“The calla lilies are in bloom.” Courtesy of Sunset Flowers.

BY JULIE SEYLER

This post is dedicated to Lois, who is way more than just a party girl. Anyone who reads her, feels her compassion, joie de vivre, and savvy perception of the peculiarities and charms of daily living. She captured the evening of June 27 in less than 1000 words, and created a gift that will last forever in my heart. Lola, thank you so much! We need a martini date!

And to everyone who commented and shared Lo’s post on social media, thanks.

Me, with my disdainful attitude toward social media, is having an intimate dance with Facebook. Don’t ask me why but, I say let it rip because I am loving my 15 minutes of fame.

I wonder why? Perhaps it’s something as simple as I feel safe. There is someone to watch over me…

I also want to thank:

Lucy for dreaming about a red shoe shower:

Red shoe shower.

John, our pianist, who recorded the most beautiful rendition of the Satie waltz, “Je Te Veux.”

Pat and Bill for making our brunch a success despite the MIA caterer.

Ali and Bill for much needed pots and pans, AND for providing all that yummy Blanc de Blanc!

Jen my office mate, who despite pressing and urgent legal matters, found time to review shoe, jewelry and Spanx options with me.

Deb, who always kicks in to gear and saves the day.

Laurs for being my flower consultant, vase consultant, wedding dress consultant, rearranger of unwanted pockets of fat and all-around support system on EVERY thing:

Marianne for being Marianne, and everyone who knows her knows what I mean. She is gracious, and kind; thoughtful and organized. She loves laughter, and loves to laugh, and always brings joy to the table.

Anita because she is my mom, and was a perfect mom through wedding planning.

Naomi because of her pragmatism and thoughtfulness. She made the appointment at David’s Bridal that led to finally securing a dress to wear.

Linda for my gorgeous flowers.

To my father — I think every girl has a secret wish that her Dad will walk her down the aisle.

xo to everyone.

Julie

BY LOIS DESOCIO

This past Saturday, my dear friend, Julie, was a 59-year-old, first-time, bride. No less lovely and ebullient than a decades-younger bride, she was beautifully gowned in sequins, her hair was uplifted and curly; her smile an eight-hour ear-to-ear. Her whole self sparkled. And the party, thrown on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, was a celebration for the ages.

The room of 100-plus people, who ranged in age from 5 to 90, pulsed with love and gratitude, topped off with an unspoken, all-inclusive aura; an acknowledgment that to have all these people gathered together in the same room — Julie’s and Steve’s closest friends and families — was a gift.

A self-professed worrier (a sampling from the weeks before: “…the logistics are making me so nervous!” “I’m checking weather every hour!”), Julie was engulfed in the moment on her wedding day and impervious to any intrusion of anxiety. (“How is she?” I had texted our friend Laurie, who was helping her get ready. “Incredibly calm,” wrote Laurie.)

The weather was as bad as it could be — pretty much a notch or two below Hurricane Sandy. Many of us walked (some of us galloped in high heels) the two blocks down the boardwalk from the hotel to the restaurant while battling double-digit wind gusts and slanting sheets of drenching rain that undid hair; ran make-up. But the storm was not a wedding crasher. It, instead, escorted an intimacy and warmth into the room. Mazel Tov! C’est La Vie! Bring It On!

I’ve often said that Julie and Steve are the most solid couple I know. Together for just under ten years — independent, both, but purely devoted to each other. They are in love. And simply by virtue of the wisdom that comes with being middle-aged, no doubt, they know what to do to remain committed and in love for the rest of their lives.

This was also the first marriage for Steve. Unencumbered by previous marriages, children from other marriages, and the uncertainty that may accompany a marriage at the age of 20 or 30, he and Julie both exude an air of settling in for the long haul. A comfort level that can only come with an awareness that there may be less days ahead than behind, so let’s get at it! An all-knowing, we’re-in-this-together comfort. True companions, who, as Julie has said, “will forever have each other’s backs.”

(And that middle age, laugh-it-off, don’t-sweat-the-small-stuff insight was tested the next day, when the caterer for the post-wedding brunch for 70 people didn’t show up.)

So, because there’s no such thing as too many “Mazel Tovs,” Mazel Tov!

And never stop laughing: