The first of many overdue wedding posts:
Preparations at the Hotel
My day started early. I was awake at 4 AM. Not panicked. Not nervous. Just awake. This is ridiculous, I thought, I have a big day ahead of me. I need more sleep.
I tried to sleep more. I had a little success until 5:30. I thought, this is still obsessively early. I thought back to when I was a kid and I would wake up insanely early on Christmas morning. My parents wouldn’t let me wake them up until at least 6 AM. I decided I should try to sleep until 6.
The time from 5:30 to 5:45 took so long I couldn’t stand it. I had to get up. My maid-of-honor and a close friend who was serving as my wedding day coordinator were staying at the hotel with me. I would get up quietly as not to wake them. I would go to the bathroom then maybe do some yoga. But when I went into the bathroom the girls starting talking. Had I woken them? No, they were way too animated for that. It turns out we had all been awake for hours. No one wanted to wake anyone else.
Now, what? We didn’t want to get ready too quickly, but the hotel breakfast didn’t even start until 6:30. We talked for a while. My MOH (who also made and designed my dress) sewed a pocket of extra fabric in which she could carry tissues with her bouquet. (This will become important later.)
When 6:30 finally arrived we went downstairs and got breakfast. There was basically no one else there. We took our time eating. When we were bored with that, we grabbed some to go cups of coffee and OJ and went back upstairs.
We started getting ready but slowly. The photographer was going to show up a little after 9 to take pictures of us getting ready. We didn’t want to be completely done before that. Additionally, I tend to be the type of person who gets ready really early for big events then has to sit around waiting. I didn’t want to do that this time. I’d have to do enough waiting once I was at the wedding site.
We worked on hair and make-up and listened to a mix CD I had made for the girls. (When that CD was done we put on some Madonna and Prince.) The photographer showed up just when we were getting ready to make mimosas. (Remember that OJ we snagged from breakfast?) The photographer took pictures of us drinking from plastic Days Inn cups (very classy) and doing finishing touches on hair and make-up, then he went upstairs to take some pictures of the guys getting ready.
While the photographer was with the guys we got dressed. I shouldn’t have put my jewelry on before the dress, but as I’ve emphasized we were killing time. Unfortunately, I got a little snagged getting into my dress, and it f’ed up my hair a bit. It still looked okay, but it had looked better before. Oh, well.
After all the care taken to put on my dress I had to remind my MOH that she should get dressed too! Another friend came by to hang out and enjoy some mimosas. The photographer came back and took some final shots, such as my MOH putting on my veil. Then we were ready to head out for the restaurant.
Now, I’m not a completely traditional girl, but there are some things I really like. One of these is for the bride and groom not to see each other until the ceremony. I think that moment when they first see each other is a beautiful part of the day. I know some people do a special reveal ahead of time, but I feel like this is a part of the ceremony. I did not want John to see me before the wedding.
As planned, my friend who was organizing the day called the best man to let him know we were going to be on the move and that they should stay put, but he didn’t answer his phone. She tried their hotel room, but they didn’t answer there either. We were a bit anxious, not because we thought I’d been jilted but because we thought the guys might be at breakfast or something. We didn’t want to anticlimactically have the first time John saw me to be by randomly running into us in the hall. Luckily, we got a hold of the best man and found that they were walking by the lake, a safe distance away.
We went outside to catch a cab. My MOH lived in Pittsburgh for too long and does not adequately know how to hail a cab. We were planning to walk to the corner, but we saw a cab coming down the street we were on. My MOH timidly put her hand up from the middle of the sidewalk when the cab was a block away. That’s a good way to have a cab drive right passed you. So I, in full-length dress and veil stepped right to curb and put my arm out. At that moment the wind picked up and billowed out my veil. It happened so quickly that I don’t know if the photographer got the shot but I hope so.
To be continued...
Monday, May 19, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Review: Womenscene
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08138/882523-42.stm
Stage Review: 'Womenscene' offers unusually diverse local skits
Saturday, May 17, 2008
By Samantha Bennett, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
If your theatrical diet consists mainly of Broadway tours and flashy productions in the well-known venues Downtown, you may not be getting enough fiber.
For something locally grown, organic and beneficial to local organizations -- as well as being entertaining food for thought -- you could head out to the Union Project tonight for "Womenscene," "an evening of eclectic theatre written for women, about women and to benefit women."
There's a little something for everyone in the 90 minutes of short pieces (mostly monologues) written by local playwrights and performed by local actors. The evening begins with a birth, as a fond dad played by John Stetor recalls the years spent raising "Punkin' " (written by F. J. Hartland), and before the final love letter to a can-do single mom written by Sandy Boggs and performed by Vince Ventura, we've seen persecution, comedy, Internet porn, sexuality, culture, loss, political polemics, stalking and celebrity.
Standouts include Chris Gavaler's "Who's on First," a rapid-fire modern update on the old Abbott and Costello chestnut performed by Rachel Noderer and Greg Caridi, and Paula Martinac's "The Tenants," with the splendid Barbara Russell as a quintessentially Pittsburgh landlady.
