About a year ago, I posted on my general hatred of attending weddings (nothing against the pair getting so married, just despising your average wedding ceremony and reception). Well, it still holds but over the weekend I attended about as enjoyable such an affair as I can imagine, short of Rowe and Caetano Veloso providing music at a civil ceremony.
Steve Griffith's (who JC denizens know as Captain Hate) lovely eldest daughter Heather completed the second of two rites with hubby Vineet (the first having taken place in India in January) on Sunday. The ceremony took place outside in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, as beautiful a setting as one could ask for. The affair was non-sectarian, presided over by one Rev. Cohen. Yes, that's right, Rev. Cohen. Can't be a whole helluva lot of those around. It took about 15 minutes--excellent--and consisted essentially of vows of love. Beats a mass any day.
The reception was in this large, sunlit greenhouse-like structure. As about half the contingent was Indian, the music was happily not your standard wedding crapola but included a great deal of bhangra. Now, perhaps it's my relative unfamiliarity with the music and I guess it's possible that there's some Indian version of Olewnick typing away right now in Delhi proclaiming the superiority of "Hot, Hot, Hot!" to his native pop music, but I could easily listen to bhangra all afternoon, no sweat. Way more rhythmically and otherwise interesting than US/Brit pop/schmaltz. There were also more than a few individuals who knew their way around the dance floor, providing some attractive and amusing visuals. Add several very enjoyable people at our table and some really good food and you have a wedding I can get behind.
Congrats, Steve!
Recent viewing:
Maria Full of Grace - Very fine, very sad
Samurai Rebellion - Wonderful Mifune; a small cut below Hara Kiri
Thanks for the nice words.
ReplyDeleteThe music is fairly boilerplate for Delhi ceremonies such as that; the DJ had a ready supply of it. I remember hearing it for the first time thinking "Hmmm, sitars, tablas and a weird Bo Diddley beat." After a while you recognize the songs (the playlist isn't huge) and anticipate the tempo shifts, of which there are a few.
It's too bad some of Vineet's teenaged cousins didn't make it over because they are extremely hot dancers (although not doing it in high heels and a short dress). In January one of Vineet's uncles told me that he wanted the DJ to play Born in the USA for me; for showing restraint by not giving an unexpurgated rant on the merits of "The Boss", maybe I should change my nic to Captain Diplomacy.