It's a Date!

It’s hard to wrap my brain around the fact that it’s been 30 years since my initial fascination with the royal family began.  As one of the 750 million viewers who watched Diana marry Prince Charles on that July day in 1981, I surely wasn’t alone in my royal obsession. And now it’s going into overdrive all over again. Diana's son is getting married! 

I have to say I am pretty jazzed about watching the whole wedding of Wills and Kate.  Much like I felt about Diana, I really like this girl William has picked for himself – a pretty key qualifier in my book.  Unlike his father, William has truly picked his bride.  And I appreciate, far more now than I might have back then, that Kate and William have a very long relationship behind them.  I also like that she is a commoner.  In fact, I'm thrilled that she is not only inviting the postman, but also her local bartender to the party!  Seems like two good choices to me.  I think Diana would be tickled pink with William’s pick. 

It’s not that I’ve gotten in so deep that I’ve been reading all the blogs and second-guessing the details surrounding their big day. Mostly, I just can’t wait to see the dress.  And at the end of the day, it will be Kate’s dress that influences wedding wear for the next several years, just as Princess Diana’s did nearly 30 years ago! That was one BIG dress.

In full disclosure on this score, I’ve also recently become somewhat enamored with a little show called, “Say Yes to the Dress,” a TLC reality show which films at Kleinfeld Bridal in NYC.  Whatever Kate’s wedding confection ends up being on her big day, I have an inkling that the latest royal wedding will only amp up the volume on this kind of show going forward.  Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

As it happens, and as I’ve mentioned, we also have a recently engaged girl in the family.  Therefore, it is with a twisted kind of reasoning (and playing a little fast and loose with definitions) that I’ve decided that all of this – the royal wedding watch and the dress obsession - is just good research.  However, I am also keenly aware that, if I am not careful, this could be one slippery slope evolving into a full blown obsession requiring eventual intervention. 

Kleinfeld's Randy

When my daughter announced that her boyfriend had proposed in Paris (something we knew he was going to do before she did, and I sincerely thank my future son-in-law for his adherence to a somewhat antiquated etiquette on this score), she assured me it was to be a long engagement.  With this in mind and long before we begin to entertain the idea of a visit to Kleinfeld’s for the quintessential buying trip - very high on my oldest sister's to-do list -  and dreaming of my daughter receiving the wardrobe wizardry of Randy, I decided that maybe I should write to the wedding coordinator in Chautuauqua about the protocol for planning a wedding at the Lake.  Nothing on a royal scale, mind you, but a wedding nonetheless.  Surely, there was plenty of time considering the length of their intended engagement.  Surely, it was too early to even ask. Nope! The truth is, I feel pretty lucky that I wrote at all!

Hall of Philosophy

When it comes to getting married at Chautauqua’s Hall of Philosophy, a long engagement is not only a good idea, it's apparently absolutely necessary!  Unless you're the type of chick who is merely dating a guy and likes to think ahead (no pressure, buddy), getting married on a Saturday in Chautauqua is not for the spur of the moment kind of bride!  It's barely an option for the regular kind of bride!! As of last week, the Greek-inspired outside venue was already booked for every time slot available for every Saturday from May 2011 all the way through October of 2012!  Granted, weddings held here are limited to May, early June, September and October due to the 9-week summer season, but even I was pretty surprised that what I thought was a completely premature inquiry into a wedding date late in 2012 or 2013 quickly evolved into our actually picking the date.  Now!

My daughter was also pretty surprised.  Her fiancé, even more so.  In all likelihood, “freaked” is probably a better word.  But if it's your daughter's dream to walk down the center aisle at the Hall of Philosophy on a Saturday in June, it is what it is.  And what it looks to be is a June 15, 2013 wedding at Chautauqua.  Slippery slope indeed!