As a non wedding goer per se, I hadn’t got the faintest clue what I had to do when my bestie Geordie asked me to be her bestboi. I would say man but it doesn’t fit with my teenage mutant ninja pyjama wearing and attachment to skateboards and DC trainers.
So I was a little nervous.
Over the year leading up to the special day I was wondering on whether I would lose the rings, or trip, if the stag do was going to be a flop, or if I was going to be as witty as everyone else in the speeches.
But as the time drew near my only concern was making hers and Karens’ day the best day they have ever had and my concerns fell to the wayside.
I arrived two days before the stag do into Adelaide – straight off the plane from Bali, the city was a far cry from the ashram I had left the day before but after a little adjustment it was full flow organization time.
A braindump sharing between me and the other members of the Broom party (Brooms, Grooms, Brides…. Get it?) had led to a rough idea of what we wanted to put together for the Stag Do but nothing had been finalized. It was all hands on deck!
The next few days involved writing clues in poems, setting up silly tasks around town and researching the city and spots of fun activities for the weekend. A little tricky from a base of zero clue but somehow it all worked out. We gathered the Brooms party and grabbed Geordie from home after a manic morning of dropping off clues and props into various shops, bars and activity spots!
The day was led by Geordie (who got Stagly fancy dressed on the way around town) as she solved riddles and undertook suitably embarrassing challenges such as learning to balloon model, ferris wheel riding, tequila shot challenges, a public poi performance at the Fringe festival and cocktail making for the rest of the Brooms.
With all of us dressed in fancy dress (anything that starts with G) and copious amounts of alcohol (especially for the 19 year old in the group- scrubs!) the day was hilarious.
Meeting up with the Brides party at a restaurant put us a little in the dog house due to loudness and general Broom behavior but after a swift trip to the final stop where Broom and Bride got fake married by Elvis the laughter was back on! A little less conversation got us out the jailhouse rock, with a shake rattle and ROLLLL!
The next week was a rollercoaster of adventures with pre wedding ups and downs and lots of beautiful sharings with two of the most beautiful people I know. I know for me seeing the wedding come together in all its real emotions, its laughter and tears, its pressures and its joys was a real experience. It moved marriage and weddings from a space without connection for me to something that made my heart swell and my eyes shine from emotion. And something that I definitely look forward to having part of mine and my partners life in the future.
Seeing two women get married in the middle of a city on a gorgeous island with love and support from their family and friends and such wonderful quirks and fun elements thrown into the mix filled me with hope, love and happiness. A glorious fun day celebrating two people in love, surrounded by love. I couldn’t have been a prouder bestboi.
The atmosphere was amazing, the carousel photo shoot more fun than eating melted ice cream on a fair ride and my speech went much better than I could ever have imagined (I could even speak through the emotions!). The whole day and weekend was beautiful from start to finish. Sharing it with Greta made it all so much more special too. A great realization of where we are at and the wonderfulness we share between us being reflected back at us from the love surrounding everyone.
A blessing to be part of, and an experience that holds a special place in my heart. So much gratitude to Geordie for inviting me, gratitude to all the Brooms for all the boi fun and reunions, and so so much love to all that love the girls as much as I do.
Forever grouse mate.
Gayle
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