Wedding Day - Kaelyn & Ryan

 

Bride (Kaelyn) Groom (Ryan) Dance

So, how does one write about a wedding in "COVID" times...is 'this' part of the new normal? (A term I have come to HATE about the second time I heard it!)  You get married, just the two of you and a person authorized to marry you, and a year later, on the same day, you have a wedding to celebrate your one-year anniversary.  As I mentioned the reason for us being in Cleveland to people, they all said, "Yep, I went to one of those." -or- "We are going to one of those too..." 

Now, when you are Irish, the one-year anniversary wedding is really a THREE DAY event.  Kinda puts into perspective the term, "Party, Party, Party".  So above, as the Groom (my son Ryan) and his bride (my daughter-in-law Kaelyn) share their first dance together as husband and wife with everyone just before the dinner, after pictures (taken before the wedding), the wedding (about 25 minutes long, no cameras allowed during service except by hired photographer) followed by the reception hors d'oeuvres hour, and after the above dance it was toasting time, dinner time, and then dance time for all (which is when we cut out and called it a day).  At 11:00, those who were still hanging in there, were invited to the bar at the wedding hotel across the street for more party time.  On Friday we were all invited over to Kaelyn's parents house for a pre-wedding dinner followed by a pre-wedding party.  Today it continues with a after wedding pool party BBQ (skipping that, we have a long drive facing us starting tomorrow!)  Yep, it is the wedding of a lifetime...so happy they were finally able to get it done.  Enough said, on to the pictures...

My kids with spouses and their mother and her husband.

Kaelyn (bride) arrives for pictures

Kaelyn with her mother Julie

Kaelyn and Ryan with his mother Shelley and Bryan

We arrived at 2:45 for pictures which started promptly by 3, and were finished by 3:45.  Kaelyn is a meticulous planner, and this part of it worried her the most since the ceremony was at 4:30, and she wanted to 'hide' after the pictures so that guest did not see her until she came down the isle.

The event was held at the Union Club in downtown Cleveland Ohio.  This building was built in the first fives years of the 1900's, dedicated in December 1905.  It is absolutely beautiful inside, which I hope you can see through some of my pictures.  I can't wait to see the professional pictures once they are released.  Kaelyn made it clear that she did not want any pictures of her walking down the isle, or of the ceremony itself, except those by their photographer.  Very understandable...after all, who wants professional pictures of the bride walking down the isle and all the guest have their cell phones out taking pictures ruining the shot?  

Hors d'oeuvres hour held in 3 connected rooms

So many people, don't know any of them...

At the far table is Michael, Anna, Stephanie, Shelley and Brian

Stephanie, Shelley and Michael (sorry Anna, only got your hair)

The hors d'oeuvres hour included open bar, with servers passing through the crowds with coconut chicken, crab cakes, lobster cheese toast bites, and who knows what else.  The servers working the crowd were wonderful...friendly and attentive.

20 round tables and one long bride/groom/family table

That is Marcia at the far left.

20 tables, 8 settings per table plus bridal table

One of 'our' concerns was the ability for Marcia to move around without much interference with what was going on around us.  We had her mobility GoGo and her trusty cane.  I made sure that we were ahead of the crowd for each event, got her seated, and hid her GoGo nearby.  During the hors d'oeuvres hour she remained in the GoGo, and it was the only time we had to transverse through crowds.  All worked out well.  Arriving 10 minutes before the dinner bell had sounded, I got the above pictures which included the band warming up.  What a nice, warm banquet hall this was.

Another shot of Bride-Groom dance

Kaelyn's Parents, Julie and Chris

Kaelyn and Ryan enjoying their Toasting

Before dinner they had a quick dance, and toast-greeting from the bride's parents, followed by a toast by the Maid of Honor and the Best Man.  Getting shots with those windows and not wanting to use a flash which could interrupt the professional photographers (man and woman team) was difficult.

Dinner at the head table

Shot of Michael and Anna with Stephanie and Bride/Groom in background.

