The dress, the downpour, and the Nutbush

You guys…I forgot how long it takes to truly get frocked up.

It was my cousin’s wedding yesterday, and honestly, between the getting ready, the ceremony, the reception, and the dancing until my shoes came off, there’s a lot to cover. Including the dress reveal I’ve been teasing for a few posts now, and my favourite Australian wedding traditions!

The Pre-Game

It started on Thursday, with the all over fake tan. Normally, I just tan my legs because they’re typically translucent, to the point that at night with a bit of moonlight, I’m sure they would almost glow in the dark.

This was the first time in years that I’ve done all over. Once it was done, I basically spent the next 24 hours stressing that it was too dark, and having people remind me I don’t look like Donald Trump.

Phew.

Saturday morning, the day of the wedding, I did my nails. Admittedly, I’d intended on doing these earlier but I was too tired. And lazy.

I use dip polish, which means it takes around 2 hours from start to finish. But they’re super solid, and incredibly difficult to chip. And for a nail biter (hello anxiety), they’re a lifesaver and keep my nails intact.

Then I had to paint my toenails. Which are not dip polish, because who can be that flexible for 2 hours at a time? Not this girl.

I showered, and then came the hair.

It takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to straighten my hair. And that’s because I sit at my desk and read blogs, then have to reply to said blogs, and…I get distracted.

All that to say, it basically took nearly 3.5 hours to get ready. I timed it pretty well though, I had enough time to write a blog post, get my makeup on, and get in the car for the 1.5hr trip south.

Though I did stop to take a few quick snaps at home. (Side note, I need someone to teach me how to stand for photos and where to put my hands.)

The dress is the Coco Mesh Midi Dress from Portmans. When looking for the link, I just saw it’s on sale for $70 off! Doh! But I absolutely love this dress, it’s quite possibly the most comfortable I’ve ever been in something fitting.

I also insisted the boys get together for a family photo. Why do I look so grumpy? And note to future Kelly, choose a better backdrop! But look at my handsome boys!

The Ceremony

The wedding was held at Walkabout Creek in Enoggera Reservoir. The ceremony was a short walk from the main area, at this gorgeous outdoor stage overlooking the lake. It had a small undercover section for the bridal party, surrounded by tiered seating for a large group of people. Everyone was assured a great view.

It had been threatening to rain all morning, and as much as we kept all our fingers and toes crossed, unfortunately, the heavens opened while we waited for the bride to arrive. Later, we found out it had poured right as she was getting out of the car (I reminded her that rain on a wedding day is a sign of good luck, so for that timing, it means she was truly blessed).

Everyone there hid under the little undercover area (keeping the groom and his groomsmen dry) or under the trees. It only lasted about 5 minutes, but it was heavy enough to get a few things quite saturated.

And to the credit of everyone there, no one cared! As soon as it passed, we all went and sat back on the (now wet) benches and waited for the bride.

Later, we found out that the bride had tried to suggest bringing everyone upstairs to dry off and that she and her now-husband would just say their vows alone. She was so worried that everyone would be upset over getting wet. I reassured her that no one had missed a beat, and we were all there for the two of them, no matter the weather.

As I recounted to her later, all we saw was her beauty, her chin held high, and the smile on her face.

She. Was. Stunning.

We saw her proud father, her beaming now-husband, and the looks of just sheer love in their eyes. Not a chance we would have ever missed that.

As is tradition, when they were signing the paperwork, some music played. Before it came on, the bride mumbled a bit of an apology and a laugh.

The song? “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles.

Hilarious, ironic, and so funny.

Worst moment? I had forgotten to wash my son’s outfit after we bought it a week earlier, only for us to realise the morning of the wedding. It seemed fine, so we dressed him in it and were on our way.

Wrong call. He reacted to the chemicals in the clothing they sometimes use during shipping. He broke out in a terrible rash, so between the ceremony and reception, he and my husband had to rush to a chemist for antihistamines, then to another store for a change of clothes.

The Reception

After the ceremony, and while my husband and son were on their mercy dash, we all made our way upstairs for the reception. It was all undercover, with long tables and simple, white, rustic-style decorations. It looked fantastic.

Another one of my cousins and I grabbed a cocktail, where it felt like they had made it entirely from tequila. Not complaining, we certainly got our money’s worth of alcohol! I kept to wine after that, to be safe.

Afterwards, the music came on, and that’s where things really came alive.

My family loves to dance. And by family, I mean all of my aunts, cousins, and even the uncles can get out there and bust a move.

One of my favourite moments was seeing my son on the dance floor. He’s always loved music, and to see him let rip (he was even breakdancing at one point) and just having a great time. So many people came up to tell me how much fun he is. He also commandeered the Polaroid cameras and went around on “official photographer duties” getting snaps of everyone.

There were two standout dance floor memories for me, which for those based internationally, involve two key Australian wedding traditions:

• When The Angels’ song “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?” came on. Now, this song is about grieving and the loss of one’s loved one (ideal for a wedding, amiright?). If you ever need to find an Australian in the wild, put that song on. Because without a doubt, the Australians will sing “No way! Get f**ked! F**k off!” to the chorus. It’s true Aussie humour – it makes no sense and it’s offensive. I told my son he was allowed to swear for that song when he sang along (we rouse on him a lot if he uses curse words normally), and there was sheer joy on his face being able to yell those words at the top of his lungs, surrounded by 70-odd people doing the exact same. He had so much fun, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
• The Nutbush. Again, this is a way to find the Aussies in the wild. When “Nutbush City Limits” by Tina Turner comes on, everyone instantly starts line dancing. Years ago one of my friends (can’t remember which one) and I made a deal that we had to jump it the whole way. No standing flat footed and doing the moves, you had to jump. So when this song came on, I JUMPED. The shoes came off, the dress was hitched up, and ladies and gentlemen, these 42 year old legs held their own. I was puffed at the end, but I did it. (Today my legs are absolutely cooked…I wonder why).

I have to give a shout-out to the shoes while I’m here. It’s not often I can wear heels (do wedges count as heels?) for long without blisters or aching feet. I’d read a tip to put Bodyglide on my toes, and I think it worked a treat. Today I’m blister-free, and they stayed on for almost the whole night, excluding the Nutbush. My only complaint would be that they made me so damn tall. My husband is 6ft 4, and for once, I didn’t have to look up too much. The most hilarious part came when I went to the toilet and nearly fell over because I had to bend down so far!

It was such a great night. I truly adore our family, and there are so many unique characters – it’s just a special feeling when we’re all together. I’m also so grateful to my cousin for inviting Luca (normally weddings can be child-free), because he was so honoured to be there. Even with the clothing drama, he had the best time.

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Does anyone else have wedding traditions like these, Australian or otherwise?”What iconic memories of weddings do you have?