Kim Zelonis' "Retro Hottie" explores a predicament that could happen to any woman who was young and needed the money, while her "Covered" is the playful confession of a man who can understand, if not entirely approve of, the utility of the burqa. A third Zelonis piece, "Unbred Mother," was dropped from the lineup Thursday night when I was there, but it should be back tonight.
"She Times Three" by Carol Mullen has a setup and rhythm that recalls "The Vagina Monologues," while Marilyn Bates' "Untitled No. 2," affectingly read by Etta Cox, is also reminiscent of some of the darker, hush-inducing material in Ensler's landmark work.
Founder and performer Donna Rae and director Lora Oxenreiter have stitched together a quirky, diverse, absorbing evening and informed it with infectious energy. All proceeds go to the Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania, Women and Film in Media, Pittsburgh, and the Union Project, a community and job-training center.
The acoustics of the former church venue aren't ideal; there's a lot of echo, partly controlled by microphones, and the occasional idling bus or passing motorcycle intrudes. On the other hand, there are hors d'oeuvres at every performance, and a coffee bar that helps create an informal, neighborhood coffeehouse ambience.
You can fill your plate with something you won't get just anywhere.
Samantha Bennett can be reached at sbennett@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3572.
First published on May 17, 2008 at 12:00 am
Stage Review: 'Womenscene' offers unusually diverse local skits
Saturday, May 17, 2008
By Samantha Bennett, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
If your theatrical diet consists mainly of Broadway tours and flashy productions in the well-known venues Downtown, you may not be getting enough fiber.
For something locally grown, organic and beneficial to local organizations -- as well as being entertaining food for thought -- you could head out to the Union Project tonight for "Womenscene," "an evening of eclectic theatre written for women, about women and to benefit women."
There's a little something for everyone in the 90 minutes of short pieces (mostly monologues) written by local playwrights and performed by local actors. The evening begins with a birth, as a fond dad played by John Stetor recalls the years spent raising "Punkin' " (written by F. J. Hartland), and before the final love letter to a can-do single mom written by Sandy Boggs and performed by Vince Ventura, we've seen persecution, comedy, Internet porn, sexuality, culture, loss, political polemics, stalking and celebrity.
Standouts include Chris Gavaler's "Who's on First," a rapid-fire modern update on the old Abbott and Costello chestnut performed by Rachel Noderer and Greg Caridi, and Paula Martinac's "The Tenants," with the splendid Barbara Russell as a quintessentially Pittsburgh landlady.
Kim Zelonis' "Retro Hottie" explores a predicament that could happen to any woman who was young and needed the money, while her "Covered" is the playful confession of a man who can understand, if not entirely approve of, the utility of the burqa. A third Zelonis piece, "Unbred Mother," was dropped from the lineup Thursday night when I was there, but it should be back tonight.
"She Times Three" by Carol Mullen has a setup and rhythm that recalls "The Vagina Monologues," while Marilyn Bates' "Untitled No. 2," affectingly read by Etta Cox, is also reminiscent of some of the darker, hush-inducing material in Ensler's landmark work.
Founder and performer Donna Rae and director Lora Oxenreiter have stitched together a quirky, diverse, absorbing evening and informed it with infectious energy. All proceeds go to the Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania, Women and Film in Media, Pittsburgh, and the Union Project, a community and job-training center.
The acoustics of the former church venue aren't ideal; there's a lot of echo, partly controlled by microphones, and the occasional idling bus or passing motorcycle intrudes. On the other hand, there are hors d'oeuvres at every performance, and a coffee bar that helps create an informal, neighborhood coffeehouse ambience.
You can fill your plate with something you won't get just anywhere.
Samantha Bennett can be reached at sbennett@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3572.
First published on May 17, 2008 at 12:00 am
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Press: Womenscene
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08136/881841-326.stm
In the Wings: 'Womenscene'
Thursday, May 15, 2008
By Christopher Rawson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Donna Rae, who once upon a time invented the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, is at it again, dreaming up "WOMENSCENE," an eclectic evening of 14 monologues and short scenes written for and about women, to benefit women.
Director Lora Oxenreiter suggested inviting local playwrights to participate. The assorted monologues and dialogues are mostly less than five minutes, and the whole program runs about 90 minutes. It will be staged tonight through Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at The Union Project, 801 N. Negley Ave., Highland Park; tickets $20 ($5 discount with student ID); reservations at 412-655-9530.
"It marks the culmination of two years of planning, cajoling and recruiting writers, staging volunteers and actors," says Rae, a noted cajoler. She credits Richard E. Rauh for underwriting the project so that all the money raised each night will go direct to these beneficiaries: The Union Project (tonight), Women in Film and Media (Friday) and LUPUS Pennsylvania (Saturday).
