I arrived early to drop off my overnight bag and was led upstairs to the guest bedroom carefully, so as not to peek at the living room decorations. My eyes were covered with the twelve-year-old hands of my sister as I walked down the stairs, dressed and ready. When I opened my eyes, the best decoration was the anticipation and pride in my mum and sister’s faces.

There were white balloons, streams, engagement balloons, banners, lit candles everywhere, and a larger-than-life poster sized picture of fiancé and for party guests to sign.

“Oh my goodness, it’s beautiful, everything looks so good,” I told them without looking at them. My eyes were distracted with picking out all the detailed décor added onto the main floor of the house I grew up in. My sister’s cheekbones, that match mine, were smiling so big.

“I love your dress, you look gorgeous,” I told her. It was her first time wearing a dress after exiting her I’ll-never-wear-a-dress phase.

“Mum, this looks wonderful, I can’t believe it.” I asked her what I could do to help, and for once she told me to sit down and have some wine. It’s in my nature to put out platters and offer drinks, but it felt really nice to exhale, sit down and let them do this.

Grama and my Greek aunt were in the kitchen trading baking sheets with frozen cheese pies (spanakopita and saganaki) for warmed ones in the oven. My best fried and one of my maids of honour (there will be two) giggled with me and doted over my sister who was wearing a hint of makeup for the first time.

When fiancé arrived looking so handsome, in the way the word is supposed to mean, I melted and took is hand to show him all the work my family had been putting in to the night. From then on, the doorbell sang, the coat pile on my brother’s bed grew, and the decibel level of laughter soared out the rooftop. Our families got along really well. I’ll admit I’d bit my lip in the days leading up to it wondering how everyone would react to each other. Turns out in vino there is social flawlessness.

The speeches were wonderful and touching, thank the lord for waterproof mascara. There was enough food to keep platters full all night long and an impressive-sized care package for me to take home the next morning. The cleanup was quick, and I have a nice pile of gifts and cards that I can return to and go through again when I get home from work.

My dad had thought to put our engagement announcement in the paper Saturday (see link), so when I got to work, the celebrations continued. I‘m floating; I’m really just floating to heights from which I never want to descend.

http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=CE000020110114X