July 6, 2003
Wow.
That's pretty much the only word I can find that summarizes the time I had this weekend, and even that word can't possibly do the experiences of this weekend justice. I'm writing this from the business center of my hotel (28.8 dialup - SUCK), live from Nashville Tennessee. Well, live until it's pre-recorded, which is when you'll be reading it.
I left work Thursday morning, and pretty much started my trek to Nashvegas right afterward. I followed behind Ted, and we pulled into Union Station after about a four-hour drive. The station is spectacular; it's a fantasticly ornate building, and I was immediately wondering how old it was. The Romanesque architecture told me it probably dated from the early 1900s, however I was also given a conflicting "pre civil-war" date. I finally asked the clerk at the hotel, and sure enough, it was built in 1900. I later found out this is also where the wedding was going to be held. Awesome.
Thursday night I did something I hadn't done in years. In the style of a pre-wedding bash, a roller skating rink was borrowed for the evening, and we were turned into dangerous, mobile menaces. I hadn't worn rollerskates in somewhere around ten years, so modifying my feet with wheels was definitely something I was not used to. I didn't fall unless it was due to external stimulii (i.e.: Scott intercepting my trajectory and menacing me with claw-hands) or unexpected balance loss, but as the evening went on, I got better at compensating for the wheels under my feet. It was incredible, incredible fun.
Friday came along, and we didn't have any concrete plans. I wanted to visit the Nashville recreation of the Parthenon, however there weren't many people interested in going. (You don't know how surreal it is to see "PARTHENON - NEXT EXIT" on highway road signs. Especially in Tennessee.) So anyway, we all just hung out and did miscellaneous random things on Friday.
Saturday was the big day. At 11:00, we assembled at Union Station, met with one another and mingled until it was about time for the ceremony. Dann looked great, and did an awesome job performing the wedding. He also wrote the best ceremony ever. "Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together today..." were the first words of the ceremony, and immediately got laughs from the guests who "got it." Those who didn't get it shot us some seriously dirty looks, which was also pretty funny. It was a really great ceremony, and couldn't have been more perfect. Julia looked absolutely beautiful, and Scott looked sharp and fantastic. You'll see in the pictures.
We had Union Station for the majority of the day, and after the ceremony we adjourned to the back area for drinks and hors d'oeuvres while the staff set up the reception area for dinner. All of the food served was delicious, and the lunch/dinner was no exception. We started off with a really yummy carrot soup, followed by a salad with raspberries, walnuts, and bleu cheese. Next was a small lemon sorbet "to cleanse the palate" before the main course. Several different meals were available including center-cut filet mignon, pan-seared salmon, and a vegetarian stir-fry. I had the beef, and it was the best piece of cow I have had in a long while. The newlyweds mingled among the guests while we ate dinner. After dinner, the band (who rocked) geared back up for more music.
And then the dancing. Dear God, the dancing.
I am not a dancer. I do not dance. Sure, I'll jump around my apartment like a goon when a cool song queues up on my playlist, but this was dancing dancing. The real-deal hip-shoulder-hand-hand dancing. So since I am not a dancer and I do not dance, I obviously did not plan to dance. I planned to stand on the sidelines and snap a few pictures, and watch everyone else dance.
Scott, of course, had other ideas.
He took me by the shoulder, and introduced me to a very attractive woman named Connie - the freakin' dance instructor - and asked her if she'd like to dance with me. She accepted, and we hit the dance floor. I was intimidated because Connie is the dance instructor, and I had never done anything like this before in my life. However, Connie is a great dancer (duh), and I guess I didn't do too badly. That was an evil, sadistic thing of Scott to do, and I can't thank him enough because it was so awesome. As a result of my newfound rhythm, I also danced with Julia and Gwen. Twirls and all. Rock.
The wedding cake was badass. An orange/chocolate recreation of the Empire State Building, complete with King Kong himself (clutching Fae Wray, even) perched atop the upper floors. I didn't have any cake, as I was still full from dinner, however I did sample one of the chocolate-dipped strawberries on the table.
Julia and Scott eventually said their evening's goodbyes at around 16:30. We followed them out to the front of Union Station (accompanied by music from a full-on brass ensamble), where a carriage was waiting to take them off for their first evening as newlyweds. The rest of us went back to the Best Western for some pool-fun, eventually migrating to the hotel lobby to talk and laugh about everything until the early morning hours.
Which brings us to today. In about a half-hour, I'm heading up to the Cracker Barrel to meet up with Scott and Julia before I leave. I can't stay long because I have a 4 hour drive home, and I have to work tonight. I wanted to write all of this this morning while it's all still fresh in my mind, but I seriously doubt I'll be able to forget any of this.
Congratulations once again to my friends Scott and Julia, and thanks again for such an awesome, awesome weekend. Best of luck and much love to you both.
(11:06)
Update: Got home a little while ago. Pictures have been uploaded. Check them out!
(17:56)
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