Yesterday was a wedding.
An Italian wedding. But not like an Italian wedding at all. There weren’t a thousand and one guests; there wasn’t a wedding breakfast which had 100 courses; there wasn’t a white dress or top hats and tails. It was, in fact, more like a small, intimate party. And it was truly lovely.
This was one of F’s childhood friends, P, getting married to a banker, A, even though he looks nothing like a banker should look. I have never known P without A and, so, to me they are perfectly right for each other. She, apparently, was a bit wild in her youth (so was F) but can still be a little unexpected now.
The wedding ceremony took place in Piazza Reale, a stone’s throw from the Duomo. It was conducted by one of her ex-boyfriends.
Apart from the happy couple, and F and his friend R, I knew only one other person – L who bears a striking resemblance to Betty Boop! Only a tad older.
We were late for the ceremony (of course), arriving some few minutes after it all started. It had started at 10.
F took photographs. Lots of photographs.
The day was lovely but not too hot. The groom was dressed in white trousers with a white T-shirt and loose white scoop-neck top. The bride wore white trousers, similar top with an off-white jacket. She had had some braiding in her hair and looked lovely.
After the ceremony we went, by metro to Villa Singer (pronounced singe – er). We arrived about mid-day.
The first picture you see on the link was, more or less, how it was. It’s a not-so-big garden, next to one of Milan’s old canals. Tranquil, beautiful and the perfect setting for a wedding reception. It wasn’t many courses but, rather, a buffet that included fried courgette flowers, oysters, grilled green chilli-like peppers with anchovies, courgette mouse, vegetarian lasagne and a cake that was beautiful sponge covered with lashings of whipped cream and raspberries and strawberries. I had two slices
There was prosecco (Italian champagne) and white wine or, for those who were not drinking, water and grapefruit juice. I wasn’t one of the last group.
We drank and ate and chatted and laughed. There were about 25 people so large enough not to get bored but small enough that you chatted to everyone and I met some really nice people (which is normal). It was all delightful.
Inside the house the rooms, full of antique furniture were open for you to walk round – and I did for a few moments.
But it was all so relaxed and, even if it is an overused word, nice. It was like being at a small garden party with friends, drinking in the afternoon sun (in both senses).
I watched F, from time to time, being the joker and centre of attention – but not in a bad way. Everyone loves him but I adore him. Someone (it may have been Betty Boop) asked if I would marry him and I said that I would. Of course I would.
And, if we did get married, I would want a wedding like this.
We left about 6. It was wonderful and I was really happy that I had been asked to go and that we went.
Wow, that sounds / looks brilliant.
I don’t go to many weddings, because I’m not married (despite being in a 17-yr-old relationship) and most of my friends aren’t the marrying kind, but the best I went to was at Portmeirion, which (if you don’t know it) is an amazing private village (now hotel / tourist attraction) on the coast in Wales which was built by a wealthy eccentric and is only half real (a lot of the buildings were just built to look pretty and aren’t actually functional). It’s beautiful and surreal. The Prisoner (60s TV series, not film) was filmed there.
Hi Beleaguered Squirrel
Yes, I know Portmeirion. I can imagine that would have been a great place for a wedding.
– if you see what I mean
I doubt if we shall ever get married, Italy being the home of th Catholic church and all. I don’t think marriage is important to a relationship per se but I can understand why people do it. For me, it should be because you want to just for the hell of it and not for any other reason.
I would do it now, with F, and I would have married V if it had been possible some 15 years ago but by the time it was legal I already didn’t want to marry him.
Still, it’s not really important to my relationship with F and that’s exactly why I would do it