I was thrilled that I could provide a something borrowed to my bride friend, but I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw THIS during her wedding reception.
That's my veil on top of that pretty head.
My friend Janine's mom is Polish and from Pennsylvania. As I learned that night, it's a wedding tradition to do this kind of dollar dance during the reception: You have to pay (usually a dollar) to dance with the bride during a lively polka song.
After the bride's cousin made the announcement that the dollar dance was starting, he took Janine's wedding veil (which was really my wedding veil). Imagine my surprise when I watched him crumple it up, carry it around, and use it as a receptacle for all the dirty money wedding guests threw in for a chance to dance with the bride.
It was a surprise to Janine, too. We locked eyes while all this was going down and she mouthed, "Sorry" from across the dance floor. Though I obviously had no intention of wearing my wedding veil again, I was hoping to save it for my little sister, Gillian, for when she one day gets married. Gill isn't necessarily going to want my wedding veil, so I just reminded myself it was no big deal and I laughed it off.
But lo and behold, a few days after Janine's wedding, my veil was returned to me in perfect condition, as pristine and wrinkle-free as it was the day I took it home from the store. And it didn't even smell like money. It turned out Janine felt awful that my veil was used during the dollar dance, so she made damn sure to have it cleaned and steamed. This is one of the many reasons I love Janine.
