My First Turkish Wedding

I went to a Turkish wedding last night. I could not have felt more honored. This is only the second time since I've been here that one of my Turkish friends has invited me to do something and not the other way around. Mind you, that i was invited three days before the wedding, but that didn't seem to matter. I got to sit at the table next to the bride and groom's table, get dance lessons from the bride, and was the last guest to leave. I partied hard. Let me start at the beginning.

So, my friend from the D.V.D./Perfume store invited me to her sister's wedding this weekend. I have never met the bride--well that's not true actually. We met over the web cam once while my friend was talking to her during one of her shifts while I was visiting. Any who, she remembered me when she saw me, so I was terribly flattered. So, to start with, I had terrible directions. My other friend who would not even be accompanying me gave me the very bad directions. I ended up in a place I was very familiar with, but nowhere near the wedding bliss. Here i am, I have just taken the bus and walked for almost 15 minutes in my heels and dress pants and received quite a few looks...so I did what I felt was safest. I asked a police man for directions. The wedding was at the 'Bacardi Club.' That's right, The Bacardi Club. This particular wedding only served water and sparkling...Coke, despite it's location.

Back to the cop...he does not know where this place is, so he asks his cop friend on the phone. Too many directions, he tells me. (Obviously, he sees that my comprehension is limited.) He directs me to a waiting police car with two police men inside and says that they will take me to my wedding. Now, I have never thought i would ride in a police car in America, much less Turkey...but I did. A very well marked police car with two officers inside. I got an actual police escort to the wedding. Now, I generally in life, try to keep a low profile. It was take the Po-Po up on a ride, or not make it to the wedding, so I was careful and I was much obliged. Will try not to make a habit out of it though...

So, I get to the wedding, and of course my friend is not even there yet. I entertain myself after I am seated at a table near the bride and groom's table to be. It is an outside courtyard and all the tables are decorated with candles and lace. Lots of it. When my friend arrives, she is wearing what appears to be a prom dress like outfit. I am a bit under dressed looking at her, but a bit over dressed looking at some of the other guests. We chat and she assigns someone to take care of me--her yabanci friend--while she is busy and apologizes to me. I 'm just glad to be there. It is not an actual wedding. It is a big party, but at one point, the bride and groom did exchange something like vows in front of the crowd.

When the bride and groom entered, something akin to 'Chariots of Fire' began to play and they entered through a red carpet lined with sparklers that went off as they were walking. It was pretty grandiose. She greeted every table of guests during the party and people took turns pinning pieces of gold to a red sash that she wore. This is what people generally give for a wedding gift. The bride and groom both wore these red sashes and by the time they left, they were sparkling with gold pendants.

After much greeting, the dancing began. Don't worry, I could not be present and not dance. Everyone gathered into a big circle clapping and the bride danced in the middle of the circle with people alternating in and out of the circle with her. I got to be that esteemed person a choice few times and was mortified both times. None of the functions I attended in college prepared me for doing a Turkish belly dance like motion in the middle of a circle of Turks clapping...as I write, I'm struck by how absolutely ridiculously interesting my life has gotten.

I could not totally find the wedding or communicate with people while their as much as I would like,but I am learning and in spite of my weaknesses, I am making friends and I am sharing who I am with them. My friend invited me to her sister's wedding! And that made my day and I would not have missed it for the world, police escort and all. Sometimes I feel just helpless, but He always brings me help and He constantly is my Help. If you ever need a date to a Turkish wedding, you should call me. I'm already looking forward to the next one! We will take the bus and not the police car, if you would like.