Wedding recap

We left Alexandria VA at 10:00 and arrived in Fayetteville NC at 5:00.  We stopped for an hour for lunch, and a temporary highway closure due to an accident added some extra time.  We checked into our hotel, freshened up, and went to the rehearsal dinner.

When we arrived nieces Lauren and Leslie (the bride) greeted us, as did my sister.  Just as a reminder, my sister and her husband are active Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) and their religion's policy is not to associate with disfellowshipped people, including relatives.  Both my nieces chose not to get baptized into the JW faith, so since they were never 'official' JWs their parents do not treat them like a disfellowshipped person.  The concept is you can't be disfellowshipped from something you didn't commit to.  I'm sure that if my sister and brother-in-law had it their way, I would not have been invited.  But my niece Leslie invited us and we were happy to be included.  Leslie is 27 years old.  The last time I saw her was 24 years ago.  It was great to see my 2 nieces and meet their guys.

So my sister gave me a hug, and once we were seated I ended up diagonally across from her, so we participated in most of the same conversations over dinner.  After dinner, some of the folks went to a bowling alley.  I'd been instant messaging with my cousin's son Andy who had just flown in an we decided to meet at the bowing alley.  Andy is 30 years old.  The last time I saw him was 24 years ago.  Andy's parents were both JWs when he was a boy, but his mom (my cousin) decided to leave the religion when he was a teenager so he and his brother were never baptized either.  It was really nice to catch up with Andy, hear about his wife and 8 month old baby, and some of the other relatives I haven't seen or heard about in a long time.

The next day Mary, Spouse & I had breakfast at the hotel, then drove into downtown Fayetteville for the Dogwood Festival, which we had heard started at 11:00.  The website showed no times for the events nor a specific location, which we thought was odd.  Once we parked and stopped into a couple shops we asked about the festival and were told its location.  When we arrived there we saw a banner indicating it started at 3:00!  We ducked into a couple other little shops on our way back to the car, then picked up Andy and the 4 of us went to lunch, then back to the hotel to get ready.

The wedding ceremony was short but sweet and was immediately followed by the reception.  The venue was great!  I really liked the rustic, industrial bones of the building, softened by fabric table clothes, flowers, candles, and photos in vintage frames.

The food was scrumptious, there was an open bar, and a DJ played music for dancing.  Andy was seated at the table with Mary, Spouse & me, as were my niece Lauren and her boyfriend Jimmy.  We had a lovely time.

Leslie & Brandon

Me with Leslie & Brandon

Jimmy & Lauren

Spouse & me with Andy

Lauren photobombing Mary, Spouse & me

Sun morning we had breakfast in the hotel again, checked out and headed north at 10:00.  Unfortunately we got caught in another traffic jam, so with that delay and the stop for lunch and gas, we got to aunt Mary's just before 5:00.  After letting her out we immediately headed home, arriving at 7:30.  It was a lot of time in the car, but well worth it.

Road trip

Today Spouse & I picked up my aunt Mary and we're driving to Fayetteville NC for my niece's wedding.  The idea of a road trip always reminds me of this:

Wedding

Tonight we went to our friends' Jason & Kevin's wedding!  They met 6 years ago this month and got married in their front yard.  After the short but sweet ceremony, everyone carried their chair from the front yard to the side yard where a long dinner table was set, which you can see in the left side of this photo.

The happy grooms

The food was inside so everyone made a plate and brought it to the table outside to eat and converse.  Of course no occasion would be complete without a selfie!

Spouse & I take a selfie with the grooms

 A professional photographer took the photo below which absolutely captures the personalities of these 2 fine men.

I love this photo!

While the weather wasn't ideal for an outdoor wedding (93 degrees and humid!) everyone had a wonderful time.  Lots of love, laughter and joy.

Appreciation

We're fortunate to live in an area that is rather progressive, open, and accepting.  For many years our little beach area has been the place where GLBT folks have spent their beach vacations and invested in 2nd homes.  While there are still conservative, narrow-minded people in the state, DE was ahead of the curve in implementing domestic partnerships which mirrored the benefits and rights of marriage (not every state's DP laws are that thorough), and in granting full marriage equality.  This is not something to take for granted, given the recent hateful legislation passed in NC under the guise of "religious freedom".

