Part III of the Chronicles of the S&G Wedding

Good morning my fabulous daughter,

I hope I haven't caused you to be late for work with the lengthy epistles I've been sending you these past mornings. I'm afraid I am unable to make them any shorter as there's just so much I want to tell you about the Wedding.

Part III - The Stainless Steel Topped Multilayered Plexiglas and Mini Disco Ball-Inserted Suspended Wedding Cake

As I munched delicately on a crispy deep-fried won-ton wrapper that had been formed into a flower shape, the centre of which had been stuffed with a 1/2" x 1/2" cube of tuna sashimi and a single seaweed flake, I kept a watchful eye open for the elusive mini hamburgers I had yet to sample.  I distracted myself by studying the colourful multitiered something-or-other hanging from the ceiling in front of me.  It hung over a large white plinth like the ones I sometimes use in galleries to show my smaller sculptures.  I believe it was cousin Jeanette, who was sipping on her second blue martini containing a stir stick of skewered cherry-sized blueberries as she sampled what appeared to be chocolate cheese cake, who asked me if I thought that the something-or-other was actually the wedding cake.  A group of family members surrounded the impressive object and after cousin Wally had incorporated his formidable leadership skills by giving the blue layer a gentle poke with one of his remaining fingers, we were able to determine that yes indeed, it was a cake.  I was about to make an approving comment but was distracted by cousin Craig ...  what was that he had just popped into his mouth?  I had a slow-motion Quentin Tarantino moment as I squinted at Craig's left hand and watched it descend and the telltale festive mini hamburger pick fell from it and onto an empty tiny white plate upon which it bounced, once, twice... then came to a final rest.  Just then, Auntie Fellette asked me if I liked pickles and I turned to watch her withdraw a festive pick from her mini hamburger and hold it and it's tiny 3 centimetre long skewered pickle aloft in my direction.  "Why yes!" I exclaimed and graciously accepted this consolation prize as I surreptitiously watched the tiny burger disappear between Auntie Fellette's lips in two efficient bites.

I turned my attention back to the cake. It was truly unique and quite unforgettable - it consisted of a clear Plexiglas square box filled with mini mirrored "disco" balls, set squarely upon the white plinth; upon this sparkling box was a slightly smaller square of real cake covered in white marzipan and decorated with a vertical striped pattern of colours matching the wedding invitations, etc.;  a black gross-grain ribbon encircled the base of this layer; the layer atop was a slightly smaller square of cake covered in blue marzipan (which had only slightly been marred by cousin Wally's finger test), it's base was also wrapped with black gross-grain ribbon; above this was a layer of thin air, for the next series of layers was suspended by four thin cables from the ceiling and hung 2 1/2" above the blue layer.  This bottom layer of the suspended half of the cake consisted of a clear Plexiglas mini disco ball box, another white and striped, marzipan, gross-grain ribbon wrapped layer;  yet another Plexiglas disco ball box and finally a pink marzipan cake layer, wrapped with gross-grain ribbon. Crowning the top was a 4" tall stainless steel S & G logo "cake tiara".  Later in the evening Uncle Doug was able to capture a spectacular full-length shot of Suzanne from behind, in her beautiful backless wedding dress with it's upswept train and collar and belt of pearls, standing next to the magnificent confection before she and GB fed each other a small bite they'd cut from the cake and we could see that under the marzipan  were many thin multi-flavoured layers.

At the risk of sounding just a teensy bit obsessed, I must admit to you that after applauding the sampling of the wedding cake, I then cast about, looking for your father hoping he with his especially long arms and tall stature might be better equipped to secure a mini hamburger for me. Ah there he was - I spotted him outside through an S & G etched window, his familiar head was clearly framed by the S & G giant illuminated faux full moon balloon ball - he had just popped something into his mouth and was nodding his head and listening intently to a young woman with a very large bosom wearing a fetching black low cut knee length dress and long dangling rhinestone earrings and very, very red lipstick.  She must have been very witty, for just then your father threw back his head, laughed, and began talking and gesturing with something in his hand.  I knew your father must have found this charming woman to be particularly diverting because he began to employ the characteristic head wiggle he incorporates when he puts on his bon vivant persona and believes himself to be saying something especially witty - but this was not what attracted my attention most, it was the object in his hand that he brandished with short stabbing motions - yes!  it was a festive mini-hamburger pick!

As I clearly would not be able to attract your father's attention at this point, I accepted another smoked salmon mini pinwheel on 1" rye bread from a server and sat down on what I had by this time dubbed 'the family banquette'. I gazed out the large windows into the night at the twinkling lights of our fair city, the twin string of lights leading to darkness that where the Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park, the lights of a cruise ship and several freighters in the harbour, and in the far distance, beyond the UBC tower lights, I could see the paler lights of Vancouver Island.  What a sight!  However, a more endearing sight was much closer - it was cousin Niki's handsome husband, Chris, ever attentive to his wee princess Anna further down along the banquette.  Anna was enjoying some tiny snacks and looked to be very content to be visiting with her father in the midst of all the adult laughter, chatter, and music around her.

Stay tuned tomorrow for Part IV

LOVE YOUR WONDERFUL MOTHER