the wedding recap
I walked down the aisle to the Vitamin Strings’ cover of the Beach Boys’ God Only Knows. The wedding party walked down to their cover of the White Stripes’ We Are Going to Be Friends.
The ceremony meant everything to us. We had written most of it together, so the words weren’t a surprise, but the intensity of the moment was other-worldly. Although I didn’t hear it, Casey gasped audibly when he first saw me coming down the aisle, which caused most of the wedding party to lose it. Once I locked eyes on him, I was utterly unaware of anyone else in the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him, and we held hands throughout it.
Although we had a master officiant, we asked my youngest brother to perform the actual vows. Kyle started it off with a very loud “mawwidddge” (from The Princess Bride), which was perfect in every respect. His delivery was flawless, and despite his months of nervousness, he was a pro. Casey’s dad did a poignant reading (with an emotional delivery), we did a salt covenant (yeah, that’s a google), and when we kissed as husband and wife, my toes curled so hard that I think I tiptoed during the processional (more Vitamin Strings’ - You Shook Me All Night Long).
My older younger brother was the emcee for the evening, and he was fantastic as only he can be We hired a comedian - Adam Norwest - to deliver a speech/roast during the toasts, and it was equal parts magnificent and awkward, in exactly the way we had hoped. No one was sure if he was a friend or some hanger on, which helped with the WTF factor. It was pure awesome.
The band was Tubaluba - a New Orleans-style big band that is the very furthest thing from a band you expect at a wedding. Pretty sure you will be hearing more about them elsewhere, as they are incredible. They went into the crowd with their horns and kept the dance floor hopping. One of my favorite memories was watching Casey’s dad just rock the eff out on the floor, totally in a groove.
We had cupcakes from Yellow Leaf (including pancakes-and-bacon flavored) and late night snacks in the form of Banh Mi’s from Sub Sand, which were completely devoured. I mentioned the Christmas ornaments, which adorned the huge Christmas tree in the majestic space where we got hitched.
Oh, and people broke limbs and hooked up and closed down a nearby karaoke bar, and about 30 of us met for dim sum at Jade Garden the next morning to survey the damage and relive the whole thing.
It was distinctly Seattle and perfectly us, and although I had never once had a vision of a dream wedding, it was absolutely the most perfect way for us to get married.
