Several years ago an unnamed woman I know surprised me by being much more attached to various decorations and dress protocols in her wedding than I ever would have expected given her typically anti-typical nature . . . and I remember thinking to myself "Hmm, when faced with a wedding, apparently EVERYONE becomes a bride."

I like to think I'm doing alright at refraining from becoming a crazed bridezilla, with adamant needs and expensive tastes, but I was reminded of the above sentiment when I went in to have a manicure this week -- something I haven't done in several years -- and found myself at the front desk making appointments for hair cuts, facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures pretty much every week between now and May 12. Apparently we all have our bride-crazed weaknesses.

As I stood there going over my calendar, I flashed to an afternoon when I was 7 that I had not thought of since . . . well, perhaps ever. It was the afternoon of Dad and Amber's wedding. Amber, her mother, and I were all getting our hair done at Elizabeth Arden. Amber was also getting a manicure -- something I'd never heard of or seen before. But I knew right then and there, that I simply HAD to have one. It simply wasn't fair that I hadn't been signed up for this too.

I threw a crying fit, as only a 7-year-old can get away with, and Amber's mother took the logical, but thoroughly ineffective route of trying to reason with me. "I'll give you a manicure as soon as we get home," she said. But I wasn't having any of it.

I cried and stomped and cried some more until that manicurist decided to stay late, past closing time, to give the brat a manicure.

All of which is to say -- that while I think both Steve and I are managing to stay calm about this whole affair (Hey, we're letting the wedding party wear whatever they want! I mean, how low maintenance is that?) -- if I ever do seem to be demanding . . . a) I'm sorry and b) aren't you glad I've matured since I was seven??

posted by Karen @ 1:02 PM