathless from this wild ride of contemporary weddings you took us on! I am also in awe of your sewing ability to make your own wedding dresses. I bought mine at a shop - the cheapest one and an older work friend helped me choose. My daughter was more of the "fairytale wedding" mindset but she nixed all the dresses we looked at. Instead, she bought online a gorgeous pearl-studded 20 lb dress, which she promptly sold for the more the the purchase cost after the wedding. Did I mention my daughter was very cost-conscious? Lol. Thanks for bringing me up to speed about what's happening in today's world of weddings. I'm still shaking my head at the choice of song and the colorful bridal party!! Thanks for the hilarious descriptions!!
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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Oh my!! I'm breathless from this wild ride of contemporary weddings you took us on! I am also in awe of your sewing ability to make your own wedding dresses. I bought mine at a shop - the cheapest one and an older work friend helped me choose. My daughter was more of the "fairytale wedding" mindset but she nixed all the dresses we looked at. Instead, she bought online a gorgeous pearl-studded 20 lb dress, which she promptly sold for the more the the purchase cost after the wedding. Did I mention my daughter was very cost-conscious? Lol. Thanks for bringing me up to speed about what's happening in today's world of weddings. I'm still shaking my head at the choice of song and the colorful bridal party!! Thanks for the hilarious descriptions!!
Comment Written 18-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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I am having the BEST time reading all these reviews! Everyone is sharing their own wedding experiences, and I am LOVING it!!
Wow, a twenty-pound dress???! That's impressive! That's like armour! I am duly impressed with your daughter's ability to shoulder THAT all day!! (and, I'm imagining, even SMILE!) And that's AWESOME that she was able to sell it for more than its original price afterward! Three cheers for a money-savvy bride!!
Thanks for this great review and, of course, the additional star. So very appreciated. xo
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Actually, that was only my guesstimation of that weight. But imagine a full length dress that was studded with beads and pearls. It was HEAVY! The memorable character of the wedding was the mother of the groom who held up the wedding for half an hour. She also is not in their lives and doesn't even care to meet the grandchildren. Sigh.
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What was she doing for a half hour??!!
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I can only guess because she put the weight of making the bridesmaid dress for her daughter on her sister who stayed up all night to do it. I hope my son-in-law feels he's part of our family and well loved.
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Oh, that's not a doubt in my mind about that!!! You shower people with it.
Comment from karenina
Oh, Rachelle! One nephew had his wedding this past January. A modest affair he and his bride chose to plan and pay for. Not because the parents couldn't afford it, but because they wanted full control over every aspect.
It was beautiful! Eighty guests, an elegantly renovated old mill had plenty of room for the vows (in one section) and a catered reception in a larger hall.
I'd been to enough mega-watt weddings that I was charmed silly!
Hmmm.
Another nephew has a wedding coming up in October. Your account above I am sure closely approximates what we'll be dealing with. Already I know the groom had FOUR best men, FOUR "groomsmen" and TWO ring bearers. The bride-to-be has TWO maids of honor, SIX bridesmaids, and FOUR flower girls...
We didn't get an invitation. Oh. Well, we DID....but it directed us to their WEBPAGE where we were treated (or choose another adjective) to about fifty photos of the couple, including a full layout of the engagement, a complete history of how they met, what they ate, etc...
And, a "convenient" set of links to the Marriot on Cape Cod where of course the wedding will be held outside (end of October!) ~ at the edge of a cranberry bog because... why again?
And that starts at 4:30 with a reception to follow from 6 PM to Midnight. (So please make your $199/night Marriot reservations NOW!)
ALSO/ Links to three pricey stores with a gift registry that included everything from a King Size Mattress and Box Spring to a Nintendo Switch Game System ... (Really? Game Systems?)
I've gone on too long, I know. (I often do!) But it's because your post is fantastic and a satirical truism for many couples today!
(Did I mention that my Nephew who is getting married end of October has bought a house with his fiance' and they've lived together for three years???)
It's all crazy sauce I tell you!
(Oh right. Their "Officiant" is one of those online "Nuptials for a Day" deals" ~ An old friend of the couple ~ who is known for his enjoyment of way more than his share of libations!)
