Wedding Weekend: Friday

Scotty, Jake, Carrie Mc., Carrie D., Jules, and Tomkin at Pizza Luce

Hmm. If I had been smart, I would have written about the weekend in reverse order so it would be chronological when reading it on the blog. Oh, well.... So the weather on Friday was better for us, but still bad in other areas. In fact, Tomkin's sister, Jenny, and her partner, Allison, couldn't leave Duluth because the snow was so bad. (Thankfully they did make it down on Saturday in time for the wedding.) We had lunch with Scotty, Jake, and The Carries at Pizza Luce, and then people started trickling over to our place to hang out. We had cleared out most of our furniture to make room for chairs and guests, and the dogs were brought to a neighbor's house for the weekend. Jake, Tom, Christopher, Carrie D., Nancy, Brenda, and Carrie Mc. Hanging Out and Talking

One of the things I had always envisioned if I ever had a wedding was the chance to have people from different parts of my life meet each other. Unfortunately, since we kept the wedding small, we weren't able to invite ALL our friends and family. But for those who did come, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet people they've heard me talk about or have seen on the blog. Tomkin's Mom Meeting My Mom

My mom got to meet Tomkin's mom and my friend Jennifer, with whom she had talked on the phone and exchanged e-mails. Jennifer G. and Mom Finally Meeting Face-to-Face

Carrie D. got to meet Omar, purveyor of Surly, a beer she loves. (By the end of the weekend, there were lots of new Surly fans as well!)Omar and Carrie with New Surly Bitter (Yum!)Who Loves Surly?!
Dick and Adolfo got to talk about Opera. Adolfo and Chris got to talk about economics. There were lots of cool meetings all around. I loved it! We had all our guests on Friday wear name tags that included how they know us ("Chicago friend of bride," "College friend of groom," etc.) to help break the ice. Adolfo and Jules
We officially got the rehearsal started about 5:00. Tomkin suddenly shifted into work mode and got everyone situated. (His father, Tom, a retired UCC minister, actually performed the ceremony.) We ended up running through the ceremony three times--everyone knew exactly what they were supposed to do by the end! And some people thought it was boring, but I actually thought it was a lot of fun. Tomkin Walking His Mom Down the Aisle (or Through the Hallway)Dad Practices Giving Me Away During the Rehearsal Tomorrow We'll Be Doing This For Real!
Once the rehearsal ended, it was time to eat some pizza! We originally ordered ten pizzas from Pizza Luce, but those quickly disappeared, so Tomkin ordered another 12! Pete, Brenda, and Scotty Find Room for All the Pizzas
We ate and drank and talked and had a fun evening reconnecting with friends and family. It meant a lot to me that so many people traveled to be there with us. Jules and Tomkin with Barb and Brenda After Opening Barb's Hawaii-Themed Gift
One of the highlights was seeing my friend Lana, who I hadn't seen in 16 years! She and her husband, Jon, flew up from Louisiana. (They even missed their son's prom, which was that weekend.) Lana could not stop crying! It was really funny. She and Heidi and Brenda (we all knew each other from high school) got to spend some time catching up.Lana Cries While Saying Hello to My Mom Lana, Heidi, and Jules Brenda, Jules, and Lana
At one point I looked over and saw my mom, Dick, my dad, and Sandy all sitting in a circle, eating, talking, and laughing. My parents hadn't seen each other since my Carleton graduation 16 years ago, so it was quite a reunion for them, too. And they were so happy! They were just beaming all weekend. Dad, Sandy, Barb, Mom, and Dick
Gradually people started heading out, but a few folks stuck around until about 11:00. I'm sure we could have stayed up later, but we knew we had another big day ahead of us!Jake, Scotty, Tomkin, Brenda, Sissy, and Mark Keep the Party Going