I am finally recovered enough to be mostly functional today and post about our wedding. No pics yet, though! Gordon hasn't put the pictures on the web page yet - there are a few from various cameras on this website: http://bigred.firemark.net/gallery/ This is also where wedding pictures will be once Gordon gets them posted, so keep checking back!

The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner went off without a hitch, except that my dad didn't make it in - he says Travelocity screwed up his reservations. He made arrangements to fly in on Sunday instead. Two of my uncles and Gordon's aunt made it in, and our wedding party was there, and a couple other friends of the family.

After the rehearsal dinner, Gordon went to Howl at the Moon at Universal Citywalk and kept partying, but I was really tired, so Pam and I went back to our place and got ready for the wedding day. I didn't sleep very well - there was lots racing through my mind and I wondered if we'd handled all the details that needed to be handled.

Sunday morning I woke up and Pam dropped me off at Burke Williams for a massage. I relaxed and used the spa, jacuzzi, etc. and she picked me up about 11:30am to go to the Ebell. www.ebellla.com I had two messages on my cell phone, one from the makeup artist - how do I get there? and one from my dad, whose travel arrangements got screwed up again. He wasn't able to make it to LA after all, and apparently was very angry about it. I was actually very zen about the whole thing, figuring that whoever was supposed to be at the wedding would be at the wedding. My mother decided not to attend at all, and Dad had travel issues. Hhmmmmm. Not sure why neither of my parents were meant to be there, but I was more than okay with it, which surprised Pam. What will be will be, right? I wasn't going to let ANYTHING ruin my wedding day.

We got to the Ebell shortly after noon, and Rachel and Alison were already there and the makeup artist had already started working on one of them, and the hair stylist was working on the other one. The scene in the bridal suite was fun, calm, and quietly busy. Pam and I got the car unloaded and I was at loose ends for a few minutes until my hairstylist could start working on my hair. We got my hair up in rollers and then I was hungry again, so there's a great picture of me with my hair in rollers, no makeup on, chowing down on a chicken leg. Then there's another one of me hair still in rollers, still no makeup, brushing my tongue. I don't have copies of either of them yet, though!

My friend Julie and her mom and husband stopped in at one point to say hello, and it was good to visit with them before the wedding started. My sister EDenise came a little early, too, and she came up to visit, too. My hair and makeup was done by 3:30, and Pam helped me into my dress. I was then sent downstairs to see Gordon for the first time and we took lots of pictures. I got pictures with my uncles, my aunt, my sister, and of course, my groom.

Then we went inside and signed the ketubah, which is the Jewish marriage contract. This is what ours looks like: http://ketubah.com/engine.cfm?i=33&dID=085-003

Gordon and I then had to part ways until the ceremony started. I went upstairs and had a few minutes with EDenise, and then she went to sit in the audience. The assistant wedding coordinator told me to wait until the music (Trumpet Voluntary, on trumpet!) started to descend the staircase. The only moment I was nervous was when I heard that beautiful music start and I realized I had to get down that staircase and ALL eyes would be on me. My only thoughts were about getting down that staircase without tripping. I did have a TINY slip, but no one noticed, and I made it to the altar unscathed.

Gordon looked amazing, and it was wonderful to walk up the aisle and see so many friends and family who were there for us. The ceremony itself was brief and entertaining, which was what we wanted, and Gordon broke the glass, everyone shouted "Mazel Tov!" and we walked up the aisle as husband and wife.

We had some appetizers sent up to the bridal suite, and we cleaned the plate and caught up on the events thus far. Gordon helped me change shoes (ceremony shoes were strappy heels, reception shoes were silver ballet flats!) and then we had to go get more pictures taken. Fortunately, that didn't take long, and we then joined our guests for the cocktail hour.

We went back into the main room, danced our first dances, and then danced the hora. Now, I'd never danced the hora - I'm not Jewish, and had only been to one Jewish wedding, and I don't remember dancing it at that wedding. Let's just say it was a TON of fun, and I got to dance part of it with Booa (which was perfect since she'd said I had to marry Gordon so she could dance the hora at my wedding ). Then I had to sit in my chair and get lifted up above the crowd as they danced around us. Very fun, a little scary!

Dinner was a beet and arugula salad followed by either lamb porterhouse on mashed potatoes or chicken on polenta - either one was delicious! As we ate, they were setting up the chocolate fountain, which was a HUGE hit - Pam's 92 year old grandmother left with chocolate ALL over her mouth! Everyone loved it! I had ONE marshmallow with chocolate on it, and then never got back to that end of the room all night! We had bananas, strawberries, two different kinds of cookies, and marhsmallows with the chocolate fountain. YUM!

Everyone had a GREAT time at the wedding - at one point I looked around and hardly anyone was sitting down - everyone was either on the dance floor or at the chocolate fountain! Even our parents generation - in their 60s and 70s were up and dancing all night!

My favorite moment of the reception was after the speeches, when Bob announced that we had a special guest and asked us to come up to the stage. I asked Gordon if Neil Clark Warren was there - we met through eharmony.com, and our minister is a friend of Neil's and had asked him to come to the wedding for a few minutes, so I thought it was him. Gordon said that he knew what this was, and that wasn't it! A chair was placed in front of the stage, and I was told to sit. Then GORDON got on stage and sang "It Had to Be You" to me! I had tears streaming down my face the entire time - not only was it an incredibly sweet and moving gesture, but my husband can SING! He'd never sung in public before, either!

We wrapped up the evening and arranged for our bags to be put into the cab, and we headed off to the hotel. We get 2 minutes away, and asked the cabbie if our bags were in the back. They weren't, so we went BACK to the Ebell to find our bags, which had been put in the limo that Gordon's mom and sisters were taking back to the house. Oops. Wrong car, guys! Then we went to the hotel and ordered room service because we were both starving!