Jan 17, 2010

Two Jews at a Wedding Expo ...



If I were going to have a cake, I'd have the Van Gogh one. But I'm not. So, nevermind.


I'm going to try really, really, really hard not to make this blog into a Wedding Planning blog, and even if I accidentally do, it'll only be for about four months, right? But really, this blog isn't about my Big Fat Jewish Wedding, or my Big Fat Non-Jewish family, or Centerpieces that I've already made (sort of), or the search for the perfect-ish Wedding Dress. No, it's a blog about Jewish things. More specifically, it's a blog a lot of the time about my adventures in being a Jewish academic. Luckily, school starts up on Tuesday, and I have a host of courses that should make for some interesting writing. Until then? Well, I blog about wedding stuff. My apologies.

Tuvia and I decided to hit up the Connecticut Wedding Expo today, knowing that a lot of the stuff would be out of our bounds for a few reasons: (1) We're having an out-of-town wedding and (2) We're kosher, Orthodox Jews. So we walked around, hoping to nab some free pens and maybe some cruise information for honeymooning purposes. We ended up with a few stress balls (amen) and some stellar coupons to the only kosher product at the Expo -- Ben and Jerry's! Talk about the world's largest sigh of relief. We ate that tiny cone of ice cream like we hadn't seen food in years. But the cake? The cupcakes? The hors d'oeuvres? No dice.

The best part of the Expo, however, had nothing to do with bridal bouquets or ridiculous girls dressed in wedding gowns dancing beneath faux disco ball setups. No, it was a woman named Gail running after us from her booth, turning to Tuvia and saying, "Are you Hasidic!?" while pointing at his tzitzits. This woman spent the next 10 minutes telling us how she grew up at our shul, knew the rabbi emeritus who just passed away (z"l), and how she fell off the derech years ago, but the rabbi always laughed at her jokes about wanting a BLT as a child. It was, in a word, interesting. We later ran into an Israeli gal who was trying to sell off a product that preserves flowers and other wedding items. I asked her if she missed Jerusalem -- as she married an American and now lives here -- to which she responded that she missed her family, but not Jerusalem. "It got too ... religious," she said.

I think we were probably the only two Jews in that place, aside from the Israeli and Gail, of course. I think they were excited to see us, anyhow.

It was a pretty weird experience, walking around that Expo Center, two observant Jews, trying to get something out of the festivities. To be honest, I don't think we got much outside of the stress balls and the Ben and Jerry's worth writing home about. I am guessing a Wedding Expo in the NY or NJ area might be more fruitful for the kosher type, but who knows.

I'm just glad we've got a lot of the important stuff figured out. Planning a wedding can be exhausting. Even just walking around an Expo can be exhausting. The upside is we topped the evening off with some IKEA shopping (great buys!) and some mediocre food at Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven, CT. I really want to love this place, but the food is mediocre, the serve is rough, and they have a $9 credit card limit, which is illegal and stupid. But it's kosher and the food is good (when it's not cold). But it's nice to get out and eat kosher, especially after a massive day of schlepitude.

7 comments:

Suburban Sweetheart said...

I used to work at a community center that hosted a wedding expo twice a year. It was beautiful but so absurd! Everything was very exciting (community center staff, me included, modeled the wedding dresses!) but there's just SO MUCH. So fun stuff, so much food, so many people. Oh, and so much stress! Just working them wore me out. Good luck wedding planning! I, for one, will forgive you if this becomes a bit of a wedding blog for a bit. ;) I love it!

PS: I'm willing to bet money that there were other Jews there. Jews who keep kosher? Perhaps not. But how would you know a Jew like me lurking amongst Gentiles?! Just sayin'.

R' Daniel said...

Claire's gets the Modern Orthodox kids at Yale through school. I practically lived on that stuff when I was in Medical School- the Lithuanian coffee cake and the quiches are good, but there is also a decent Indian place in town (Can't think of the name right now).

Karen Zampa Katz said...

yikes...
I used to live in New Haven....

but as far as the wedding stuff...yup it can be a lot to do!...I was working full time when I did all the planning for our wedding (two years in April!)
but it is FUN...have fun....

KosherAcademic said...

I wish Claire's was better to you and Tuvia :(. Hopefully one day you can take me to your favorite haunts in NY/NJ. Or better yet, cook for me!

I think it is so easy for the wedding to become the MOST IMPORTANT thing, when really, it's everything AFTER the wedding that is important. You and Tuvia seem to have a good handle on this, though, which is fabulous.

Avrahum said...

Hey Chavivs it's Avrahum Crystal. First off, Mazel Tov to Tuvia and yourself; it's about time you found the love of your life.When is the wedding?(I know that's I little nosy, but being the cheap jew I am I can't resist a free supper(even if it's my last supper).Just joking, the real reason is because if it's before April 25th: you guys got to check out www.simchaexpo.com/ref=chossonkallah.
April 25, 2010
12:00 pm-8:00 pm
Ateres Chynka
129 Elmwood Avenue
Brooklyn, New York.

It is a jewish wedding expo you guys will love it.

Avrahum said...

Hi Chavivs
Also chek out www.chossonandkallah.com they actually have discounts coupons for jewish wedding paraphanalia.
(by the way don't think I'm a creep trying to chat you up. I am a married man and live London with my wife. I am genuinly tring to help you guys out

Avrahum said...

Ok maybe I should introduce myself a bit more. My name is Avrahum Crystal.I have 12 sibilings:Yehuda,me,Uriel,Peshe, Fayge,Ester, Sholom,Aaron,Shaynah,Tzvi,Nechama,Chani and Bat-Sheva. I was born in Chicago my parents are Laibel and Sarah(Yoselovski) Crystal.When I was born My father was in the Telshe Yeshiva College going for his smicha degree is a rabbi.When I was 3 my dad got his smicha and started to look for a job as a rabbi. He found a job teaching hebrew studies at Phoenix Hebrew Academy in Phoenix,Arizona, so we moved to Phoenix. We were in Phoenix for 3 years then my Dad decided we were moving to South Bend ,Indiana(don't ask me why).So me Dad found a teaching position at South Bend Hebrew Day School and we moved to South Bend. We were there for 1 year and my Dad said he was "sick of the community" so we moved back to Phoenix. But, this time instead of living on Rose Lane we lived on 4th place.The house was really big,it had a swimming pool,jacuzzi and a guest house.My Dad got his orginal job back at Phoenix Hebrew Academy and we stayed there for another 3 years.to be continued.....

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