Interfaith Nunnery Wedding Story continues..

Rehearsal.. is the Hysteria worth the Halibut?

On the day of the Wedding Rehearsal, Taste of Chicago opened to a packed crowd. No one was paying attention. No one recognized the danger. I walked down and got a manicure and a pedicure from nice people at Water Tower Place and Nordstrom's(you can't expect to get both in the same place if you didn't call ahead), and got back the hotel with fourty-five minutes to prepare for the rehearsal. I figured this would be just enough time for a shower, so I looked halfway decent (you can't show up at the rehearsal with unwashed hair: it would be rude to the wedding planner). My mother came with me, and while I was busy having my feet scrubbed, blissfully my Mother was drawn into the clutches of a makeup floor artist at Nordstrom's . When the woman was done, my mother looked like a circus clown, and had half a grand in horrible makeup purchases tucked under her arm. I spent the entire walk home trying to tell her she should wash off the makeup and return the purchases, because she looked perfectly fabulous without all of that horrible face paint. Having accomplished my objective (she agreed that it had been a weak moment, what with her son getting married) I pushed the button for the elevator. Then I saw my brother's fiance.

Like me she was waiting for the elevator; unlike me, she was in a state of near hysteria. I quickly took the heavy bags out of her hands, and listened to her story of un-relenting traffic and unexpected delays. Taste of Chicago had struck. My brother and his fiance had been in the car for over two hours, and traveled only 15 miles. The hotel had told her over the phone her room wouldn't be ready until five. FIVE! Was it too much to ask for a bridal suite one had paid for months and months in advance to be ready on time? She looked about ready to ring someone's neck. I decided my shower would have to wait. We went up to the top floor, found her room had been prepared (I can only suppose after she had broken the hotel manager's ear-drum) left her bags with her and hurried down to my room.

Now I was stressed. Would my mother be able to get that stuff off her face? Would my brother's fiancé actually kill for a perfect wedding? It was a three ring circus, but thankfully I had a very minor role. We all got to the ball room in time, learned our parts (walk slowly, smile, hold the bouquet higher!) and tumbled into a bunch of taxi's heading for Spago: the site of the rehearsal dinner.