Rachel Getting Married…Rachel with her mother Diane

‘Tis the celebration season. May and June bring us a slew of commencements and nuptials. Last weekend I attended the wedding of the daughter of my great pal, Diane. A guest at my table had recently taken in 3 graduations and two weddings in as many weekends. Battle fatigue had set in. But I was still fresh and savoring this particular set of “I do’s,” with its postcard perfect backdrop of the Hudson River glowing at sunset. The scene brought me back to other weddings I’ve been to, read about or watched from afar – think “Downton Abbey.” By the way, the garden photo at the top of the post page is the one you never see on “Downton Abbey.” Jack took this picture when we visited Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey) last year.

Two for Tea – Me in my Tea Gown

For my (2nd) wedding I obviously shunned virginal white, which I even avoided the first time around. But I knew I wanted vintage and found what I was told went by the quaint name of “tea gown” – it was from the Thirties – at a vintage clothing boutique in Santa Monica. I love the unhurried practice of taking tea so this was a perfect pairing. Savoring tea solo or with friends is SO CIVILIZED!

Wendy and Anthony

April took me to Miami for my nephew’s wedding. His bride, Wendy, was a confection of ruffled white as she floated down the aisle.  A century  before, my grandmother was draped in satin and lace with a massive bouquet that appears too heavy for her. Then, moving on a few years, we have the total simplicity of Lady Mary on “Downton Abbey.”  What a beauty.

The calla lilies are in bloom again — Lady Mary at Downton Abbey

Grandmother Kate in the early 1900s

Finally let me finish on a sweet note, the exquisite gift offered at the wedding of the daughter of my former brother-in-law, Howland, and his wife, Joy. It is a small jar of honey from Howland’s own hives. He is a well-known beekeeper par excellence among a cazillon other things. It came tied with the following words: “Life is the Flower for which love is the Honey.”

The Gift of Love