Awwww, aren’t you guys the sweetest! Thank you all so, so much!
We are blissfully happy (although a bit on the tired side – ok, exhausted is more like it, but hanging around in bed is never a bad thing when you’re a newlywed ;)).
The whole weekend was filled with lots of fun activities! Friday night we had a very casual “get-to-know-you” pizza party at my parents’ hotel for our families and a few of our out of town guests. The relaxed atmosphere was a nice ice-breaker and a great way to get the weekend events rolling.
Saturday night we had a “rehearsal dinner” that was hosted by my very generous boss (with some extra thrown in by my parents). A few more people were at that one than the night before, as we included the bossman (of course!) and my aunt and uncle (who were hosting the “after” party the next evening), as well as my sister (who couldn’t make it Friday night). It was also my birthday, so I got to open a few prezzies and we gave out some gifts of our own to our “wedding party” (my sisters, his sister, our parents and our groomsmen, as well as my boss and my aunt and uncle). It was held on the private patio in back of Hennessey’s Tavern, which was totally awesome. The food was great (coconut shrimp - YUM!) and the company divine.
The big event was Sunday morning, which started for me at 7:00am for hair and makeup - yowza! The only thing I was nervous about was being on time, otherwise, I had this overwhelming feeling of calm happiness. Once we were at the place where the ceremony and reception were taking place, things got started with the rabbi officiating the formal signing and witnessing of the katubah (the Jewish marriage license). Everyone laughed at me when I came out with this fancy hairdo and full makeup, all wrapped up in a big, white sheet. I did not want Thomas to see me in my gown and veil before the actual ceremony and the rabbi insisted that we be together for the ketubah signing, so this was the only way I’d agree to do it that way. ([aside] My boss happened to be standing just outside the room where it was taking place and when he saw me in this “thing”, he nearly had an aneurysm trying to figure out how on earth he was going to find the words to compliment me on my choice of gown - hehe[/aside]).
The ceremony was held on the lawn in a garden area just below the reception cite, on a cliffside overlooking the ocean with a view of catalina island. We only had about 35 of our closest friends and family attending, so we had everyone gathered around us at the huppah. It was small and intimate and so wonderful to have everyone standing with us instead of feeling like we were on display in front of a seated audience.
I remember looking into Thomas’s eyes and everything just feeling right. It was a beautiful ceremony, interspersed with some humor and Thomas did an awesome job of smashing the glass (which he was nervous about not being able to do for some silly reason. :))!
When the ceremony was over we hung out under the huppah for some photos while the rest of our guests went up to the patio area to start on the appetizers. In retrospect, we probably shouldn’t have picked such yummy ones (teriyaki chiken rumaki (made with water chestnuts and wrapped with bacon), wild mushroom and brie on crisp baguettes, smoked salmon and caviar with cream cheese on new potato slices and cheese stuffed fried artichoke hearts), so people would’ve had more room for the amazing food that was to come later (lamb chops with apricot soy marinade & fried rice, paper-wrapped halibut with macadamia pesto sauce & macadamia nut sticky rice and filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and a spinach salad with mushrooms and almonds in a basalmic vinegarette dressing. Dessert was both chocolate/caramel and bananas foster style creme brulee as well as wedding cake (2 kinds - chocolate with mocha filling or white with lemon filling). We had enough food there to feed an army (and everyone got to have some of everything and more of whatever they wanted, too!)!
The band was so incredible, I couldn’t stop dancing in spite of how hot the sun was. These guys don’t just play Sinatra, Bennett, Cole, etc. – they’ve played with them! We had John Rodby on keyboard, Barry Zweig on guitar, and, the piece de resistance, Terry Harrington, sax player for “Lisa” on The Simpsons, on sax and clarinet. Bottom line… they kicked ass!
We had dolphins jumping in the water, pelicans flying in formation, an unexpected aerial show by a really cool bi-plane, perfect sunny weather with a nice, cool breeze… it was a fairy tale wedding and the happiest day of my life. I wanted it to last forever and ever. <sigh>
Our photographer rented a digital camera so that we could have some pictures on disk and the legal right to post them online (we’re not allowed to scan the “regular” photos, as she holds the rights to them until she releases the negatives to us a year from now). As soon as we have them, I’ll make a web page and post a link.
I wish we could’ve invited everyone. I feel so bad about a few who weren’t included even though we wanted them to be. And I wish Thomas’s friends could’ve made it over from Denmark. But they all got together and made the most wonderful video of them singing songs, kissing the bride and groom (the camera lens), toasting us and wishing us well – we’ll cherish it always.
Thanks again for all your good wishes and kind words. You guys are simply the best!
(P.S. So, should I change my username to Mrs. Shayna Norman? Hehe)
(P.P.S. I see on preview that Jodi has asked where we’ll be living… for now, we’re staying in L.A., but we’re talking about someday maybe moving to Dublin. We’ll just have to see where the cards fall for us.)
Love and hugs to all!!
I missed the impromptu airshow flown by a yellow biplane, and the WWII airplane that flew by; but Shayna and Spiny saw them.
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