Jump right in! The gang joyfully joined a newly wedded couple in their official photos!

Participate.  That’s the unintended lesson I learned from this adventure of joining in the Brides of March!

It was a Happy Hour on a Wednesday when I met this fascinating woman for the first time, Abby.  She is full of ideas and solid views on life.  She was discussing an upcoming event that sounded interesting to me to go see.  When I mentioned wanting to learn more, she exclaimed “don’t come see us, join us!”  Hmmmm.  Adventure Wednesday is about trying new things, different to me.  This would fit that criteria, for sure.
  

Brides of March Backstory

An adventure attitude includes ABC (Always Be Curious). Wanting to know more, I searched for “Brides of March” on FaceBook and online.  (Brides of March site; Brides of March NYC FB2014 event).  It has been around for years, is in several cities, and rumored to have been started by the same people who started Santacon.  It takes place on March 15th (the “Ides of March” and one of the few lines I remember from my high school years of studying Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar) as a satire of that date combined with our western culture’s obsession with weddings. 

Wedding gowns for all shapes, sizes & genders!

Did you know you could buy a wedding gown online for as cheap as $15 plus shipping?  But I already own a gown…and since my sons are most likely not going to want it for their brides, I decided to see if it fit.  Even if, at that point, I was unsure I would actually wear it out in public again.

New Use for a Used Gown

My wedding gown had been stored in the house I used to share with my ex husband. I called him and asked for my gown.  He joked “are you getting remarried?”  He and I never really did have the same sense of humor, so I replied I wanted it for this event.  Yes, he thinks that so much of what I do in my adventures is crazy.  So, we lugged my big 80s style, custom-made, no frou-frou wedding dress down from the attic and I brought it home.

Taking the dress out of the box and seeing again wasn’t as traumatic as I thought it could have been. Instead I had the excitement of a new life for it!  I tried it on…and it still fit!! That alone was pretty cool.  Once I had it on, I KNEW I would be joining Abby and whomever else showed up that day to be a part of this fun event of brides. 

By the “Friends” fountain in Central Park. My gown was very comfortable!

However, the scratchy crinoline I wore on my wedding day years ago was irritating. I was in this for fun. Not physical discomfort. My original veil didn’t last all those many years. So I had the excitement and challenge of creating my own headgear.  Why not a tiara? I never owned one before, and the mere thought makes me giggle like a girly-girl 5 year old.  

The Big Day 

After a brutal winter, this particular Saturday in mid-March was beautiful.  Sunny and 60 degrees.  I brought a light colored long coat. My dress had been built for the same temps, but in October.  I put on comfy walking shoes.  I didn’t quite have the guts to wear my costume on the commuter train in. Instead, I drove into the City, found a parking garage and cabbed it over to Grand Central. Phew, not too much in the public view…yet.

Enjoying coffee & snacks while waiting for all the brides to show up in Grand Central Station.

Having showed up a little early to the meeting spot, I wandered around Grand Central looking for the friend who had invited me.  I started getting a clue of what I was getting into when several strangers let me know how beautiful I looked! You know – the typical compliment usually reserved for real brides on their real wedding day.

Shortly after, I spotted the crew. A group of people in gowns, sitting around drinking coffee and getting ready for the day.  The organizers, Abby and Nancy, didn’t let anyone know the route we were taking. Ahhh, the added element of surprise! 

There were several men who joined us too.  And from what I learned about them through the day, and contrary to what most people assumed, none are gay.  Mostly theatrical and lovers of participatory art & fun.  We even had photographers.  Our “official photographer” (@edbarnas ) was awesome.  He bought a white Amerikilt for the occasion (to blend in and not change things to being about grooms). The one he wore is similar to this one I found on Amazon: White Kilt.  In addition, there were two photojournalists, one announced and one who was trying to quietly “happen upon us”.

Coming off the escalator, making a grand entrance in Grand Central

Ed Barnas, our official wedding photographer in his white Amerikilt and “Heidi”

Turn Around!

On the balcony overlooking the main floor of Grand Central Terminal, and the crowds looking up at us

It was such a fun day, with so many awesome moments.  My favorite was at the beginning when the AP photographer was taking a picture of us on the balcony in front of the Apple Store in Grand Central.  He was standing on the stairs and we were all facing up.  After a few minutes we hear behind us “Turn around! Turn around!”  We turn around and there was a huge crowd circled at the bottom with everyone taking photos! 

The crowd at Grand Central looking at the line of brides on the balcony. Photo: Jennifer Harmony

Scenes from the Brides March around NYC

“Hey Woody – you should be paying us $5 for the photo!”

At the NYC Museum, sitting under a replica of the NYE ball

Brides having fun goofing around the Peeporama (a display at the NYC Museum)

A fun shot I took of Isa on the subway during the Brides of March adventure

Who wouldn’t want to let there rebel side shine?

The crew posing in front of one of our stops – a coffee shop on the Upper West Side.  After a day of walking, laughing and stopping at the occasional bar, we still look sharp!

Playing on the antique carousel in Central Park. What a great spot!

After a busy day marching around NYC, brides get hungry! Pizza is perfect!

Brides of March Life Lesson

Cheers to a grand adventure & all the laughs and lessons!

My first lesson in participatory art…I was part of the “look at what I saw” and being photographed (and probably shared on social media) instead of the one “discovering” the odd sight and sharing with my friends on FaceBook.  Looking back, this was a pivotal moment in my life.  I went from “The Observer” to “The Participant!”

Isn’t that what Adventure Wednesday is all about? Seeing things from a different perspective?

In the news

Our crew featured in the NY Daily News (see the gallery here: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/beward-brides-march-gallery-1.1722941 )

Daily News “Beware the Brides of March” gallery of images

Featured on VOX! (That’s me, to the far right – looking intense about not falling off!) Article link here: https://www.vox.com/2014/7/25/5884435/wedding-planning-tips-from-economics

Vox article: 8 economics tips that reveal the perfect location for your wedding

I couldn’t pass up the irony of the statement of Brides of March “protesting” in front of bridal magazines!