A Story by Vanessa
When people think of weddings in the Caribbean they always think beach weddings. But growing up on Bequia this was not the case. Local weddings happened in a hot and crowded church, in front of God, family and friends, dressed to the nines and sweating in the tropical heat. Like every West Indian event, they always happened late, and a lot of waiting and patience was involved. Definitely not something children in itchy dresses were fond of.
There was one tradition I loved, and that was the parade of the bride and groom after the wedding. They were driven in the back of an open air truck from one side of the island to the other, very slowly, with the driver on the horn. You could hear the horn blasting long before it rounded the bend, giving you time to run to the porch and get a view of the happy couple. I thought it was the best thing ever, and gave me a chance to see brides I would not usually get to see. For some reason West Indian brides liked to dress not only in a full gown, but also in long sleeves (no bare shoulders in church), gloves, tiara and veil. Many of them still do, and I can’t imagine how hot they must be under all that!
I don’t remember attending many of these church weddings, but I DO remember the receptions (possibly we skipped the church bit). Some of them had long waits for food, but for kids this wasn’t an issue because there were always lots of other children to play with, and most of these events were either outside or had an outside element to them. Running around in pretty clothes with other kids into the night was amazing fun. Sometimes a goat was killed and goat water or curry goat was on the menu. There were some tedious speeches to get through, like all weddings, but for the most part it was a relaxed and happy affair.
I remember Mackie and Audrey’s wedding. Mackie and my dad were great friends and they had their reception in lower bay, not on the beach, but at the Simmon’s house by the playing field. I remember my mother wrapping their gift, a boxed set of pots and pans. I informed her that this was the most boring gift ever, and she insisted this was what was given to young couples at weddings. Audrey was the most beautiful and relaxed bride I have ever seen. She always had a beautiful smile, and to me she glowed that afternoon. We stayed until it was quite dark. I don’t remember what was eaten, just that I played in the tall grass in the dark with the other kids and it was magical.
Bob Sachs’ wedding was the first ‘beach wedding’ I attended. The reception was held at De Reef, and there was lots of dancing into the night. I was older by then, in my teens and too old for playing, but sitting on the beach with friends in the moonlight and dancing the night away was also magical and unforgettable!