Just sayin'
I loved the January wedding. Simple and special for all the right reasons.
I'll let you know how the October "PRODUCTION" does!
TOO FUNNY!
Karenina
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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Oh, Rachelle! One nephew had his wedding this past January. A modest affair he and his bride chose to plan and pay for. Not because the parents couldn't afford it, but because they wanted full control over every aspect.
It was beautiful! Eighty guests, an elegantly renovated old mill had plenty of room for the vows (in one section) and a catered reception in a larger hall.
I'd been to enough mega-watt weddings that I was charmed silly!
Hmmm.
Another nephew has a wedding coming up in October. Your account above I am sure closely approximates what we'll be dealing with. Already I know the groom had FOUR best men, FOUR "groomsmen" and TWO ring bearers. The bride-to-be has TWO maids of honor, SIX bridesmaids, and FOUR flower girls...
We didn't get an invitation. Oh. Well, we DID....but it directed us to their WEBPAGE where we were treated (or choose another adjective) to about fifty photos of the couple, including a full layout of the engagement, a complete history of how they met, what they ate, etc...
And, a "convenient" set of links to the Marriot on Cape Cod where of course the wedding will be held outside (end of October!) ~ at the edge of a cranberry bog because... why again?
And that starts at 4:30 with a reception to follow from 6 PM to Midnight. (So please make your $199/night Marriot reservations NOW!)
ALSO/ Links to three pricey stores with a gift registry that included everything from a King Size Mattress and Box Spring to a Nintendo Switch Game System ... (Really? Game Systems?)
I've gone on too long, I know. (I often do!) But it's because your post is fantastic and a satirical truism for many couples today!
(Did I mention that my Nephew who is getting married end of October has bought a house with his fiance' and they've lived together for three years???)
It's all crazy sauce I tell you!
(Oh right. Their "Officiant" is one of those online "Nuptials for a Day" deals" ~ An old friend of the couple ~ who is known for his enjoyment of way more than his share of libations!)
Just sayin'
I loved the January wedding. Simple and special for all the right reasons.
I'll let you know how the October "PRODUCTION" does!
TOO FUNNY!
Karenina
Comment Written 18-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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Ho. Ly. NONSENSE!!! The entitlement of it all!! Are they just the most important fascinating people they've ever known, or WHAT!! (Are you SURE they're relatives of yours? They sound NOTHING like anyone I could imagine being in your family tree!)
Well, at least the lovely one with only eighty guests was a nice counter-balance.
Thanks for sharing this wedding nightmare story and for the extra star, too. BOTH are very much appreciated. xo
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Really, right? Sometimes wealth can squeeze out good genes! (Snicker)--
I don't know since I've never been wealthy!
It's all a bunch of pomposity that irks me no end!
PLUS, Oct. 28th? IN MASS? It might be unseasonably warm...
Or we could all be standing in "Cocktail Attire" (as listed on their web page) and shivering our asterisks off!
See how your post got me going? OH my gosh, Rachelle ~ if we lived nearby, we'd never get anything done!
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HAHAHAHAHA. This is absolutely true, K.
Maybe ask Michaela what "cocktail attire" looks like in Alaska. Then the night might be a LITTLE more enjoyable, because, as you said, the chances of it being "unseasonably warm" are NOT likely.
Comment from Michaela Moore
First of all, the delight of seeing Fly on the Wall in my Messages waiting for me! Wee! Then I find that your subject is something I am miffed about. Extremely miffed about.
Your essay was the perfect commiseration I needed. And then third, the piece de resistance...it was better than my $200 therapy session with my counselor. Why? Because, like the grief process, I have been in denial for 7 years.
Seven years ago, my daughter almost legally emancipated herself from her father and me because we would not shell out more than $4,000 dollars for her wedding! (We are both public school teachers, and $4,000 to us is equivalent to a million dollars.) She became worse than a bridezilla. She was a Brideusa! She grew snakes everywhere with poisonous darts. So, her in-laws came to the rescue because we were terrible parents. It was a miserable time, and I have been in denial and wreaked with guilt for disappointing my little girl.