In addition to my appreciation for living in a state that treats me and Spouse as equal citizens, I also have appreciation for working for a company that treats me the same way.  Many of my colleagues within the company and a few on my team are GLBT.  Our franchise has made the decision to show all kinds of people in their national ads.

In "The Call" a gay male couple is among those who receive the happy news that their home has sold:

In "Moving" a lesbian couple shares a bite of their wedding cake:

While not the focus of the ads, I think its important to acknowledge the intentional presence of GLBT folks in advertising.  I really think it helps 'normalize' us to the general public, showing the milestones in life shared by everyone.  

I don't take for granted that my community and employer contribute to the sense of safety and peace of mind I experience.

Wedding on the beach

Last Fri I wrote about my friend Joey getting married the next day on the beach, with a reception afterward in a hotel.  I thought I'd share some thoughts and photos.

First off, outdoor weddings are very risky because you never know how the weather will turn out.  It could be cold, rainy, winding, stormy, blazingly hot, crazy humid, or it could be nearly perfect like it was for this wedding.  It was in the mid-80s but the humidity was low and there was a lovely, constant breeze.  They were very, very lucky.

The grooms kindly invited everyone to dress casually (no suits and ties) which made it even more comfortable and enjoyable.

After the short and sweet ceremony Spouse & I paused for a moment to take a selfie.

The reception was held in the penthouse banquet room of the hotel which provided stunningly beautiful views of the ocean, beach, and boardwalk.

The food was served buffet-style and it was really good.  The cake came from Charm City Cakes.  We don't know if teddy bear Duff Goldman actually made or decorated the cake or not, but it was certainly charming and personalized for the couple.

The groom on the left side of the cake is 'dressed' in the outfit he wore in the wedding, and the groom on the right is dressed in a St Patrick's outfit because they met at a St Patrick's day party.  Its difficult to see in this photo but their dog and 3 cats are represented on the middle tier, as well as beer stines, sea shells, and starfish.  

After a few toasts from the 2 maids of honor, the grooms posed for photos and had their first dance as a married couple.  They wore matching ivory colored vests made from 1 of the grooms' mother's wedding gown, and they got married on the other groom's mother's birthday.

Then the DJ pumped up the tempo and the dancing began.  Even Joey's 92 year old aunt joined in and had a dance with both grooms!  

Everyone seemed to have a great time, including Spouse who always imagines the worst in such social situations.  Naturally witnessing the love and contentment of this couple brought back memories of mine and Spouse's wedding, which was probably one of the best times of my life.

Friday fragments

Today's Friday fragments is brought to you by the letter W:

1. Walter - his nickname is "Little One", although he is now taller and longer than Marvin.  Walter turned 1 year old on Mon.  After doing a little reading on when to transition from puppy food to adult food I made the decision to start it last week.  I began by mixing a sprinkle of adult food in with his puppy food.  Over a week's time I gradually adjusted the blend of puppy food and adult food so that on the last day it was just a sprinkle of puppy food.  Now both Marvin & Walter both eat the same food which is more convenient for us.  But its also a reminder that our "Little One" is growing up.  
2. Weight loss - its been several weeks since I've written anything on this topic, mostly because I've still not reached my goal weight.  For over a month now I've been at or near the same weight, which has been disappointing.  Spouse says that's because its the weight I'm supposed to be, but I believe its because I've been 'cheating' just enough to stay at the same weight.  I'm going to a wedding tomorrow night, but after that I'm going to eat clean and hopefully lose the last 4 lbs to meet my goal weight.  
3. Weeds - early this spring Spouse & I spent an hour or so pulling weeds and grass from the beds that line our front porch and the sidewalk to the street.  It was enough at the time, but with the full onset of summer the weeds and grass came back with a vengence.  In addition to the beds that line our front porch and the sidewalk to the street, the beds along the driveway, side of the garage, and the side entrance to the house were starting to look like Jurassic Park.  I decided this was just too much work for 2 lazy, 50+ year old men (1 with bad knees) so I hired a teenager to do it for us.  He said he was saving money to go to wrestling camp, so I asked him how much the camp cost.  Rather than paying him the agreed upon amount, I paid him the cost of the camp.  He was absolutely thrilled and so was I.  Surely that money meant more to him that it did to me.
4. Wedding - tomorrow Spouse & I are going to our very 1st beach wedding.  My good friend Joey is getting married on the beach and then having the reception in a hotel.  Planning a beach wedding in late July is rather risky.  It could be super hot, super humid, or even worse - stormy.  Lucky for them the forecast is great so it should be lovely.  I'm looking forward to my 1st beach wedding!

