Of weddings, and children

A family wedding this weekend: cousin Andrew's to Erin. A priveledged opportunity to hang with cute, well behaved and party-outfit-dressed little offspring. None actually cousins to me(possibily once removed, or second, or some combination), but still felt the pride of distant ownership.

And took a lot of pictures of them. Kids easier, more fun and far more satisfying to shoot. More magic than self-involvement.

It was a beautiful wedding, micro-managed down to the monogrammed bridal runner (a red carpet for the bride, a level of detail stunning to all who watched the two attendants unfurl 50 yards of canvas down the aisle), place-cards pinned into tiny Bartlett pears, embossed matches, and a color scheme that began with the first save-the-date, continued in the browns and pinks of the arbor over the ceremony, was picked up by the bridesmaids sashes and the turtles on the men's ties and completed with grosgrain ribbons round each centerpiece. (Even an inadvertant Evita moment when a young cousin greeted the gathered from a juliet balcony.)
But the really nice part of it (the prettiness, and perfectness will surely dull), was seeing extended family, who get nicer, and more interesting, and more distinctive, with each year, each gathering, each checking-in. Sneaking beers in back ofvan to the ceremony, following-up on engagements and work and moves, reconnecting via family gossip and updates that didn't make emails.

Just beginning to get the whole family thing I suppose - am impressed + humbled . (Watching the next generations of cousins may have something to do with it.)

Promise less love + more snarkiness in upcoming posts. Just had to share the warm fuzzines.

(Will be more kid pics though.)

C - in a family frame (not way)