Today I will go to a wedding.
I will sit in the church, and likely tear up as the bride, my friend and former roommate, walks down the aisle and is married to her best friend.
I will congratulate them both, tell her how beautiful she looks and how wonderful the ceremony was.
I will find my seat at the reception hall, listen to speeches and toast the happy couple.
I will make small talk with the people at my table, enjoy my dinner and sip my wine.
I will watch them cut cake and take a picture of their first dance.
I will dance until my feet are sore, and hope to catch the bouquet.
As though somehow this time, catching the bouquet really will result in me finding the elusive guy.
Because, as it has for all the weddings I’ve attended, the “Guest” line remained blank on my RSVP card.
I still enjoy weddings, even in my singleness. They are beautiful, a celebration, a display of love. Weddings are a reminder of hope. Hope that I may one day find what I currently do not possess, and hope and well-wishes towards this new couple.
But I cannot deny the dash of melancholy they bring. The desire for what I may one day have, but not yet.
In no way will I allow this to detract from my enjoyment of the wedding; another single friend and I will ride together, sit by each other, and have a grand ol’ time together.
And maybe remind each other that we are not done, our stories not finished.
Til next time…
~Brianna!~
p.s. Ah, weddings…how do you feel about them?
The Art of Becoming 
Oh Brianna, my heart aches FOR you and WITH you. I can absolutely understand your pain, as I watched all of my best friends and many other dear friends get married over the last two summers. It was hard enough pre-boyfriend, but it was even more of a struggle post-canceled wedding/freshly single.
I deeply admire your positive attitude with this (and pretty much everything else in life). Seriously, Brianna, I want to be more like you and a little less like the me that so easily gets lost in the melancholy. Maybe we should hang out more…outside of our cubicles. 🙂
*hugs* -Aubrey
I completely agree with the hanging out outside of our cubicles idea. 🙂 Thanks for your kind words! The wedding was beautiful, yet, as expected…a bit melancholy for me.
Been there. A few weeks ago, one of my best friends in the world married the love of his life, while I attended alone. I was fortunate enough to be asked to be the photographer, yet at the same time I was slightly wounded at not being asked to be one of the groomsmen.
Worse yet, a few weeks before that, I was subjected to a pair of my best friends getting married (Again, alone). This time, however, the bride was a girl I dated for a few months a couple years back. Even though I have no romantic interest in her any more, it still made it sting just that little bit more.
A wedding can be a tricky thing when you’re single. But it looks like you’re handling it in the right way. Sit back and enjoy the people around you. Dance. Drink a couple glasses of wine.
And rather than avoid your singleness, embrace it. It’s not often a comforting thought, but God has somebody more awesome than all the guys you’ve met waiting for you. For me, I take solace in a song by Big Tent Revival called Someday. Especially the first two verses:
Somewhere in time there is an ocean deep and pure
Somewhere in space there is an endless ocean shore
Somewhere between they meet and waiting there for me
Somewhere between time and space
Is where my love will be
Somewhere in time there’s a boy who’s not afraid to cry
Somewhere in space, a girl awaits to dry his eyes
Somehow they’re drawn together by love’s great gravity
Somewhere between time and space
Is where my love will be
Neither of those situations you describe sound like much fun, but thanks for sharing–it’s good to hear stories of people who have experienced similar situations. I appreciate your kind words, and will definitely give that song a listen.
Thanks for reading!