a wedding in KC

in fact, a couple of people have asked me if i’m going to post anything about my recent wedding trip to kansas city… here ya go.

i’ve been thinking about this post, in reality, since i arrived in KC. on average, i’ve been ‘home’ about once a year since i moved to hawaii and while every return is a bit more surreal than the last, this one was a kind of wakeup-call on a number of levels….

granted, my memory is notoriously bad, so its perfectly reasonable to wonder whether this trip was in fact the first wakeup-call or just deja vu.

i guess the best place to start would be at the beginning, right? as i started to think about and make plans for the trip, there were a few things that made me a bit apprehensive about it. for starters, apparently i’ve begun to develop anxiety about flying: not so much the crashing and dying, but about the small space surrounded by people. that’s a topic for another post. secondly, i understood a former friend of mine was also planning to attend the wedding. her and i had a falling out several months back and i didn’t want to have to deal with any drama while i was there. lastly, there was the thought of seeing and interacting with people (friends) whom i hadn’t seen or really spoken to since i was there last. i thought it would be stressful and awkward.

as it turns out, i got really lucky with both my flights there; i had plenty of space. while the same wasn’t true for the return flights, i was able to procure isle seats on both flights back. no worries. the former friend decided against attending the wedding, i’m assuming for financial reasons, though i can’t say i really asked. and, as i should have expected, seeing my old friends was fine. no stress. no awkwardness. in fact, it was like slipping on your favorite piece of clothing, or wrapping yourself in a favorite blanket. it was so nice.

it was during this trip trip that i finally realized that no matter the time or distance, those people will always be my friends. i never have to worry that we will drift apart or lose touch with that friendship. it will be there forever and truly stand the test of time. it was a great comfort and joy, making the whole weekend that much more enjoyable and memorable.

i arrived in KC a little after 2pm two days before the big day. i had chosen that day, in particular, because the bachelor party had been scheduled for that same night. i didn’t want to miss the bachelor party, because of some of my apprehensions, by the time i had arrived, can honestly say i wasn’t that excited about the evening’s events and had started contemplating leaving the part early. once we got started, however, i loosened up and had a great time. the groom, on the other hand, might not have had the time of his life, at least not toward the later hours of the night. all i’ll say, for his sake, is two things. one, he might have had just a bit too much too drink. two, i haven’t laughed that hard in a really, really long time.

most of the next day was a bust, spent mostly sleeping. that night was the rehearsal dinner at jack stack (fantastic bbq, in case you don’t know) in downtown KC. it was a very nice evening, caught up with old friends, family of the groom, and with the bride as well. there were, of course, speeches mostly directed at the groom (he’s VERY lucky to have found a woman who can tolerate him and the like). no, i did not give a speech, though i did think about it and almost made one. however, speaking in front of people isn’t one of my most favorite things, and i felt i could tell them more privately what i decided not to say publicly.

following dinner, ‘the gang’ headed to a coffee shop on the plaza. all in all, a fabulous evening that i was a bit sad to see end; i was one day closer to the return to real life.

it’s ok, though, because the next morning (bright and early) we all headed to chris cakes for all-you-can-eat pancakes. they were quite tasty. a good time was had by all, and it was nice to just spend time as a group, apart from the fanfare that had brought us all together once again.

then came the wedding. we arrived at the hobbs building shortly before 7pm, after checking into our dive motel and getting lost. as guests started to shuffle in, servers with little trays passed around very yummy food and beverages (alcohol). after a time we found our seats and watched the beautiful (and short) ceremony. and one of my oldest friends was married to the perfect girl for him.

dinner, dancing, drinks, and pictures filled the rest of the night. i had a great time, as i’m sure did everyone else. while the venue was perfect, the chuppa was beautiful, the food delicious, and the laughter plentiful, i have to say (quite sentimentally, perhaps) what made the night for me was watching the newlyweds in their first dance as husband and wife. yes, it was quite amusing to watch (the groom is not known as the world’s best dancer), but what first caught my attention was just how happy the groom was. in all the years i’ve known him, i’m not sure i’ve ever seen him that happy; if guys can glow, he was.

at the conclusion of the party (we were kicked out of the space at 12am), we went to town topic, to which i’d never been previously. if there hadn’t been so many of us and if i didn’t have a thing about small spaces, i would have enjoyed it much more. as it was, i still thoroughly enjoyed it and was glad to see one of the places they like to frequent.

the evening ended with at trip to bar natasha, a gay bar. at least that’s how it was billed to me. i might have figured it out once inside, but i might not have. the place was fantastic. it was a bar/lounge atmosphere and we arrived just as they were starting a request hour. there was a piano in the middle of the room and the servers would take requests and sign. some of them were quite talented. i definitely look forward to going back there during my next visit to KC.

the bar closed promptly at 130am and by that time i think we were all quite ready for sleep. ‘the gang,’ including myself, adjourned to our shady hotel room, shared beds with dirty sheets and attempted to sleep over low rumbling and through vibrations (the loudest snoring i’ve ever experienced).

the day after the wedding was fairly low key; i’m sure there was some recuperating involved, but i don’t remember much up until dinner that evening….

monday came too quickly and, as was necessary, i boarded a plane and returned to my island home. it was a good trip. in fact, it was better than good, but with the hodgepodge of feelings still tumbling in my brain, it’s hard to grasp a more fitting descriptor. all in all, it was a surreal, wonderful, eye opening weekend, both for the better and the worse…. now i’m back in my life.

congrats to lindsey and danny!

  • Share on:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*