1988 Wedding Reception (7/23/1988)

Saturday, July 23, 1988

Our prayers have been answered as the sun was peeking out this morning! Kent and I went out to put up the tent canopies, durable with huge yellow and white stripes. We laid them out, and discovered that instead of two 20’ x 30’ canopies, one of them was 20’ x 20’. But actually it fit better in our back yard, because of the shed. We began pounding in stakes, and the cheap hammer eventually broke into several pieces.

Jim, arrived with Terry, Kathy, and my mom, and Kent's parents arrived. The Ss took Kyle and Erich to return a video and pick up video games, and to buy mahogany plate stands at Pier 1 Imports. The others, especially Jim, helped put up the canopies, using sophisticated knots to draw the ropes taut. Frank arrived in the middle of this and helped, too. He had been at the Esquire Motel, having arrived at 2:00 or so. Eventually we got the canopies up, with three rather than four section lengths in the middle poles. Swept the dirt off the insides, and my mother took a damp cloth to wipe the edges. We set up the tables; three banquet tables along the back of the largest tent, with four round tables. A banquet table over the concrete cistern cap, towards the middle of the smaller canopy, with two round tables. We put eight chairs around each round table, and spread out the rest of the 75 in total chairs! We put tablecloths on the tables.

Our backyard (GJT)

Town Wine & Spirits delivered the beverages; four cases of Hope beer, two of Samuel Adams, one of Amstel Light, a case of Coca-cola, a case of Diet Coke, a case of ginger ale, a half case of 7-Up, nine bottles of white wine, and two bottle of rose, and two large washtubs. Kent went to get ice and go to the bank, and ended up having to get another washtub. Last Thursday I had gone to the Yacht Club factory outlet in North Providence to get a case each of birch beer, sarsaparilla, and cream sodas, so we had those to ice down as well!

Beverage table (photo by Ada)

Kent’s mom took me to State Line Florist to pick up the flowers, and Mary S waited on us. I also got some fresh cut flowers, including the last of the iris. Back at home, I had help putting a bouquet on each round table, and one on the beverage and one on the food table.

One of the bouquets

I put iris in the vases on either side of the fireplace and some in a vase upstairs. We had snowflake mums that my mother arranged in a vase for the TV room and in a vase for the dining room table, with help from Terry and Kathy.

The Poppyseed Caterers, Pat F and her helper, Steven, arrived about 12:30 to set up the food.

Food tables (GJT)

I was given the wrong cake bouquet, and we had to doctor it a bit with greens to fit the cake. The angel food cake was especially nice, two-tiered with white icing with an arrangement of tiny white cloth roses. The tradition of a wedding cake goes back to Roman times where wheat symbolized fertility. Supposedly one pound of cake will yield five portions. This must have been a 16-pound cake! We did not have the rice that also symbolizes fertility. Flowers are also a Roman tradition, being symbols of fertility and fidelity. (The purple iris symbolizes wisdom and admiration.) The Roman brides often carried herbs. Roses symbolize love. A Victorian custom is to have the first letters of the flowers spell out the groom’s name, but I couldn’t find flowers that began with the letters K, E, N, or T!

Wedding cake (MJT)

The Ss took off with Kyle and Erich to get a bite to eat and have a swim before returning for the reception at 14:00. Terry, Kathy, and Frank went off to eat, and my mother and Jim stayed to help. Jim helped Kent set up the stereo on the butcher block table on the screened porch along with the coffeemaker. The speakers were placed outside. We had a large selection of cassette tapes, but only played the jazz radio station WOTB/100/3! Jim showered, and then Kent and I showered, being done at 13:45!

Everyone dressed casually, except I wore my wedding dress.

Tamiko and Ada (TAB)

On the wedding day I followed the ancient rhyme of “something old (stockings), something new (dress, slip, shoes), something borrowed (Kathy’s earrings), something blue (I sewed a blue bow on my slip),” but I did not have a sixpence in my shoe! According to Israeli custom, a blue ribbon border was used on the robes to symbolize purity, fidelity, and love. Otherwise, blue is associated with the purity of the Virgin Mary. I received lots of admiration for the dress, and for the wedding ring, and estate ring. The circle shape of the ring symbolized unending love since the time of the Egyptians. Gold is thought to be pure and holy. The ring is traditionally placed on the third finger of the left hand because the ancient peoples believed a vein ran directly from this finger to the heart. Another Roman tradition is to be carried over the threshold. It is thought that brides demonstrated reluctance and had to be bodily taken in to the man’s home! Or else it is believed the groom lifts the bride over evil spirits which lurk at the threshold! We have yet to deal with any evil spirits!