Our heart-filled thanks go out to Kaelyn's parents, Julie and Chris, for throwing such a wonderful wedding for Ryan and Kaelyn.  All went off without a hitch, everyone was warm and gracious, and we had a wonderful time.  It was filled with wonderful tears (Kaelyn is a very emotional woman...and her warm tears caused the Pastor, the Maid of Honor, the Best Man, her Husband Ryan, and many in attendance to cry tears of joy with her.)  Love abound, and it was an occasion to be remembered. 

Day After Fools Day Birthday Party

Mom and dad were the first to arrive, and mom got a hold of one of Arny’s beers, and just about didn’t give it back to him.  (Her and dad are non-drinkers)

      

By 3:15, everyone had arrived.  Hoovering over pictures will tell you who everyone is (left to right).  Ten adults, no kids, four dogs…

Patti and her two dogs, Parker (on lap) and Charlie.  They were from the same litter, and she has had them for around six years now.  Donna lives in Patti’s house, and helps take care of them.  All four dogs get along real well.

Last year Michael graduated with his Masters from U.C. Berkeley.  When I graduated with my Masters Degree in Library and Information Sciences, my mom and dad gave me dad’s grandfathers Railroad Pocket Watch.  I forgot to bring it out to Michael last year, but this year I remembered, and I gave it to him today.

Read this May 2012 blog post for the history about the watch, and read this May 2015 blog about Michael’s graduation.  Told Michael that he needed to be sure to have someone who he could hand it down to some day too (hint, hint).

We had New York Steaks, Chicken for non red meat eaters, baked potatoes, salad, bread, etc.   It as “so good”, and everyone went away stuffed.  Sandy’s short cake with strawberries and blackberries really topped it off.  Arny did all the cooking on his two barbecues, and he really out did himself, again.  YUMMY!

After dinner, and after Patti and Donna took off, it was time to sit around and let things settle a bit.

   

Well, we thought there would be entertainment…Santa, Elvis…the Duke.  But alas, I guess that was just an April Fools thought.  Dad had a wonderful birthday celebration regardless.  Happy Birthday Dad!!!!

Three Kids Together Again

Had dinner with my three children, along with mom and dad and two other special guests.  Mom, dad and I drove over to the Bay Area to meet them for dinner at the Elephant Bar and Grill in Emeryville.  This was my first visit to a Elephant Bar and Grill / Wok Kitchen, and it was pretty good.  So around the table we go….left to right.   Dad, mom, Stephanie (daughter), Anna (Michael’s girlfriend), Jenny (Stephanie’s roommate), Michael (oldest son) and Ryan (youngest son).

Mom had asked before her surgery that “IF” she was up to it, would it be ok if they came along with me to the dinner.  I had not asked them figuring that a) she would not be up to it, and b) that she might force herself to go even if she was not up to it.   Well, she was up to it…all effects from her recent surgery are essentially over other than getting a couple of stitches out.  So here they are, mom and dad in front, and left to right, Ryan (youngest son, in college to become a Chiropractor, lives near Kansas City), Stephanie (only daughter, lives in Salt Lake City, works in Park City for a firm that rents out high end homes for vacations…especially ski vacations), and Michael (oldest son, recent graduate from U.C. Berkeley, current employee of the City of San Francisco, and so sick today that he missed work and felt real bad the entire dinner).

Michael and his wonderful girl friend Anna…both graduates of U.C. Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.  She graduated one year ahead of Michael, and they met at the school.

Stephanie and Jenny.  They have shared apartments off and on for a number of years now…they are a real “Hoot”. 

Ryan has just finished his first of four years at the Cleveland Chiropractic College in Overland Park, Kansas.  The college has been in operation in Kansas City area since 1922, and is one of the oldest Chiropractic Colleges in the nation, and has a real good reputation.  Dr. Cleveland, the first president, a pioneer in the field of chiropractic and chiropractic education, was a vocal activist and provided expert testimony, forming the basis for the passage of the Chiropractic Practice Act that legally defined the profession in Missouri.

Marcia has been battling a slight case of her Diverticulitis….nothing serious, just enough that she did not want to take he 2 hour drive through traffic to the Oakland area, and just under 90 minute ride back to the Sacramento area.  Wish she could have been there…we all had a great time.