Oh so colorful

And the most colorful part of the wedding weekend may be - my skin. I went in for a spray tan on Thursday. (All right, so this photo isn't technically a spray tan, but Google Images gave it to me and who am I to argue?) When they tell you to use the blocking cream liberally on your hands and feet in the video, they aren't kidding. The video also features the most hilarious line ever spoken in an instructional video, "Assume the second tanning position." It's even more amusing than what you're picturing right now. You end up doing a sort of drunken King Tut dance, while holding your breath and squinching your eyes shut tightly.

On Friday night, R. and the other K.M. - now K.C. - had people over for dinner and mehendi. I was wearing a shirt with paisley designs on it, so the Latina mehendi artist did a paisley design on the back of my hand. Latina, you say? Uh huh. Gorgeous, too - she looked like she stepped off the cover of an Isabel Allende novel - but she also happened to learn mehendi from neighbors as a child, and the mundap owner hired her for his son's wedding. How's THAT for street cred.

The Hindu ceremony on Saturday was really wonderful. R.'s mom had brought extra saris, and one of R.'s aunts from India wrapped me in mine. I was describing this to a friend, who said, "Oh, so the relatives helped you?" No - they didn't HELP. They DRESSED us. We - were no help at all. It was a beautiful fabric, and I actually felt quite comfortable in it. Which apparently means that auntie really knew what she was doing.

The ceremony itself involved my friend's having lots of crap tossed on their heads, and chanting, and coconuts hurriedly being broken on nearby steps so the milk could be used, and plenty of guests milling around to visit with each other while enjoying coffee and pastries. Really, shouldn't all weddings be like that? The couple is celebrated, but it's also a community event where everyone who knows and loves the couple gets to spend time with each other.