Day Twenty: Wedding!

Day twenty's wedding of an old friend brought with it an interesting set of gives. Aside from the obvious wedding gift, I found it to be an occasion full of giving opportunities.

The first was before the wedding. I was a friend of the bride, and one of the first people I saw when I arrived was her father. He's a big ol' Texas man who's far more comfortable shooting deer and making his own jerky than he is mingling in the gardens of a posh S. Pasadena mansion in a fancy suit. So I went over to him and got him chatting, and I was glad to see him welcome the chance to loosen up.

After the ceremony I was able to spend time with the mother and grandmother of the bride as well, and that gave me the opportunity to pay them both a special compliment. The bride is easily one of the most kind and loyal friends I've ever had, and I got to thank them both for being the role models for the woman she would become. What's better than giving a compliment like that is actually meaning it, and I think they both got that.

My other give was to the wedding photographer. Having video taped weddings myself I know that priority is to shoot first and worry about everything else later (including eating). So I asked her about it and ultimately made sure that she had a plate as well. Professional courtesy.

All in all a lovely time indeed.