Wonderful weekend recap

Me & Spouse at cocktail hour

Sat evening Spouse & I went to the wedding and reception of Tim & Randy, 2 of the owners of the
Blue Moon where I perform in the Legends show.  After 36 years together they got married, and it was top shelf the whole way.

The ceremony was presided over by the Bishop Gene Robinson, the 1st openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church.  Tim & Randy's longtime friend and recording artist Pamala Stanley sang during the ceremony, and Tim's brother shared a poem. After the ceremony the couple received their guests and everyone enjoyed an open bar, passed hors d'ouerves, and a fruit and cheese table while a jazz trio played.  

Huge floral arrangements abound!

An hour or so later everyone was asked to enter the dining room and find their seats.  Spouse & I were seated at a table with several of my fellow Legends and Rehoboth Idol performers and a few others. Again there was an open bar, and servers offered everyone red or white wine at the table.  A longtime friend of the couple spoke, followed by Miss Richfield 1981 who left everyone in stitches!  Then came the spinach salads, followed by the entre: surf and turf with risoto.  Amazing!  The balance of the night was filled with conversations, laughter, wedding cake, and dancing to the 10-piece band.  It was quite a lovely and fun event.

The wedding cake

Me with my good friends Rick & Lisa

My handsome Spouse

The next morning we showered, filled travel mugs with coffee, grabbed the dogs, and headed to VA to spend Mothers Day with Spouse's mom.  We arrived shortly before noon and since it was a nice day, the 3 of us sat outside in her back yard while the dogs ran around off-leash.  

Spouse's sister and her margarita

Then at 2:30 we met up with Spouse's brothers and sister and their spouses and children for an early dinner at Cantina Mexicana (aka: The Taco House).  It was wonderful to see the owners (and our friends) Juan & Gloria again, and they treated our group of 12 like royalty.  From appetizers to entres to drinks and dessert, we were there for 3 hours!  But the time seemed to fly by.

Back and Spouse's mom's house we gave her a gift:  a neckless, earlings, and matching bracelet.  She loves costume jewelry and wears it every time she leaves the house, so we knew she'd enjoy it.  We left at 6:45 and got home at 9:15.  It was a long but fun day.

3 years ago on this date

...Spouse & I had our civil union ceremony and reception!  Our civil union was converted into a marriage 18 months later when marriage equality came to DE.

However, we do not consider either of those dates as our anniversary.  We consider they day we met (May 26) as our anniversary.  But I did want to recognize the 3rd year of our legally-recognized union in the eyes of the State.

If you've been reading this for less than 3 years and want to read and see more about our ceremony and reception, please click on the following links to previous posts:

• ceremony
• flowers
• food
• cupcakes
• music

It was a wonderfully memorable evening!

Weekend redux

On Sat morning we drove back to the DC area, stopping 1st at Spouse's mom's house for a visit and to change our clothes, and then we went to the wedding reception of our good friends Ron & James.  Since the District of Columbia has marriage equality, they actually got married on the steps of the Lincoln monument a few days earlier (on their actual 26th anniversary), but had their reception at their home in Virginia which does not have marriage equality yet.  

James & Ron eating wedding cake

The weather was very pleasant so they had the windows and doors open so the breeze could blow in and people could spill out into their back yard.  Their was food and drinks, of course, and many old friends we'd known from our former days as members of a very progressive and inclusive Presbyterian church where we met Ron & James.  It was a lovely afternoon of smiles and joy.

Afterward we returned to Spouse's mom's house, changed our clothes again, and then drove to visit our other dear friends Kerry & Hugh.  For the past 8 months they have been restoring an early 1900s Victorian home that sits just 2 doors down from their own home.  The home had been abandoned and was in very poor shape, to the point that the City was about an inch away from condemning the home and destroying it.  Kerry & Hugh couldn't stand the thought of this historic home being demolished so they formed a small partnership with a neighbor and a relative and quickly purchased the home 8 months ago, which a strict timeline from the City on getting its dangerous porch and steps repaired.  

The Prescott House 8 months ago

 After shoring up the home to comply with the City, they began the huge job or making the home beautiful and livable again.  They've replaced all the plumbing and wiring, converted it from a 4 bedroom 1 bath into a 3 bedroom 2 bath, added central air and heat, and were installing the new kitchen when we arrived.  We'd seen photos of the home and were eager to see it in person.  Though the inside isn't quite finished, we got a very good idea of how it will look once complete.  

The Prescott House 8 months later

Its been a true labor of love for them.  They are hopeful that it will all be worthwhile when they sell the home to someone who appreciates the character and charm of a grand home like this.  After the home tour, the 4 of us were joined by several mutual friends for dinner.  After dinner we stopped in to see Bob & Harriet's house, which is across the street from the one under renovation.  It was great to see our friends and their hard work!

The next morning Spouse & I went out to breakfast with his mom, sister, and nephew, then packed up and headed home.  We ordered pizza delivery for dinner.

They do, and they did

Our good friends Rick & Nick got married in Washington DC in 2010.  At that time DE had no civil unions or marriage equality.  Now that DE has marriage equality starting this year, their 2010 marriage in DC was automatically recognized in DE.

This past Sat was the 10th anniversary of the date they met, so they decided to celebrate their 10th anniversary by having a celebration/party.  Those in attendance included some of Nick's family from TX and CO, friends from NY, and local friends like Thad & Steven and Spouse & me.  The ceremony was held at the local GLBT community center.  It was short, simple, and sweet, and was followed by food, music and dancing.

We had a very nice time and were very happy for our friends.  Rick & Nick were the 1st people we met when we moved to DE.

Marry Me, Bill

Today beloved blogger and friend Ron is getting married to his partner Bill on the 49th anniversary of the day they met.  Its been a long wait for them, but the happy day has finally arrived.

Read Ron's blog post, written this morning prior to the nuptuals.

I imagine Ron has been singing this song to Bill in anticipation of their big day.  Congratulations to Ron & Bill on their wedding day and 49th anniversary!!

Wedding

Sat evening Spouse & I went to a wedding... er, rather, a wedding reception.

A woman with whom I work got married early Sat morning in a private ceremony at dawn.  Then they invited their family, friends, and colleagues like me & Spouse to their reception that evening.

It was a beautiful evening weather-wise; not too humid, not too hot, not too cool, not too breezy.  It was about as perfect as one could ask for an outdoor reception.  But just in case, they did have a large banquet tent.

The food was simple but tasty, there was an open bar, and the decorations were lovely but not over-the-top.  (This was her 2nd marriage.)  
 
The theme color was peacock blue.  The bride wore peacock blue shoes and earrings (and a white knee-length dress), the napkins were peacock blue, and the floral centerpieces had peacock blue ribbon around them.  It was just enough color to make it interesting without overshadowing the beauty of all the white.

Spouse & I had a very nice time eating, drinking, and talking with the other guests.  We did NOT dance though.  It is my personal rule not to dance with or among straight people.  As progressive as most of them were, we didn't want to be "the male couple dancing together" at the reception.

The wedding: music

As earlier posts indicated, while all the other elements of the wedding went very smoothly, the music was a proverbial thorn in my side.  First it was the repair and re-installation of the main control unit for our whole house sound system, which didn't take place until the morning of the wedding day.  Next it was the uploading of songs from our CDs and downloading of songs from the internet into 1 playlist.  

Then on the morning of the wedding the mp3 player would not play the playlist through the music system.  My friend Ted suggested we use my laptop instead, which seemed to work just fine.  But then we noticed that the playlist was skipping certain songs!  Fortunately Jason & Kevin came to our rescue and figured out why.

The final result was that we used my laptop, plugged into the main control unit of the whole house sound system, to pipe our playlist throughout the house for both the pre-ceremony time, the ceremony itself, and the entire reception.  It all worked out and sounded beautiful. 

Here's our playlist:

**Pre-ceremony while guests arrive

June in January                                           Julie London

I’ve Got a Crush on You                             Linda Ronstadt

Til There Was You                                      Sherry Petta

It Might As Well Be Spring                       Ella Fitzgerald

My Romance                                                Carly Simon

The Nearness of You                                  Accoustix

**Ceremony begins - music stops

We’ve Only Just Begun                              sung live by Christy

Time After Time                                          sung live by Ted

**Ceremony ends - music resumes

Finally!                                                          Ce Ce Peniston

Time After Time                                          Margaret Whiting

At Last                                                           Etta James

Misty                                                              Johnny Mathis

What Are You Doing Rest of Your Life?  The Real Group

Dancing Queen                                            Abba

Come Rain or Come Shine                        Bette Midler

You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To       Julie London

We've Only Just Begun                              Carpenters

Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe     Judy Garland

Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square    Manhattan Transfer

Express Yourself                                         Madonna

Chances Are                                                 Johnny Mathis

Firework                                                       Katy Perry

Embraceable You                                       Sarah Vaughn

Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered       Laura Fygi

Day By Day                                                 Accoustix

All The Things You Are                            Ella Fitzgerald

Candy                                                           Manhattan Transfer

For Sentimental Reasons                         Linda Ronstadt

For Once In My Life                                  Stevie Wonder

Body and Soul                                            The Real Group

Moves Like Jagger                                    Adam Levine

I’ve Got the World on a String               Ella Fitzgerald

Can You Feel The Love Tonight            Elton John

I Got a Feeling/Tonight’s the Night     Black Eyed Peas

Skylark                                                       The Real Group

Love Shack                                                B-52s

It Had To Be You                                     Harry Connick, Jr

Macarena                                                   Los Dos Rio

Unfortgettable                                          Nat King Cole

Wind Beneath My Wings                       Bette Midler

Love Boat                                                   Dominic Hauser

I Won’t Last a Day Without You           Carpenters

Caught Up In The Rapture of Love      Anita Baker

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life        Stevie Wonder

Our Love is Here to Stay                        Julie London

Can’t Get Enough of Your Love            Barry White

Glory of Love                                            Bette Midler

How Sweet It Is                                        James Taylor

Holiday                                                      Madonna

When I Fall In Love                                Linda Ronstadt

L-O-V-E                                                     Nat King Cole

Truly, Madly, Deeply                              Savage Garden

Body and Soul                                          The Real Group

True Colors                                               Cyndi Lauper

Fever                                                          Peggy Lee

Oo-La-La-La                                             Teena Marie

Tuxedo Junction                                      Manhattan Transfer

Shake Your Groove Thing                      Peaches & Herb

Shadow of your Smile                             Astrid Gilberto

Crazy Little Thing Called Love              Queen

Out On a Limb                                          Teena Marie

I’m Coming Out                                        Diana Ross

I Have Nothing                                         Whitney Houston

Get Into The Groove                                Madonna

I Knew I Loved You                                 Savage Garden

If I Were A Bell                                         Teena Marie

Lucky Star                                                  Madonna

When Sunny Gets Blue                            Johnny Mathis

Livin’ La Vida Loca                                   Ricky Martin

Heart’s Desire                                            Manhattan Transfer

Yellow Diamonds                                      Rihanna

Sweet Love                                                 Anita Baker

This Time The Dream’s On Me              Ella Fitzgerald

Take A Chance On Me                             Abba

Girl From Ipanema                                  Astrid Gilberto

You’re The Top                                         Ethel Merman

Vogue                                                         Madonna

Someone To Watch Over Me                 Sarah Vaughn

DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love                       Usher

Stairway to the Stars                               Ella Fitzgerald

For All We Know                                      Bette Midler

Its De-Lovely                                             Ethel Merman

Until I Met You                                         Manhattan Transfer

Borderline                                                  Madonna

As you can see there was a mixture of older and current songs, ballads and up-tempo songs.  Obviously the running theme of the playlist was love and romance.  I was really happy with the way it turned out.  

As I heard the songs playing in the background the entire night I kept thinking "Oh, I love this song!", and then I'd remember that I created the playlist!

The wedding: cupcakes

When 1st discussing the details of our reception we thought we wanted a traditional tiered wedding cake.  Not too embellished, not to plain.  It was suggested that we look at photos of cakes to get an idea of what can be done, what we liked, and what we didn't like.  As usual, Spouse's taste went a little too far to the gawdy, and my taste was a little too traditional for him.

Then Spouse suggested decorated cupcakes.  Some could be traditional while others were more decorated.  Maybe we could get different flavors so guests would have a choice, or better yet - have more than 1.  I loved the idea!

So I gave a call to a local bakery called Cake Break and got some options and general pricing.  The owners Phil & Debbie invited us to come into the bakery for a private tasting 1 evening after they closed to the public, so we set it up.  We had lots of bites of different cupcake flavors and different frosting flavors.  Then we talked about set-up and other logistical details.  It was a great experience!

This is what we chose:

• yellow cake with ivory butter cream frosting, piped to look like hydrangea with tiny edible pale green pearls 
• devils food cake with chocolate sour cream frosting, topped with white chocolate starfish and tiny edible white pearls
• carrot cake with swirled cream cheese frosting, topped with milk chocolate seashells

Debbie delivered the cupcakes, set up the tower, and arranged everything in record time.  Spouse offered to help her carry things inside and she quickly said "NO - thank you.  If anything gets dropped its gonna be ME, not you dropping it", which made us both laugh.

On the top of the tower was an 8" chocolate cake topped with a 6" chocolate cake with butter cream frosting, piped to look like hydrangea with tiny pale green pearls.  Not only were all the cupcakes and cake topper absolutely gorgeous, they were absolutely delicious too!! 

Tomorrow:  the music.

The wedding: food

Although Spouse was convinced he could make the food for the reception, I convinced him not to do it.  "We're going to have enough things to do.  We don't need to add making the food and cleaning up afterward to our list.  Let's have the food made elsewhere.  I'm sure you'll thank me for this later" I told him.

So we ordered the food from a favorite lunch spot near Spouse's office simply named Patty's.  I'd never eaten there but Spouse has eaten there many times and was confident our food would be great. 

We had a trio of meatballs: Greek, Italian, and Thai.  Each came with its own dipping sauce.  The Greek meatballs had chunks of feta in them and were delicious alone, but when dipped in the basil sauce they were my favorite.  The Italian meatballs had a marinara sauce, and the Thai meatballs had a green curry sauce.  Incredible!  We also had marinated chicken skewers which again were terrific on their own, but when dipped in the peanut sauce or the chipotle sauce were out of this world!

We also had a quinoa and french lentil salad (left) with diced onion, tomato, and yellow and zucchini squash with a light vinaigrette, and pasta primavera (right).  Both were amazing.

The 1 element of the reception food Spouse did make (or assemble, if you will) was a Mediterranean platter consisting of hummus with olive oil and pistachios, baby carrots, pita triangles (not in photo), garlic stuffed green olives, and kalamata olives.

Then there was the bar, which consisted of Proseco (Italian champagne or sparkling wine), white and red wines, iced tea, regular and diet sodas, and bottled water.

Spouse had recommended Proseco over champagne because its a little sweeter than dry champagne and has an easy drinkability.  I checked this out with 2 liquor store employees and both recommended the same brand of Proseco which turned out to be delicious.  I can't believe there were no photos taken of me with a champagne flute in my hand because I feel like I had a glass of Proseco in my hand the entire night.  

An Italian's worst fear is that they'll run out of something when hosting a party and Spouse is no exception.  But we had more than enough food and drinks for our guests.

Tomorrow:  the cupcakes.