Mom & Gary's Wedding - El Dorado Hills

Saturday, 11 October 2008

It was a nice wedding ceremony today, atop a hill overlooking the Miraflores Winery. After we helped set up yesterday afternoon and discovered how cold it was going to be, we made a last minute run to Target to get Chase a sweater, hat, and mittens. He still had a rash on his right eyelid, ended up with a scratched up nose from falling on the rocks by the end of the day, and was nursing a cold he just caught. But, he did manage to have some fun rolling around in the grass, when he wasn't bundled up under a fleece blanket in his new BOB jogging stroller.

Gary's City Councilman friend got a 24 hour license to perform the ceremony in his white suit, which had been sitting in his closet for 20 years and had never been worn until today. Mom wore a suede skirt and boots. Gary was very emotional and spoke candidly about those close to him who had made today such a special event. He tearfully mentioned how Mom had brought Gary's daughter Andrea back into his life after the bad trucking accident he had a few years back when he had had a heart attack on the road. The rings were held in a gold jewelry box that Gary's stepmom had given Mom before she passed away. Gary spoke about a ring he had from his father that he hoped to pass on to baby Chase (if his daughter Andrea and Tom don't have kids). There were lots of tears and lots of laughter among the 85 guests.

Mom had a "Fall" theme, with lots of pumpkins, fruit, and food from the region. Everyone took some home before the end of the day. The only drawback was that because it was all outdoors, the only single restroom was down in the winery, so unless you wanted to hike back up the hill, we drove and waited in the long line to go to the bathroom. Chase enjoyed eating strawberries, cheese, and crackers. The luncheon featured delicious Italian food consisting of grilled vegetables, salad, a couple different types of pasta, and beef. The seven different types of cupcakes were decadent. I enjoyed the red velvet one. Each table had a blind wine tasting, with a Syrah, Zinfandel, or Merlot. There was a cork game (I think there were over 780 corks), which my brother Jason won. Many friends toasted the happy couple after the nuptials. They all said how warm Corky and Gary are and what fun they bring to any atmosphere. When the sun was shining and the breeze wasn't blowing (notice I'm wearing my long leather coat in most of the pictures), it was beautiful. Frank Sinatra music played in the background. Gary danced with his daughter Andrea, and then Mom, before the guests left. The pictures say it all...