Wedding Dresses & Outdoor Venues Post 500

 American Weddings

Brightline is a privately owned railway  line which has served as a marriage venue for a wedding in 2022. 

I have witnessed a wedding (as the official witness) on a cruise ship out of Florida, but this is the first time I have heard of a wedding on a train.

The train wedding couple did not meet on the train. They met when the husband to be was renting property (Americans say leasing) from his bride-to be. They had many dates taking the train and the bride thought the train ride was the most romantic part of the date. 

The train company sectioned off part of the train for the ceremony and reception afterwards. Photos were taken on the train and at the station. 

UK Weddings

In England I have seen many reports of unusual carriages to the wedding venue, usually connected with the jobs of one of the spouses or their family. A nostalgic horse and carriage is quite common.

 I recall a double decker bus being used. Also I recall one case of the bridal party stuck when the road was impassable. Emergency service vehicles (a fire engine) came to the rescue.

Israel

I attended a wedding of a relative by marriage in Israel. The incoming security stopped me and asked me the bride's name. The wedding invitation was all in Hebrew and I hadn't a clue. (Her name was Ayala.) We took a taxi from the airport. The taxi driver had trouble locating the venue so we arrived later than expected.

Australia

I have also seen weddings in public parks in Australia. The problem with public parks is that strangers can come along and heckle or  intrude on photos. Not to mention wandering dogs!

I have also seen pictures of ski scenes in weddings, and under-water ceremonies.I am glad I didn't need clothes for a snow white wedding or an underwater wedding.

When my book, How to be a bridesmaid was published, I was in Australia for a visit. I went around a wedding show at the hotel. The seller of a video service showed me her brochure and video. She thought I was a bride to be. I started getting Imposter Syndrome. Eventually I had to admit, "I'm sorry. I don't need a video. I am not a bride-to-be. I am on TV tomorrow to promote my book, How To Be A Bridesmaid, and I am looking for ideas and facts about weddings in Australia in order to be relevant to the audience." 

To my surprise, and delight, she was not at all annoyed. She simply turned the her sales pitch and used the situation to her advantage. She said, "Ooh. I'd love to have my video company on TV. Can you get me on TV."

I sighed. "I have no idea how to get you on TV. I didn't arrange it. I am only on there because the publisher in London fixed it. I am going to speak to them later about what I am to talk about, so we can run through it. The only thing I am going to talk about is etiquette. Wearing white. Not wearing black. Unless you had a video of a bride wearing black ..."

"Yes! Yes! I do!" she said. "That would be great. I just have to get permission from the bride. Hold on, I've got her number here. Hello, I am wondering ...? Angela! She would be delighted. She and her bridesmaids all wore black. She would love to be on TV! Give the TV company my name and I'll send them a short clip. Don't worry about copyright, or credentials. I'll sort all that out. You can say whatever you want. I am so thrilled. I am so glad I met you! Thank you, thank you! What can I do for you?'

I replied, "Tell me about wedding disasters."

"I'll send you a collection of clips from things which were cut out of wedding videos. You can't show them. But you can talk about them. Just don't mention any names."

That was a dream come true for me. I had my magic moment of looking horrified at a bride wearing black, and stammering a polite, diplomatic reason why it worked for her, but would not for most brides. I also had enough funny stories about wedding disasters to speak entertainingly on radio for the rest of my life. 

 

Singapore's Rooftop Wedding Receptions

I attended a wedding on a rooftop in Singapore. And another in a restaurant in the Botanical Gardens, after a ceremony planned for the bandstand. (The officiant was late.) The bride wanted photos of exchanging vows on the bandstand at sunset. So we rushed to do a mock ceremony. As a Toastmaster I was able to improve the mock ceremony (with a few prompts from those standing alongside). Afterwards the officiant arrived as the dinner was being served at the allotted time and the  real ceremony was performed indoors.


Also see post 382.


Useful websites

USA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11211743/Florida-couple-married-Brightline-TRAIN-using-meet-one-dates.html

https://www.herecomestheguide.com/wedding-venues/type/ski-resort

Singapore

https://www.facebook.com/vineyardhortpark (Singapore)

UK


Also see post 81. Angela in blue Mother of the bride dress.

For the hat, see

https://dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com/2021/11/fun-fascinator-from-placemat.html

Asian brides often have three dresses at one wedding day. A demure white dress for the wedding ceremony. An Asian heavily embroidered and glittering lucky red dress for the reception. Then a smart suit for flying off on the honeymoon.

Ex-pat couples sometimes have three ceremonies. For example, I went to a wedding reception in Singapore where the couple met, for the friends from work and social life in Singapore. They showed the giant pictures projected on the wall of the religious ceremonies in their respective parents' homes, in China and India.

You can also have a renewal of vows. And a ceremony in hospital, and a ceremony with a dead body. I found just choosing a dress as a guest was challenging enough.

For Wedding dress hangers as gifts to mothers and fathers of bride and groom, ushers, bride and groom see

https://dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com/2022/02/hangers-for-bride-groom-mother-of-bride.html



Wedding photo of my late parents in the 1940s. The bride is not wearing white because of wartime rationing and it was her second marriage after her first husband had been killed in a plane over El Alamein.
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