Nice Day for a...

I know it's old news by now, but Kate and I are finally married! Woo hoo!

Pardon my indulgence, but a couple entries to celebrate that fact...

First off, rehearsal day. I don't want to speak for Kate, but I honestly think that both of us managed to keep our cool throughout the entire eighteen-month engagement/planning process... right up until we were at the altar practicing the ceremony. For me, that's when it really "clicked." Up to that point, we were basically stating preferences and choosing between such and such options for such and such overall effect... but when it all started to come together, a little voice inside me started saying, "Oh God, this is really happening isn't it?" Not in a panicky, let's-call-it-off way, but in a we're-about-to-make-the-leap-and-I-can't-believe-it way.

Do we look nervous?

The butterflies started flitting and flying.

For the most part, things went off without a hitch... except for the fact that I broke Kate's dress and made us twenty minutes late to our own rehearsal, which we only allotted an hour for to begin with. To explain: Kate had long ago bought a special "rehearsal outfit" that would also serve as a wardrobe change at the end of the wedding day. A very flowy piece from Anthropologie's bridal store BHLDN, quite pretty. I don't know much from women's clothing, but this particular piece could have used a little structural support. Case in point: the top is a halter, and the strands cross in the back to be tied. Looks lovely, but they pass through this tiny piece of fabric intended to hold them in place. Well, the fabric is just a little too delicate, and when Kate asked me to tie it just a little tighter, that tiny little piece broke right off, so in a panic Kate had to sew it back on as quickly as possible, all the while incensed (understandably) with me.

After that (and a few heckles from my groomsmen, whom I had chided about punctuality), it was smooth sailing. We paired up our respective attendants, and the officiant did a read-through of most of the ceremony. He wisely omitted some of the more important segments (the kiss, the vows, his homily) for "suspense," and wisely practiced the staging of some of the trickier segments - ie, the candle-lighting ritual, our own movements throughout the ceremony, etc.

Considering my faith is verging on atheism and Kate is largely pantheistic, it should be no surprise we steered away from the religiosity of a typical wedding. Any sentiment that suggested Kate was in any way subservient to me, or I to her, or otherwise implied that one of us was "in charge" was eliminated; the ceremony/cocktail hour/reception were all held in one building, not a church; and while we did have one Biblical reading, it was more to emphasize the strength of our partnership than any sort of religious endorsement (Ecc. 4:9-12). Further along this vein, perhaps the best decision we made was to ask someone we knew to perform the ceremony, rather than hire a minister simply for appearances. We chose a family friend of Kate's who actually runs a theater company with his wife (First Folio - check them out!), and his professionalism and insight shepherded us through a ceremony which contained humor, faith, intelligence, and elegance - some truly deep, rousing poetry for the soul.

But we didn't hear any of it... not yet anyway.

What's going through her head?

The rehearsal was more to get us used to being up in front of people and walking through the logistics of the ceremony. In a way, he and his wife were the perfect pair for the job because they essentially treated it like a performance, which (in a way) a wedding is; we really did have discussions about pacing, timing, and ways to keep an audience interested and listening.

Standing up there, though, things still got a little nerve-racking. A few jokes eased the tension, and in about half an hour we were finished.

From there, it was off to Bob Chinn's. For those unfortunate souls who have never been, Bob Chinn's truly does have some of the finest sea food in the country. The decor is reminiscent of Joe's Crab Shack, but don't be fooled - the overly casual atmosphere betrays the high quality of the food. Not surprisingly, dinner was delicious, if a little overwhelming... Normally, when Kate and I go, we split an appetizer and each order an entree. The prie fixe party menu included multiple appetizers, soup, salad, rolls, entree, and dessert - far too much food. Amazing food, granted, but too much nonetheless. I had a Surf n' Turf with clam chowder (sampling everything else, of course), and for once I was unable to finish the meal; and when they brought out dessert? Fuhgeddaboutit.

Hilarious gift... actually tastes pretty good too.

Lobster bib over cardigan over special outfit - cautious!

As I'm sure is true of most brides/grooms, we were worried about how everyone would get along, but I really think everyone had a good time. The air was buzzing, people were laughing, strangers were talking - everything a nervous young couple could want from a party was happening, and I'm happy to say that's how the evening ended too. Nothing but great things.

And I got an awesome jacket for my troubles. How cool is that?