Lighting wedding Journal Entries

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• Paradise by the dashboard light with a drunk horse, a hot air balloon and a gay groomsman.
  by chasingsooz

  20 years ago today I was married beside a hot air balloon in a German farm paddock in the beautiful Barossa Valley. Eager to get my ma…

  20 years ago today I was married beside a hot air balloon in a German farm paddock in the beautiful Barossa Valley. Eager to get my man I was dressed in a flash and ready for my wedding about an hour too early. So after a few happy photos, we jumped into the horse and carriage and stopped off at a little winery on the way to the ceremony. Not only did I spill champagne down the front of my dress but the horse got drunk and then galloped down our makeshift isle to stop almost nose to nose with the minister. After we said our “I do’s” (that included promising to give hugs often) … we floated off into the sunset to the sounds of the song Up where we belong blasting from a tiny portable cassette player. Then I threw my bouquet to the eager bridesmaids who were leaping over small farm buildings in the paddock below. Okay that part is a slight exaggeration … the farm buildings weren’t that small but they were leaping ;-) While we floated into the colourful night sky, our guests got totally drunk on cheap pink champagne. The balloon (with both mothers onboard) crash landed in a recently ploughed paddock. Bouncing over the ruts, it finally came to rest on its side. Our picnic basket of tomato based finger food ended up down the back of my dress. After crawling out of the basket in full length wedding gown, my new hubby picked me up and carried me to our waiting support car. Arriving at our reception we were greeted by a party in full swing and guests wearing name tags that said “Hot Sheila” “Sexy legs” and “Bloody good bloke”. During the speeches a dear old friend broke in to song with If you knew Suzie like I know Suzie and the guests chimed in with oh, oh, oh what a girl … and helped him finish the rest of the song. During the cutting of the cake the bridesmaids and I sang parts of Meatloaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light. During the dancing, one of the groomsmen made a pass at my hubby (and we didn’t even know he was gay lol though in hindsight, there were clues). We all stayed at these quaint (and cheap) log cabins. Then the next day … our guests piled on to a bus for a tour of the wineries with a robust female driver in khaki shorts who had commission deal with the worst boutique wineries. Every time we saw one we recognised, we would all start to cheer in excitement but she would just put the foot down and zoom past with us and our noses pressed against the glass. In the end we were all booing and hissing, getting drunk on terrible wine and having a great time. 20 years ago … On September 3rd 1988 … I was married in a german farm paddock in the Barossa Valley, with a hot air balloon, a prince charming and our closest friends and relatives. The memories linger, the laughter continues and the magic lives on