Raise a Glass to the Happy Couple!

There's love in the air in one little corner of the blogosphere. SOMEONE just got proposed to, and, finally, after HOURS of waiting, where we all held our breaths and tapped our keyboards impatiently, we have learned that she said YES. It was a proposal of the romantico-goofy, sweetly serious, innovative kind that would totally appeal to MommyPie (I'm guessing), and involved the building of a new site in order to post the proposal online, the hiding of a ring, the conspiracy of friends, and... well, if you're curious, here's the Proposal 2.0 itself. I'd say she's found the perfect man for her.

Marcy, of The Glamorous Life Association put together the site for the proposal (good secret keeping!), and she put up a post of her own with a linky for stories about weddings, love and marriage, in the hopes of leading MommyPie down the trail of crumbs to her own happy ending. Marcy specifically asked for stories with some tidbit of advice. Hmmmm....

In the spirit of being completely delighted for MommyPie, who deserves whole heaping platefuls of happiness, I was thinking about what the wedding stories I could tell. Unfortunately, the wedding stories in my family are more like a series of Three Stooges wedding sketches than an Ideal Dreamy Day. Things that can happen at your wedding, according to our family, include:

(1) your dog running away, and staying gone for a whole week, thereby canceling your little minimoon (the honeymoon long-weekend that would have to do for a temporary honeymoon because the real trip will be occurring in six months when you get to go to New Zealand).

(2) your sister getting stomach flu and having to quietly duck out during the ceremony (after handing off your bouquet to another bridesmaid), so that she could go be sick.

(3) the entire wedding party (yes, including you the bride and your brand new groom) and half the guests coming down with what appears to be stomach flu 12-24 hours later, leaving your sister feeling horribly guilty about passing it around -- only to discover a few days later, thanks to cultures done at the hospital on your very sick brother-in-law, that it was actually FOOD POISONING. And then WHEE! the venue comps nearly your entire wedding bill (as well they should, after poisoning half your guests and yourself).

(4) your sister (the baker) and your other sister (the helper) and her new beau (the devoted) stay up nearly all night long making your wedding cake -- which turns out gorgeous, if only the wedding party could keep their eyes open long enough to see it.

Why am I telling these stories on such a happy occasion? Is it because I want MommyPie to know how lucky she is NOT to be marrying into our family, where we cannot apparently throw a wedding without a bride getting a speeding ticket on the way to the ceremony? Not exactly (though she may well count her lucky stars for that anyway).

It's because the point really is: there are only a few things you need for a wonderful wedding -- and everything else can go as wrong as wrong can be, and you'll still have fond memories. To my mind, those things are: a few great black-and-white photographs of sheer bliss in action, a room full of friends and family who love you dearly, and a really good cake.

And then I got to thinking. Honestly, those things that make the perfect wedding also make the perfect marriage. You need a little documentation, so you can look back on the happiest moments and bask in those memories. You need to surround yourself with people who love and support you no matter what. And, periodically, you need to eat really really really good cake.

I'm pretty sure MommyPie, who has had more than her share of life's ups and downs, knows this. But I think it's worth saying "aloud" as it were because it's easy to forget that simplicity, and the smallest things, are the most potent.

I write this wishing MommyPie and The Boy lasting love and happiness, many days worth documenting in photos, and occasional bites of fabulous cake. I already know she's surrounded by loving friends and family, based on all the comments on the proposal post, and I already know she's found a man worthy of her (no small task!). Life is good.

CONGRATULATIONS, my friend!! I wish you bliss.