Star-crossed Lovers

nervous violent colours


The recent dash back to Perth was all for the wedding of my fabulous friends Amanda and Liam. Dash it was, as I was only in Perth for 10 days, most of which was spent on the back porch of their house drinking red wine and champagne, curled up on the cosiest pink couch on the face of the earth. (Let me tell you another time how many times my mother made snide remarks about the number of nights I spent at Palmerston St versus the nights I spent at home). In the past year that I've been in Japan, I've had the misfortune (or good timing, depending on which way you want to look at it) of missing the weddings and associtated hen's nights and other such frivolties of 3 friends from school, the birth of one baby, and the announcement of the impending births of another two babies. It takes a fair bit to prise me from Japan, and there's very few people that I would spend 40 hours total in transit for, so hopefully, I've managed to make my point that I think they're very special people.

It was a simple ceremony, held at the Wedding Registry in Westralia Square on St. George's Terrace. After a minor wardrobe mishap involving a strapless top and darting through the traffic in the rain, trying not to let straight hair get wet so that it would curl furiously (note: it was not the bride), the ceremony was quick, not unlike being processed as efficiently as possible. It felt a little sombre, which may have been more to do with the grey, rainy day and the windowless room, but was also helped by a lengthy period of the celebrant making sure that neither the bride nor the groom were currently married, and that they were aware that marriage is a legally binding agreement. Annie did manage to lighten the moment by announcing, when she handed over the wedding rings that she lived with them and that she was just like their kid, but she wasn't really, she was just a friend, and then finished it perfectly by blushing a stunning shade of red.
The reception was held at The Secret Garden in Murray Street, where we'd spent a good portion of the previous afternoon setting up and prepping food - well, I just faffed about, but I figure that by doing that, I saved everyone else the trouble of wasting their time. I'm good at faffing. The food was amazing, mainly because both Rizza and Amanda are brilliant, the wine was exactly what I'd been missing, and there was bottles and bottles of it (which we drank much quicker over the next few days than any of us expected) and we had the luxury of being able to lock the doors and come back the next day and clean up. Wonderfully relaxed and comfortable - like having a long, lazy lunch with fabulous friends - perfect.
I was unorganised and slack and I didn't get around to getting them a card or a present that I could write soppy sentiments in (but I flew back from Japan, so I figure the lack of a present was justified), so instead this wonderful public arena that's called the internet is going to suffice. Yes, I could just send them a card, but it's more fun this way.

So, dearest Amanda and Liam, these are the things that I wish for you to be able to offer the other:
challenges and intrigue; care and nurturing; trust and safety; strength and vulnerability; care and nourishment; dependency and space; flowers, sunshine and fast cars; spontenaity and serenity; solidarity and togetherness; love, laughter and a closeness that trancends all others.
You have all my love and hope for the future. You'll make fantastic, crazy faux-godparents.