There is a certain royal wedding that will be occurring at the end of this week, joining England's Prince William and his lovely fiance, Ms. Catherine Middleton. I suppose that is my excuse for thinking about weddings more than usual. One can only hope that the couple can retain some sense of the specialness of the event for themselves, in the context of the media frenzy that is brewing.
Frenzy is something well known in Venice, particularly during Carnival. Filled with Maskers in costumes, with photographers, with visitors, it is easy to forget that the city also is populated with real people going about their daily business. And sometimes, families are going about quite special businesses, even weddings.
We were delighted one morning when we saw this beautiful young lady and her family emerge from a house and make their way into the nearby campo. The bride was escorted by an elegant gentleman who could only be her father. There were well-dressed older ladies - her mother? Her aunts? And there were youthful members of the bridal party. Before entering the church, the happy group stopped, and the bride was assisted in her final preparations by her attendants. It was a lovely surprise. Amidst the admittedly beautiful fantasy and theater that is Carnival, we stumbled upon a real family on the way to celebrate a marriage.
I love this image because it captures the sweetness of this bride, looking so happy, as she waits for assistance with her glove. And I love the incongruity of the background. It still is Venice, after all, so the ubiquitous cart selling masks and postcards is behind her. And right at the back, a poor visitor, trying to find his place on a map. Perhaps he will learn that maps in Venice are useless. It is best to just let oneself let go and enjoy the pleasure of being lost.
I hope this bride was able to put aside the surrounding frenzy of the Carnival season. I hope she ignored us all, and simply allowed herself the pleasure of getting lost in the joy of the day of her marriage. I wish the same for Prince William and his Catherine.