Canada

The Canadian wedding stood in sharp contrast to the girlfest of Lauren's big day. I was on the only non-related girl on the groom's side who came alone. The rest were accompanied by husbands, boyfriends, and family.

I spent most of my time sorting the boys out. There were four from our college crew still single and entirely unsure of the etiquette surrounding all things wedding.

We played a rousing game of Chris Bingo which I was elected to win at the after party.

The painstaking attention the bride personally paid to every aspect of the wedding was awe-inspiring. Her bridesmaid and she made the three tiered wedding cake from scratch. Each layer was a different flavor. They also had created the centerpieces with red daises in clear vases with a series of black stones at the base. She had small stones with names and table numbers painted in white for each guest to pick up prior to seating themselves. The guestbook had polaroid stickers of each guest to affix and sign. They released butterflies at the end of their vows. The ceremony itself was outdoors on the golf course at Chateau Cartier in Quebec. The reception which immediately followed took place in a dining room overlooking the golf course. The bridesmaid's simple yet elegant red dress was mesmerizing. The toasts were as different as Britain and China yet accurately reflected each side's style and sense of humor.

There was a Stuart challenge. This involves up to 11 people chugging a beer each in a relay fashion as Stuart tries to down his singular beer. He's improved since college. At one point he finished before our 4th man. Sad but impressive for Stu. His future wife to be had a great sense of humor about the thing and I was glad they'd found each other.

The night before the wedding the groom's family hosted a wine and cheese at the multi-purpose room in their highrise in Ontario. It was a mish mosh of Chinese, Canadian, British, American, and Happas. It seemed that every couple in our generation was half Chinese and half Caucasian--apparently the Canasian way! I was stunned to be the only Indian in a room where two doctors were tying the knot.

Our first night in Quebec, the bride and groom took us to a casino for some gambling fun. I stuck to the slots and quit when I broke even on my $5CAN. It's uncanny how much money usually cautious people will drop in a casino. It was weird being in a gambling haven after my recent DVR obsession with Las Vegas. Eerie!

Tommy and Li took their turns dancing with me on the slow songs. I even got asked by Dr. Ho for a quick number that quickly slowed down. His one beer flush and constant camera clicking were too endearing for words. Couple that with a trillion vodka club sodas and it's amazing I made it to the after party at all.

We lay side by side on the bed talking for hours as the party whirled around us. Finally the boys went outside to smoke their cigars and drink one guest's gift: home brewed meade. The Dawson's Creek moment passed when the catcalling and cajoling drew us upright and to our separate rooms for a night of repose.

Tommy, Drew, and I had driven up so we made the journey back. Drew stayed with me for three days gathering himself around unemployment before heading north to Boston to visit his folks.

A college reunion wedding with no girls and loads of former engineers in Canada. That was the weekend of June 13, 2009.