THE WEDDING
Well, M and I were in love, it was now decided that we would get married. When??? I don't know..... The question around the SAS building was WHAT??????? one female even accused M of stealing American guys.......well actually .........I think it went down as, " all you foreign girls come over to the states and steal our men" At least, that's the way I understood it. Planning this shin-dig was something else. M's parents and sisters were over in Sweden and it was my responsibility to visit them (per my mom and dad) and get their permission. M contacted them and told them she had met this ITALIAN GUY some time before and I guess it was also expressed on their part that they wanted to meet this ITALIAN GRINGO. Guess they were expecting to see some little short guy with a pencil mustache, and greasy hair wearing a pin strip suit and carrying a big club. Boy did I disappoint them. Anyway, the reception was very nice and the trip turned out well, even to the point that when I asked her mom and dad for her hand,(the old fashion way) I had nothing to put on her finger.......what a schlemiel.......They offered to take us to a store called NK's where we looked at rings but NK only accepted the store credit card or cash, or American Express. Long story short, I was offered the fathers credit card to buy the ring.....good part.......it was 18 carat gold iso the 14 carat sold in the states. I figured this was worth it but the father insisted I pay him back.
Flying back home, I thought it would be fun to propose again and have the navigator chart the exact spot over the Atlantic where I got down on my knees. We also got a bottle of champagne from the crew, that we reluctantly shared with some of the people around our seat area. Wonder where that map went??????
It was decided that my uncle and his band would play at the wedding, we had a friend we'll call Al from SAS who had done catering on board some Danish fishing boat before coming to SAS and we would hold the reception at a private home we could rent from the American Legion, who had it as a meeting place. We tried to keep costs very much into a budget. M agreed to get married in the Catholic Church that all my family were members of but of course M being non-catholic, had to meet the priest that was to perform the wedding. That did not go so well, especially since one of his questions, addressed to both of us but meant, in his eyes, to be directed to M. "have either of you been intimate with each other or anyone else" WWHHOOAA KIMBOSABY!!! what has that got to do with world peace??????????.....that didn't go so well with M and when she refused to answer, and I don't blame her, the priest simply stated that he was to try and stop this marriage unless M and I took other steps. ok! ok! ok! ok! so the other steps were taken. We were married outside the alter at the railing to the alter, and M had to say the words " I promise in front of these witnesses and God to love, honor and OBEY.... till death do us part"...or perhaps some time before,whichever comes first...... Well, we still have discussions some 44years later about the obey part. She needs practice on that subject.....or perhaps........just doesn't know what the word means.
Everything was going well, plans coming together like a Lego toy, until a week before the wedding. Al, decided that the cooking should be done at my parents house and the food frozen down. Al, after a day of work at the airport, would arrive at my parents house each night and he and my father would have a couple of shots of "three feathers" whiskey and polish off a quart of beer before Al even got next to the stove. Much to my mom's total surprise, there was no Italian food being prepared, only different types of fish including the salted herring in all kinds of sauces. Al conceded a little to my mom wanting some Italian food so she brought out her recipe book. Our house turned into an Italian bakery during the day, and a Scandinavian smorgasbord at night OMG!!! what was this wedding turning out to be. Finally, the big day arrived. M's mother and father arrived from Stockholm a few days before and the night before the wedding her father took ill and had to be rushed to the hospital. Guess, he finally came to the reality that his daughter was getting involved with an ITALIAN FAMILY. Anyway, he had a slight heart problem so my father was thrusted into the job of giving M away, He LOVED THAT big time. Meanwhile, Al and a waitress he met at some local bar were over at the house where the reception was being held laying out food and drink. The church part went along smooth and all the Swedish brides maids along with the American and Italian ushers were getting along famously. After the church ceremony it was decided that before the reception, the whole wedding party along with M's mom would go to the hospital to let M's dad enjoy this day to see how great his daughter looked. This event was really funny as all the wedding party had to walk through the maternity ward to get to M's dads room. Of course, the biggest comment along that route as "JUST IN TIME, WE DID IT JUST IN TIME"
It was well worth that little detour just to see the happiness on Bengts face.
When we finally reached the reception, the crowd was there, about 100 Italian or American guests along with M's side of about 50 Swedish girls, looking like a Swedish version of the Radio City Rochette's. All my Italian uncles were in 7th heaven, and their wives sat there with pads and pencils taking notes, if necessary to provide later at divorce court. The usual first dance, second dance, bride dance with the grooms father, grooms dance with the brides mother, group dance,Tarantella dance, Swedish May Day pole dance and what ever all those dances were called led to the throwing of the brides garter, which I completed without a hitch. Then came the toast. My best man was to toast us with a small speech, I was then to look into the eyes of my new bride, click glasses and kiss. Well, everything was going along as planned. The photographer was poised for that memorable photo. However, Just as the toast speech was finished, I looked at M and suddenly Al, the caterer who was standing in back of me, reached out, grabbed my glass and ended up clicking the glass with M and getting the kiss.........WHA JUST HAPPEN!!! WHERE THE HELL DID HE COME FROM????. the picture was so good and real, we kept it in our album.
As the evening progress, the usual ......."March for the favor".......began. This is where the bride and groom, seated at the head table bring out "the Pillow case" all the people line up ........with their envelopes of offering......march past the lovely couple, drop into the pillow case their offering for a futile and happy life, collect their little "favor" ours was a tiny vase, with 3 white almonds wrapped in Italian lace and return to their assigned tables. At Italian weddings, the tables are usually assigned since some people get along better than others. This was the part of the evening where my uncles and aunts all walked as couples. My uncles still discussing "why all the fish stuff" my aunts dressed to the gills, all with corsages and mink or whatever stoles. In fact one of my aunts mink wrap was so new I swore I heard it MMEEOOOWWW, when she walked past. Just DROP THE MONEY IN THE BUCKET. Al was superbly dressed in his chefs uniform helping everyone pick and choose from the GIANT GIANT Smorgasbord table and his young waitress serving wine, whiskey and good wishes. I'm not exactly sure but I heard from my mom that sometime during the evening, the doorbell rang and my mom went to answer the door. One of our guests who just arrived that day from Denmark had been driving around looking for the reception, finally found it simply by the amount of the cars filling the street. As my mom greeted him and took his overcoat to put in the closet she was startled my Al,and the waitress hidden amongst the coats toasting each other. I had to tell her that it was a Danish tradition. The evening progressed where my uncles, all at least a head shorter than the Swedish girls were giving dance instructions to them. Finally!!!!, they were learning the Tarantella, Copacabana cha cha, Cuban rumsamba and the Mexican crossing the Rio Grande hat dance. To the day they died my uncles always asked about those gals each time we visited them.
