Adventure Connections Stories from the frontline of the Stag and Hen market

Part 1… The Invitation

A chief Bridesmaid writes…  The inner thoughts of a somewhat reluctant Chief Bridesmaid a.k.a secret bride in waiting…. 

The invitation 

When I was asked to be a bridesmaid at my best friend’s forthcoming wedding, my first reaction was one of horror. Firstly, I have been a bridesmaid now six times – the last time when I was 18.

I am now 32 and quite frankly no one over the age of 12 should be allowed to wear those strange coloured taffeta dresses that all bridesmaids seem doomed to wear. But hey, this is Marina’s – my best friend’s wedding – and I definitely want to be part of it.

My problem is how to be part of it graciously.

I find out that I am to be one of five fragrant attendants – ranging from the obligatory cute nieces from central casting aged four, six, nine; a tender 14-year old cousin and then me. We are to be co-ordinated in chocolate and pink. How can one look sexy, or even hope to catch the eye of the best man in co-ordinated chocolate and pink? I am to be sandwiched and outshone by a quartet of adorable young, cute kids, and a shimmering vision of champagne voile.

Need I say any more?

Troubled by the fact that I am to be outshone on every front, back and side, I decide to take a look into the World of Bridesmaids. Did you know that being a bridesmaid can be traced back to pagan times?

In Roman times, bridesmaids were like a private mini army marching Miss Bride to the Village of the Groom. This girl’s army was there to protect the bride against any marauder out to grab her dowry or to deflect any broken hearted suitors who wanted to spirit her away!

However, the modern idea of a bridesmaid seems to have evolved from later Roman law that required witnesses at a wedding to outsmart evil spirits that were believed to attend nuptials. By surrounding the bride with look alikes – girls of the same age who looked like her – it was believed that the Gremlins wouldn’t be able to single out the bride.

 I wonder what Marina would say if I suggested, that as chief decoy, I should wear a similar champagne and lace column dress? Gremlins would be confused, she’d still get the groom, and the best man might well get more than he bargained for………

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 10th, 2007 at 9:57 am and is filed under Connections, My best friend's... You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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