Sunday, April 7, 2019

Wedding reception anecdotes


(from 2013)


Reading posts about others people’s weddings obviously brings back memories of one’s own family events. And father (or father in law) behaviour.

The future Mrs O’s father had done a runner from her mother many years before we got married, and was currently with partner number two. But she wanted to renew contact, so he was prevailed upon to attend the wedding. I remember that he had fortified himself in the usual way and insisted on standing on a chair to give a speech – the only thing I can remember is the old, old joke – “I got a bottle of wine for my wife...(pause)...it was the best deal I had all day...” – and then my best man caught him as he almost did a header onto the table.

Over thirty years later (this time with partner number three out of the eventual four trying to keep him in order) he attended our daughter’s wedding. I remember in the “church” how he snorted loudly at certain aspects of the wedding service that didn’t quite fit his mindset. I also remember how we dispensed with the “pay bar” at the reception, choosing to provide all the alcohol ourselves – mainly so that we could “control” it. But he still found a way around that somehow. Still, we organised a veritable phalanx of cousins and friends to box him in, and the day passed without serious incident.

I gave a speech I am told, but I cannot for the life of me remember a word of it...

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