Monday 7 March 2011

Always a bridesmaid?



I don't think I liked being a bridesmaid. I seem to have a bit of a smell up my nose in this photo. This was the second - and fortunately the last - occasion on which I was dressed up in a particularly unflattering gown in an incredibly strong colour.

The bride and bridegroom were (and still are) my friends from university. The other two people in the photo are the bride's sister and the bridegroom's brother. We were all in our early to mid-twenties.

It was a winter wedding, New Year's Eve to be specific, held in the very cold north east of England, with the reception over the border in a Scottish hotel.

I dread to think how much planning went into it, but it was very well done, with absolutely nothing spared. Wedding breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on the day, taxis ferrying people to the hotel in the depths of the Scottish countryside, a pretty large reception - or so it felt when we were standing in line receiving the endless guests, and some lovely food. One of our other friends from university sang a solo in church. I thought that was a lovely idea by the bride and he sounded wonderful.

Our dresses were made by a posh dressmaker in London. The material for ours was a blue/green shot silk affair. There had been a choice of a bright pink/yellow fabric which I rather fancied, but the bride obviously decided that the final blue/green colour was slightly more tasteful. It probably was but it still looked a bit overpowering on blonde fair-skinned me. Nor is the style something I would have chosen. The other bridesmaid worked in the beauty business so she did our hair and make-up. I don't think my hair liked being styled in such a straight fashion, the fringe was already rebelling. But I suppose bridesmaids are meant to be ornamental sidepieces rather than the main attraction.

What else? Not much really. I had decided not to stay an extra night for whatever was happening in the evening, so got the train home, rang my parents from the station, found out a relative had died in the couple of days I had been away, and although it was NYE, I managed to get a taxi home.

And the next wedding I went to was my own. Glad I never had a wedding like that though. It's so not me.

Photo by Photo-Centre (D M Smith)

Link:

Here is an interesting perspective on being a bridesmaid.

4 comments:

  1. Aww, you look lovely, blonde and blue, not sure about the colour of the bouquets with the dresses though, how fashion changes. :/
    NYE wedding how cool was that. NO, bridesmaids are not supposed to overshadow the bride. lol

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  2. oooooh what were those flowers? Agree with Dina you look lovely, but not sure about the bouquet colours. I wondered whereabouts in Scotland, ok, over the border, but where? I know, I am nosey.

    It is funny how styles change, you just don't realise I guess till you see the old photos.

    Thank you for sharing. Blonde was nice too.

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  3. Yes, the red looks rather odd against the bluey colour. I suspect she was going for a cheery look for winter. Well that's all I can think of. I would have gone for white myself. And white roses prob for the men.

    Forgot to say the back of the dresses was rather well done. Another bright idea from the bride as she said most people saw the backs of everyone! So they were beautifully buttoned all the way to the waist.

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  4. Tilmouth Castle or something maybe? Haven't looked it up and dredging deep into a faded memory here.

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