At 14:00 we began making the punch. My dad arrived with Grandma and Dot. He had taken them down to Newport for the morning. Phil and David arrived with David’s girlfriend, Debbie. The reception had begun, and there was a fairly steady flow of guests, with plenty to eat and drink. I was able to greet most people and have them sign the guest book, and to point out the “confetti” for them to take home.

Guest book and confetti basket

Confetti

“Confetti” is the Italian tradition of giving out sugared almonds (confetto is a candy or sugared almond) to represent the bitterness and sweetness of life. We put in three white and two yellow sugared almonds in a square of fine netting, wrapped the wire stem of a tiny cloth rose to close the packet, then added a purple ribbon bow. The colors of our reception are turned out to be yellow and purple!

Nearly everyone wanted a tour through the house, some went on their own, and some had a S family member guide. And people brought gifts, even many who had already given us something! Our dining room table as overflowing with gifts.

Dining room table (photo by Ada)

Any kids who arrived were sent to the basement where Kyle and Erich had the Nintendo set up. Anyone who was interested could watch the wedding video in the TV room.

At 15:30, Kent and I alerted the family photographers, and went to cut the cake.

Erich watches his dad and Tamiko cut the cake (TAB)

We let each other take a neat bite. The caterer cut the rest of the cake. We timed it so that those who had to leave by 16:00 could get dessert! Kent and I even found time to eat. A basket of crackers and breadsticks, and a tray of cheese and grapes. The food was explained and served by Pat and Steven as you walked along the banquet tables. Chicken teriyaki on sticks, mini corn muffins with jam and ham or turkey, a delicious chicken pasta salad with a pesto-French vinaigrette, a garden salad fresh from Pat’s garden with a vinaigrette dressing, and crudité with carrots, celery, cauliflower and broccoli in a basket with a choice of a French onion dip or an herb sour cream dip. There was also a basket of mini spinach pies. Everyone seemed happy, pleased with the food, the drinks, and the house. Kent and I tried to mingle with everyone.

Grandma Marie and Dot (GJT)

Gordon and Jim (MJT)

Yuriko and Grandma Marie (GJT)

Kathy and Phil (GJT)

Jim and Terry (GJT)

David and Debbie (GJT)

Yuriko, Frank, Jim, and Terry (MJT)

Erich and Jim (TAB)

Bert and Tamiko (TAB)

Ada and Bert (GJT)

Kent and Erich (photo by Ada)

Bert and Kyle (photo by Ada)

Erich with a wet basketball (KWT)

Very slowly people began to leave. The sky remained dry throughout the day, with some clouds, but also some sun. It wasn’t too hot or humid. We were so lucky! By 19:30 only the Ss and our immediate families were left, but they soon dissipated. Only Kent’s parents were left when we started putting away the beverages, folding up the linens, and taking apart the stereo. We folded the tables and put them and the chairs on the screened porch. This is when it began to rain! We left only the canopies up at night. Later the Ts called, and we went to join them and the Ws at 21:00 at Friendly’s. Kent’s parents stayed with Kyle and Erich.

It was freezing at Friendly’s because of the air-conditioning so we moved to Pub Dennis, where they had to spread out the 17 of us! The first table was given to the old ladies: Grandma, Aunt Sophie, and Dot. Kent and I joined them, and so did my dad and Kathy. The others were put at booths of six and four. I had a crock of seafood chowder (you could stand a spoon in it) and Kent had a bacon-mushroom-onion burger. It was pouring rain outside. We left at 22:30 and said our goodbyes and thank-yous to everyone. Once home, Kent was anxious to open gifts, and so I logged them on my list. The kids were already in bed, and Kent’s parents watched. Later Frank arrived to spend the night at our house. Kent's parents left, and we opened cards and money gifts. Wow!