I Caught the Bouquet

So yesterday we celebrated Heather and Calin's wedding!!! Heather is one of my first friends from Peru and she is just amazing. She is married to Calin, who is also one of my first friends here. They are both amazing people and i just think they are great. Heather is American and Calin is Peruvian so the wedding was a new experience for everyone there Americans and Peruvians alike. The whole wedding was bi-lingual and i thought it was just really neat. Like any normal peruvian wedding, it started late (although it was only about an hour late- in comparison to most peruvian weddings which start about 2-3 hours late) I had the great honor of playing the violin in the wedding (something I only do for very special people like heather and calin) we played somewhere over the rainbow as they walked down the aisle and it was really fun! Heather looked gorgeous and Calin was all smiles all day long. It really was the most beautiful wedding ceremony i have every been to and it was great to be able to celebrate with them.
The ceremony ended and then came the party!!! And like all weddings, the time came for heather to throw the bouquet (although, instead of doing it at the end of the reception it came really early on). So I, being the single woman that i am, did what every other single girl did and went to catch the bouquet. I stood in the front, not because i wanted to catch the bouquet, but because i had faith that Heather could throw the bouquet far! So the time came.... she threw the bouquet and it floated directly into my hands.....and i thought..... "Oh man, what have i gotten myself into???" i was in front of more than 200 guest and completely embarrassed (Thanks a lot Heather!) oh but the embarrassment had just begun. As i went back to my table i received tons of congrats. Then i was time for the single guys... I am still not sure what they did because they didn't throw the garter like we do in the US. Calin was blindfolded and the guys stood in a circle around him and somehow a guy was chosen and given the rose. It was very entertaining. Well once the guy was chosen i was summoned to the front of the room where i was then told to give a SPEECH!!oh man..... i am not good and giving speeches when i am prepared, but then i had to give one on the spot (just because i caught the bouquet- the maid of honor didn't even have to give a speech). It wasn't the best speech ever, but i did it. So finally i felt like it was over....but no- only wishful thinking. Next came the biggest fear of my life (well not really, but kinda) I was told i had to dance with the guy that got the rose from Calin. "WHAT!!!!! YOU'RE KIDDING ME!!!" that was going through my mind...... "ALL I DID WAS CATCH SOME FLOWERS" ..... well i did my duty as the bouquet catcher and danced. I danced with Oscar and i believe he was equally embarrassed but we made it. It was embarrassing but all in all it was actually pretty ironic and funny- and definitely something i will never forget. The rest of the day i was congratulated (and even today in church at least 5 people mentioned it again- it's apparently a bigger deal than i thought to catch the bouquet). well after that trying time in my life i quickly got over it and danced for the next 4-5 hours!! I WILL have dancing at my wedding and possibly play Peruvian music b/c it is the funnest to dance to. Much thanks to Heather and Calin for getting married- it was a great day (and it really was the entire day- i arrived at 11 am and left at 8 pm!!) I am looking forward to many more Peruvian weddings!!

here is a like to pictures from the wonderful event: http://www.facebook.com/patty.kinsey?ref=profile#/album.php?aid=2013463&id=136700165&ref=mf