santa, weddings, and friends

The Fiance swears he doesn't have any friends, yet this month the vast majority of holiday parties that we were invited to were his friends. I'm not hating, I rather enjoyed the parties, I'm just saying that there are more people that find him to be a likeable guy than he really thinks. Besides, it's the season to count the friends you have and like the census, it's important to get an accurate count. Either that, or he's trying to save us from adding more people to the wedding list. ha!

Today we attended a commitment ceremony for a friend of his, V, held at a drag queen bar in SF. The bar had a standard bar layout with gerryrigged stage in the back made of light plywood layed on top of what appears to be pool tables. The bar was enchantingly decorated for the holidays with lovely pine garlands everywhere, a small Grinch doll locked away in a birdcage, spinning sparkly snow flaskes, and several display cases filled with statues of Santa Claus, big ones, small ones, moving ones. The Fiance mentioned how he always thought that in the Philippines, Santa Clause changed his clothes and shaved his beard. Maybe that's why he also thought they were like Santo Ninos. No, he wasn't drinking anything.

We met a guest from the other groom, M's side. Grant it we hadn't seen V in a while. Last I knew, he had ended a long relationship, moved home. According to M's friend, the wedding was a surprise to him as well, as far as he knew 2 months ago, M wasn't seeing anyone.

The Celebrant waited on stage. Two "flowergirls", adult friends of theirs sprinkled rose petals for the their path, a single maid-of-honor followed. As the guests sat on bar stools and looked toward the bright outside, we watched the couple walk down the aisle hand in hand in matching tuxes.

The Celebrant had a distinctive Canadian accent, eh? He would later explain that he will make sure that their marriage is registered in Canada, so that "whenever the U.S. gets its act together" their marriage would be recognized. I wasn't too clear on the legal details on how that works, but it sounded good.

The grooms said each others personal vows to each other. Very sweet.

Afterwards the new couple said I do and kissed to cheers from the crowd. Champagne toasts around. My favorite, from the Celebrant via a Texan he met, "Here's to all who wish them well, everyone else can go to hell."

We think that M works as a drag queen singer or something like that. A couple of his queen friends were going to perform post vows but were called away. Instead, the groom and another friend sang, while V, sat on a stool, like a groupie who gets pulled from the crowd to be serenaded.

There was a brief money dance to the song, "Fever" where a few guests got a chance to stuff bills down pants and pockets.

They cut the cake, shove icing up each other's faces, while the Celebrant made remarks that I do not have the hiya to repeat. The Fiance and I pledge to each other not to shove icing into each other's faces when our turn comes around.

As the party goes on, we determine that they met maybe a month ago, so it's been quite a whirlwind. Can't help but have a bit of cynism when I heard that. Yet when you look at the sincerity in their eyes and the freedom in their spirits, the romantic in you slaps that cynic back into the birdcage. Afterall, Santa was watching.