But then, Rachelle's glorious Fly on the Wall! The beginning of your essay brought out my anger in a glorious fashion! You seemed angry too about the same things I was. It was holy validation! This axed any guilt I felt over what happened and brought the freshness of acceptance of knowing it was okay because, after all, Rachelle said that this Era of Royal Weddings for Everyone was stupid! Revelation: Yes! It IS stupid.
And then, as I began to feel exonerated (which was so healing), your story turned into mass hysteria! That song! THAT SONG! How did you sing it without laughing so hard tears ran down your face? And then the bridesmaid! Hell yeah! My laughter rang throughout the house, actually bringing my husband running to see if I had finally lost it, but good!
I am still chuckling, and that my friend, brings me hope. The end of grief. Hope for myself and our world. This pendulum will have to swing back eventually, right? Well, at least that is the hope. Thank you for the therapy session. Where should I send my fee? Do you take Venmo?
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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First of all, the delight of seeing Fly on the Wall in my Messages waiting for me! Wee! Then I find that your subject is something I am miffed about. Extremely miffed about.
Your essay was the perfect commiseration I needed. And then third, the piece de resistance...it was better than my $200 therapy session with my counselor. Why? Because, like the grief process, I have been in denial for 7 years.
Seven years ago, my daughter almost legally emancipated herself from her father and me because we would not shell out more than $4,000 dollars for her wedding! (We are both public school teachers, and $4,000 to us is equivalent to a million dollars.) She became worse than a bridezilla. She was a Brideusa! She grew snakes everywhere with poisonous darts. So, her in-laws came to the rescue because we were terrible parents. It was a miserable time, and I have been in denial and wreaked with guilt for disappointing my little girl.
But then, Rachelle's glorious Fly on the Wall! The beginning of your essay brought out my anger in a glorious fashion! You seemed angry too about the same things I was. It was holy validation! This axed any guilt I felt over what happened and brought the freshness of acceptance of knowing it was okay because, after all, Rachelle said that this Era of Royal Weddings for Everyone was stupid! Revelation: Yes! It IS stupid.
And then, as I began to feel exonerated (which was so healing), your story turned into mass hysteria! That song! THAT SONG! How did you sing it without laughing so hard tears ran down your face? And then the bridesmaid! Hell yeah! My laughter rang throughout the house, actually bringing my husband running to see if I had finally lost it, but good!
I am still chuckling, and that my friend, brings me hope. The end of grief. Hope for myself and our world. This pendulum will have to swing back eventually, right? Well, at least that is the hope. Thank you for the therapy session. Where should I send my fee? Do you take Venmo?
Comment Written 18-Sep-2022
reply by the author on 18-Sep-2022
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What? You weren't willing to go belly up, financially, for your child?? Especially for something as massively important as a PARTY?!! You selfish, SELFISH creature you!! (yiiiiiiikes! She needed the Time Out Chair for a good six months!!) I'm sorry that such a debacle fell on your life, and I'm sorrier still that the reverberations lasted so long in your heart. But I'm glad my little story helped allay some of the pain and guilt.
I don't remember who said this, but these words apply: From the moment you have a child, you forevermore wear your heart on the outside of your body.
You did the right thing, saying 'no.' in such a case. "We can't afford that" is a TOTALLY okay, legitimate reason not to do ANYTHING. (For gawd sake, you gave up your dream for another Masters degree --you know, something USABLE [read: not like a WEDDING party]-- for that exact reason!)
When you finish reading this, get in your car, go over to that girl's house, walk in, SHAKE HER, and say, "There! That's from my friend, Rachelle." Then drive back home with a happy heart.
Thanks for the review and the extra star!! xoxo
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I will do as you suggest, only I have to get on a plane to shake her. This is the daughter that lives in Houston. And I should probably wait to shake her until January because she is about to pop with my first grandchild. HA! And she is having a girl. Oh, yes. The payback will begin very soon.
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May your granddaughter be the child we've BOTH now wished on your daughter! Xo
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I fell over laughing at this one!