Post Wedding Party v2

Matt and Michele hosted a post-wedding party for us in Boston a couple of weeks ago. It was great fun! We even had a white, two-tier wedding cake complete with a bride & groom cake topper. It was wonderful to catch up with great friends that we don't get to see often enough. The evening was full of laughter, stories and of course wine, wine and more wine! Thanks M&M!

Post Wedding Party v1

Shane's sister, Mary, and family hosted an after-party for us in their very swank Gaslamp apartment. We were totally exhausted......but nothing that a couple of Irish coffees couldn't cure!

Finally!

We did it! After nearly eight years and countless frequent flier miles, we were married on August 13, 2007 in La Jolla, California! Thank you to everyone for their love, support and encouragement.

Group participation

In keeping with the intimate nature of our celebration, we invited everyone to share their memories, wishes, and thoughts during the ceremony. It was priceless! Contributions ranged from touching tear-jerkers to the very funny two-man stand up routine of Zhi and Nando.

Leis

We wrote our own vows and didn’t share them with each other until the ceremony. In addition to exchanging vows, we also did a lei exchange. We gave each other a lei as a living symbol of our love and commitment to one another.

The Wedding Bowl

We got married at a small park know affectionately by locals as "The Wedding Bowl". It is a little grassy knoll on the coast in downtown La Jolla that looks out over the Pacific. It is a very popular place for weddings. In fact, it is so popular that you need to book more than a year in advance to get a weekend reservation. This is why we got married on a Monday – a little non-traditional, like most of our wedding celebration! :) For more details, check out our official wedding webpage.

Our very official officiant

Our friend Carol graciously agreed to serve as our officiant. To prepare, she became a minister (online via eBay). Now her official title is "The Reverend Carol". She did a great job and looked great doing it – even though she didn’t get to wear her floral print toga!

Lunch

We began the big day with lunch at George’s at the Cove in La Jolla, California. There were about 20 very close friends and family in attendance. We chose this location because of the great view, the wonderful food and the special times we've spent here together.

The day before

We spent the day before the wedding at the Del Mar Racetrack with family and friends. Shane and I didn’t win a penny until we got a tip from Claire’s friend in Ireland via text-message. He suggested betting on horse 6 in the final race of the day. For most of the race, horse 6 was dead last. He wasn’t even on the screen. And then in the final stretch he came of out nowhere, raced past everyone and finished first. It was a great win for everyone - we had all bet on the basis of this "inside tip"!

Sunny San Diego

We arrived in sunny San Diego without a hitch and immediately began running around to take care of all the last minute details. But who could be stressed in sunny So Cal where it is always a balmy 70 degrees?? Gigantic strawberry margaritas also helped!

We're off!

The hardest thing about getting married 3,000 miles from home is PACKING! But at last..........the bags are packed and we're ready to go. We have never traveled with SO much luggage. I foresee lots of luggage carts, bell boys, and big tips in our near future. I think we might need a bigger rental car!

No, I am not changing my name

My friend Elaine provided me with some great suggestions for explaining why I decided to keep my name including my personal favorite, "Well, Shane didn't want to change his name so I decided not to change mine either." For more eloquent explanations of the many reasons women choose not to change their names, check out this great book edited by Jill Corral and Lisa Miya-Jervis.

La Jolla

We are getting married on the beach in La Jolla. This place has very special meaning for us. We were living in La Jolla when we met nearly 8 years ago. Together we spent many lazy Sundays at the beach.

Celebration in Boston

Shane and I flew to Boston to shop and celebrate with friends. Michele organized a great weekend full of bridal shops, cocktails, BBQ, and bottles (and more bottles) of Pinot Noir! Even after hearing more college stories than he ever wanted to hear, Shane is still in it for the long haul. We also discovered Shane's disapproval of pulled pork. Who knew? We continue to learn about each other and from each other every day.

The ring

A very insightful friend (Carolyn) told me years ago that I would have to go shopping with Shane for an engagement ring. I asked her why and she replied, “Well, you have very….um….unique taste.” On her advice, we went together and found the perfect unique ring.

A warm reception

Our big news was warmly received by friends and family. Within 12 hours of the big decision, Shane had told everyone he knew! He also had picked the date and booked the restaurant. What a guy! He couldn’t understand why I was such a slow poke. Within two hours of telling our friend Michele the big news, these beautiful flowers arrived on our doorstep. This thoughtful gesture made it all seem real for the first time.

Finally!

After seven years, we finally decided to get married! The big day is planned for August 13, 2007. I don't think anyone believed it! One friend (who shall remain nameless) even guessed that I was pregnant – rather than getting married – when I told her that I had “big news”.