A Wedding Invite and Music Browsing

So...a friend of mine from school I spoke to twice over the weekend emails me Monday morning. In addition to the photos of a recent trip he included (pun intended), he also wrote that he's getting married this summer, and he offered to send me an invitation!

It didn't register until the next morning.

He's getting MARRIED *THIS* August!!!

I didn't quite know how to react, other than:

a.) be ticked-off that he didn't mention this over the phone, and b.) flip-out.

I immediately texted the 2 friends who knew he and I well during our time in school...and received no reply, to my dismay. One however called yesterday evening and we spent about 2 hours catching up and talking about the wedding. My thoughts were, What do I wear to a summer wedding?, How am going to fit in at a secular wedding?, and Do I have to bring a date?



I have never been to a wedding before, secular or religious. The fact that he and I were close doesn't change things, but do I ask him if I can bring a date? Is that even assumed? Having been around the Orthodox, I'm more familiar with their way-of-doing-things: the whole mechitza thing goin' on, separate dancing, and tznius definitely up there. I don't know if grey silk is appropriate for summer, but if I went, I would be the one most covered, that's for sure! And if a date is required, I would like 1 of the 2 friends mentioned above (the guy) to come with me. Now, as far as dancing is concerned (something I don't know how to do in the first place) that might be a bit more complicated.

During our conversation, I told him I'm more religious than the last time we saw each other, which was 4 years ago in school. I mean, I wasn't your party-girl-flaunting-everything then, nor was I before that, but I didn't mention shomer negiah. Or, well, beyond a handshake or the occasional hug (if I know you), but that's a rarity. So, I don't know how he'd take it not dancing without touching, but he's pretty open about religion, though not religious himself. We have interesting discussions about it, religion in general, but he respects what I'm doing.

So, while mulling over this wedding situation I go to YouTube and type in עידן רייכל. The first video that pops up is ממעמקים. Last weekend I met someone new--who knows people where I went to uni-- and I spent some time YouTube-ing "Britain's Got Talent" after our conversation. After that, and catching up on the latest Eurovision, found myself watching a הראל סקעת video called כמה עוד אפשר. Liking the beat, I found another by that artist called לפעמים חלומות מתגשמים. If you want to search for it, a better way of looking would be by its' transliteration, Lifamim Chalomot Mitgashmim. After that, I switched over to German pop with Revolverheld's Freunde Bleiben and Romeo.

Here is my 'Tune-Out-For-Awhile' playlist:

1. עידן רייכל: ממעמקים

2. הראל סקעת: כמה עוד אפשר

3. הראל סקעת: לפעמים חלומות מתגשמים

4. Revolverheld: Freunde Bleiben

5. Revolverheld: Romeo

Throw in La Historia by Marquess, No Angels' Disappear, or something by Cinema Bizarre for good measure, in addition to the nice beats you're set to tune out for a bit. The pop-usual lyrics, never mind the language, are present and accounted for :-p.