Bravo^s G ay W eddings
39
with Dale, renege on their financial contribution to the wedding, though Eve’s
mother is clearly enthusiastic about the wedding itself. Her grandfather is also
supportive. The reaction of Dale’s family to their wedding, on the other hand,
was “tepid,” and she is not sure if any of her family will attend. She comments
that her wedding to Eve does not seem to hold the same status as that of her
siblings’ heterosexual weddings. Despite Dale and Eve’s concerns about their
families’ attendance, their families meet each other for the first time at a
“rehearsal” lunch at Eve’s parents’ home, ultimately attending and participating
in the wedding. Dale and Eve also have a bridal shower held in their honor by
their friends.
Dale and Eve hold their wedding and reception in a high-end hotel with
about 50 guests. At their ceremony, their parents escort them each separately,
and each has a maid of honor. An acoustic ensemble with vocalist provides the
music for the ceremony, with the officiant blowing a conch shell to cue each
woman into the ceremony. Eve and Dale say their own vows, and exchange
rings reciting traditional vows (“With this ring, I thee wed”). Both wear simple,
white designer gowns and carry a bouquet of red roses.
The officiant causes some minor mishaps during the ceremony, such as
saying that Dale’s family came from Albania, rather than Armenia,.and drops
small pieces of paper from the book she uses. Shots of Dale and Eve looking
concerned are interspersed as the ceremony progresses. After the ceremony.
Dale comments, “Well, that was a comedy of errors.” The following reception
consists of a sit-down dinner, music provided by a DJ, dancing, and a wedding
cake, with Dale and Eve cutting it and feeding each other. Eve’s mother makes a
toast to the couple, after which Dale and Eve toss their bouquets. Their reception
ends with them slow dancing in the almost empty reception hall.
Sonja and Lupe
Though all the couples are shown planning their wedding together,
Sonja and Lupe seem to experience the most stress, as their plans are met with
obstacles at almost every step. Sonja, 39, is an emergency room supervisor and
Lupe, 32, is in marketing. Their parents are not mentioned, but Sonja does have
a teenage son. Though he is accepting and supportive of her, Sonja worries
about his reaction to their wedding. When Sonja tells him, he reacts very
positively, telling her that he assumes he will give her away at the ceremony.
As Sonja and Lupe scout for ceremony sites, they experience
discrimination; on the phone, one hotel manager seems welcoming, but when
Sonja and Lupe visit the site together, they encounter the cold shoulder, with the
manager saying they cannot be accommodated. They get an outright “absolutely
not” when they visit another site and say they are having a lesbian commitment
ceremony. They finally decide to hold their ceremony and reception at the home
of a lesbian couple they know, though Lupe expresses unhappiness with the