onenitealone said:

Uh oh...



So as the best man, you had to do MC duties as well? That seems like a lot to put on one guy's shoulders.



See, we're going to have a problem with that too. I'll do most of the announcements in English since most of the Polish people understand it reasonably well, but there are a few (including the father of the bride) who doesn't understand a word. So I'll probably try to prepare at least some of it in Polish, and then for fairness sake, do some in Swedish as well.



Poor you.

I'm expecting more than a few surprises too, since apparently Polish people don't have MCs at all, and are completely unfamiliar with the concept of having some guy announce each speaker etc. The whole process will be a train wreck, but hopefully an amusing one.



Oh no! I hadn't even thought about that!



Unfortunately I couldn't do that since this is probably my best friend and he's been there for me soooo many times.



Thank you very much for the advice.

You're right about the importance of being oneself and trying to relax. I think what worries me the most is that the Polish people will look at me and think "Who is this guy, and what makes him think he can demand our attention all the time? What an egotistic bastard...". I'll try to win them over, and maybe having a few drinks will do it. It's a pretty sure way to become popular in Eastern Europe, lol.

Cinnie said:

Are you John Lithgow in Footloose or something?

minneapolisgenius said:

The last wedding I went to I danced my ass off....


AT THE RECEPTION! WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO!

retina said:

The one thing I forgot to mention was that my friend's uncle - an MP (member orf Parliament/politician) - decided, without warning, that he was going to do a speech. Presumably because he was an MP and oh-so important. I was fuming. At least it took the heat off me, I guess.


ONE sure-fire winner - I think - is to have a get-together maybe the night before with the friends and family. Maybe all go to a restaurant, or a bar, and just chat, get to know each other. It'll settle the nerves a bit and you won't feel like you're talking to bunch of complete strangers. I'd also try and find out beforehand what type of ceremony/atmosphere the couple are going for. If the bride, for example, is crazy and her family love to drink, you getting up there and being a wallflower could be an interesting combination. Just ask them what they have in mind and play it by ear. Good luck!

minneapolisgenius said:

I don't think you have to be uptight in the least to think that this was a tacky display. Again, to each his own but I agree totally with Cinnie . . . it all seems wholly inappropriate for the ceremony. They coulda saved this mess for the reception IMO.

SCNDLS said:

Cinnie said:

I didn't think dancing in church was considered wrong or disrespectful though. I don't know what denomination this wedding was, it didn't look like what they were doing was being frowned upon.

Hell, I used to work with nuns and they would have thought it was awesome if someone did that. Granted, I wouldn't have done that at my wedding, but I don't see anything wrong with it. It's a joyous occasion.

onenitealone said:

Yeah, I totally agree. The wedding is on a Friday and I'll be arriving on the Wednesday, so at least I'll have a day and a half there before it's time. Not sure how many family members will be there though. I think many of them will come flocking in at the last minute. It would indeed be great to get some chill out time with them in advance though.



Well it's tricky, because they've prepared a pretty solemn ceremony and some classical music in the park afterwards, but at the same time they (the bride especially) can paarrrttaaayyy when they feel in the mood, so there's a certain duality there. Then there's the clash between the Swedes (mostly pretty boring) and the Polish (apparently pretty crazy) that I have to deal with. Who knows, maybe it'll go from being stiff and high-minded in the beginning to completely getting out of hand towards the end? I think my job will be to just keep up, lol (unless it's really boring - then I think it's my job to liven things up).

Thanks again.

retina said:

I think you've got your material right there.

And no worries.

minneapolisgenius said:

This isn't about "dancing in church".
It's not my wedding either Dance away

You know, I wouldn't care half as much if they busted a move as they LEFT.

But when it's the entrance line, it just seems like they could really all give a rip if they ended up dancing into the courtroom for divorce proceedings one week later.

Cinnie said:

I agree Cinnie. Plus, it was a bit irritating to see another rip-off of the first viral video that displayed this type of stuff at a wedding reception.

Tradition is very boring and I tend to zone out during every church wedding service I have been to. This is exactly what the world needs. Change, fun and an open mind.

PanthaGirl said:

I'm all for fun, but there are times when other thoughts are more appropriate.

PanthaGirl said:

You shouldn't need a choreographed dance number to feel connected to the event. You're at a wedding, not the American Music Awards.



[Edited 7/26/09 14:45pm]

Cinnie said:

Agreed. It sort of seems like they aren't taking it seriously. I'm not a fan of church, religion, or marriage at all; but if you're going to get married, esp. in a church, I think it should seem a bit more serious. I'm also not a fan of popular songs being used for walking down the aisle. They don't age well.

Doing it upon exit might be a better choice.

PanthaGirl said:

This wedding was in St Paul (neighboring city to Minneapolis) in June and since this hit last week it's been on the local news here. They interviewed the pastor at the church (lutheran, I think) and she was in on it and loved it.

I think it's great that there are folks who have fun, sing and dance in church. It's so freaking joyful. If I were a religious type, I'd much prefer that to boring, dour and solemn. I don't see how it would be disrespectful in any way.

Cinnie said:

I'm not religious and find church services to be boring, that is my opinion as it is my stance! Don't patronize me.

CarrieMpls said:

So very true...

Next thing you know, a Cedric the Entertainer type wedding will be cool with people.

Vendetta1 said:

What is that? I don't understand why everything has to be a damn spectacle. Taste, elegance, and class seem like outdated concepts. I blame reality television for this shit. Everybody thinks they're supposed to be a damn star for no good reason.
[Edited 7/26/09 15:18pm]

SCNDLS said:

Remember in Kings of Comedy when Ced said they were dancing down the aisle to Luke music?

Vendetta1 said:

To Pop That Coochie no less. I'm sure it's already been done.

retina said:

Leo is always doing MCing, but then he can talk shit at the drop of a hat Will you have to speak Polish? is M & T getting married?!?

I'm getting married in a little under 4 weeks and there won't be any of those shenanigans! Looked like fun, just not for me.

Oh, and I didn't cry either. But then again, I'm not pre-menstrual either.

I guess the bottom line is, if it's not your style, then don't do it.
Honestly, I probably wouldn't do it either. But I think that this couple is being unfairly judged by some for doing things "their way".

- I went to the wedding of the high school dance teacher where she had choreographed the Father-Daughter dance like a Fred Astaire number with her Dad.
- I also went to a wedding about 10 years ago where the wedding party came in to "Adore" and had choreographed steps- nothing as extreme as this, but they had "moves".
- I've also sat thru long, boring, pretentious ceremonies.

The point is, everyone has different ideas about what makes their wedding perfect. Some want "elegance", some want "fun", etc.
At this point, A MAN would help mine!

Vendetta1 said:

Vendetta1 said:

myfavorite said:

this was funny.

CarrieLee said:

it was pretty good, glad they enjoyed it, but not my kind of thing.

Vendetta1 said: