Our Island Wedding, Part I

Okay, it's about time that I blogged about something. Well, I got married last month, so I figured I should say something about that.

Let me first give some details about the style and idea behind our wedding. Every wedding has its own distinct flavor, and ours was no exception.

I intentionally wanted a few relaxed events before the wedding. The events were an excuse to have fun, and also gave everyone a sense of anticipation for the wedding itself. I had a blast at my bachelorette party. You can read more about it here. Mark wanted his bachelor party to consist of biking, more biking, and then going to a friend's house to watch bike racing on Tivo. Well, his friends rebelled, and so they ate Buffalo wings and ended up at a strip club instead.

Mina's Bachelorette Party (from Left: Cherie, Joann, Mina, Ching, Valerie and Sweta)

We also had a small wine-tasting party for selecting wines for the wedding. The evening was really fun. There were hardcore wine collectors as well as rank novices in attendance. My little cousin, Alicia, whom I think has never attended a wine tasting before, had a great time tasting wines, and taking notes on each wine. We all pretty much settled on the wines pictured below.

Wedding Wines Selected (From Left: Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet,

Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, Five Rivers Cabernet)

As for the wedding itself, it took place on the island of Catalina, a place that has significance for us for all the positive memories we have had there. Also, I think our guests enjoyed transporting themselves both mentally and physically far far away from work. Below, is a picture of friends on their way over to Catalina to attend our wedding. They are already smiling.

Ferry Boat Ride to Catalina Island: (from left) Javier, Marsha

(picture courtesy of Johnny Chang)

A fun time wouldn't be a fun time if people couldn't unwind and even make fools of themselves. Also, a trip to Catalina wouldn't be right without a visit to El Galleon, one of the most festive bars on the island. Therefore, we designed the wedding to last for several days, with every night ending up at the El Galleon. On weekend nights, visitors sing Karaoke. Below, our posse entertains everyone with a round of "Boys of Summer".

A pot of money started to accumulate to get Mark to sing a song. When the dollar count reached $60, Mark dragged his butt up to the mike, but not without friends surrounding him. The song choice was Roxanne by the Police. Everytime, the Roxanne chorus started, Mark's brother, Matt threw me the mike, whereupon when I heard my screeching voice, I ended up cracking up and doubling over in laughter.

We were so animated, that every time our posse showed up on the list, the DJ bumped us ahead!

Singing Karaoke (From Left: Sweta, Yael, Cherie, Jeff M. and Mina)

To Be Continued...