The program: John Stetor in F.J. Hartland's "Punkin"; Demetria Marsh in James Michael Shoberg's "Spellbound"; Rachel Noderer and Greg Caridi in Chris Gavaler's "Who's on First"; Tracey Taylor Perles in Kim Zelonis' "Retro Hottie"; Rachel Noderer, Diana Ifft and Donna Rae in Carol Mullen's "She Times Three"; Caridi in Zelonis' "Covered"; Barbara Russell in Paula Martinac's "The Tenants"; Diana Ifft in Chris Gavaler's "Cell Phone"; Jeannine McKelvia in Zelonis' "Unbred Mother"; John Stetor in Judy Meiksin's "Untitled No. 1"; Etta Cox in Marilyn Bates' "Untitled No. 2"; Rae in Bates' "Bombshell"; Marsh in Meiksin's "Mariam"; Vince Ventura in Sandy Boggs' "The Superhero."
Others who had hoped to participate include Bingo O'Malley, who got a movie, and Lenora Nemetz, who got a Broadway show. "The project was good for them," jokes Rae. It promises to be good for others, too.
In the Wings: 'Womenscene'
Thursday, May 15, 2008
By Christopher Rawson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Donna Rae, who once upon a time invented the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, is at it again, dreaming up "WOMENSCENE," an eclectic evening of 14 monologues and short scenes written for and about women, to benefit women.
Director Lora Oxenreiter suggested inviting local playwrights to participate. The assorted monologues and dialogues are mostly less than five minutes, and the whole program runs about 90 minutes. It will be staged tonight through Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at The Union Project, 801 N. Negley Ave., Highland Park; tickets $20 ($5 discount with student ID); reservations at 412-655-9530.
"It marks the culmination of two years of planning, cajoling and recruiting writers, staging volunteers and actors," says Rae, a noted cajoler. She credits Richard E. Rauh for underwriting the project so that all the money raised each night will go direct to these beneficiaries: The Union Project (tonight), Women in Film and Media (Friday) and LUPUS Pennsylvania (Saturday).
The program: John Stetor in F.J. Hartland's "Punkin"; Demetria Marsh in James Michael Shoberg's "Spellbound"; Rachel Noderer and Greg Caridi in Chris Gavaler's "Who's on First"; Tracey Taylor Perles in Kim Zelonis' "Retro Hottie"; Rachel Noderer, Diana Ifft and Donna Rae in Carol Mullen's "She Times Three"; Caridi in Zelonis' "Covered"; Barbara Russell in Paula Martinac's "The Tenants"; Diana Ifft in Chris Gavaler's "Cell Phone"; Jeannine McKelvia in Zelonis' "Unbred Mother"; John Stetor in Judy Meiksin's "Untitled No. 1"; Etta Cox in Marilyn Bates' "Untitled No. 2"; Rae in Bates' "Bombshell"; Marsh in Meiksin's "Mariam"; Vince Ventura in Sandy Boggs' "The Superhero."
Others who had hoped to participate include Bingo O'Malley, who got a movie, and Lenora Nemetz, who got a Broadway show. "The project was good for them," jokes Rae. It promises to be good for others, too.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Shameless Self Promotion: WomenScene
Correction: They added my third monologue. I have 3 monologues in this!
I have two monologues in this.
WOMENSCENE
An Evening of Original Theatre about Women for Women
Made possible with a generous contribution from
Richard E. Rauh
Join us for an evening of eclectic theatre
A Dozen or So Monologues and Short Scenes
Written for women, about women and to benefit women
Benefit Partners
Union Project – Thursday, May 15, 2008
Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh – Friday, May 16, 2008
Lupus Pennsylvania – Saturday, May 17, 2008
$20 per person
$15 with a Student ID
Union Project
801 N. Negley Avenue at the corner of Stanton Avenue
East Liberty
Parking Available
Curtain 7:30 P.M.
Reception 9:00 P.M.
Reservations Suggested
(412) 655-9530
After May 1, 2008
The Union Project, in East Liberty, provides community space to connect, create, and celebrate. The Union Project brings Pittsburgh communities together through mission-based businesses (stained glass restoration, ceramics studio, space rental and cafe) and community events for youth and adults.
LUPUS Pennsylvania is the local nonprofit health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus, and to providing support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus.
Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh is dedicated to improving the status and portrayal of women in film, video and other screen based media.
I have two monologues in this.
WOMENSCENE
An Evening of Original Theatre about Women for Women
Made possible with a generous contribution from
Richard E. Rauh
Join us for an evening of eclectic theatre
A Dozen or So Monologues and Short Scenes
Written for women, about women and to benefit women
Benefit Partners
Union Project – Thursday, May 15, 2008
Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh – Friday, May 16, 2008
Lupus Pennsylvania – Saturday, May 17, 2008
$20 per person
$15 with a Student ID
Union Project
801 N. Negley Avenue at the corner of Stanton Avenue
East Liberty
Parking Available
Curtain 7:30 P.M.
Reception 9:00 P.M.
Reservations Suggested
(412) 655-9530
After May 1, 2008
The Union Project, in East Liberty, provides community space to connect, create, and celebrate. The Union Project brings Pittsburgh communities together through mission-based businesses (stained glass restoration, ceramics studio, space rental and cafe) and community events for youth and adults.
LUPUS Pennsylvania is the local nonprofit health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus, and to providing support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus.
Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh is dedicated to improving the status and portrayal of women in film, video and other screen based media.
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