Ah...weddings

I had a most wonderful and enjoyable weekend.  We were going to a family wedding.  The day started early (7am, to be exact) with my husband and me heading out to my sister's (#6, I have four sisters) salon in Newport Beach for some hair attention.  My sweet sister called me and asked if I wanted to get my hair done before the wedding.  It was my usual time for my every two months appointment but I thought she would be too busy and such as she was going to the wedding as well.  I jumped at the chance.  Now, my husband didn't think he was going to get the "treatment" but he sure did.   Afterwards we had lunch and then on to my other sister's (#5) home.  She just happens to live across from the Richard Nixon Library which was where the wedding reception was going to be held. So with a fresh hairdo, a handsome husband and a new dress (got that earlier),  it was on to the wedding.  

My cousin's daughter got married this weekend and what a party it was! The Bride is the daughter of the daughter (my cousin) of all our families' favorite Uncle & Aunt, my dad's elder brother.  My cousin is an only child so her two daughters are the apples of their granparent's eyes.  This little family has always been the nucleus of the whole family.  My Uncle is such a character and he and my Aunt were just personable that way.  So while my cousin was an only child, she grew up with all the other cousins around all the time.  Anyway, we were all looking forward to this event.  When I say we, I mean the whole clan...the remaining siblings (there were six) of the favorite Uncle, all their kids (they all had five or six-my other cousins), some of those kids' kids, and and lotsa friends.  I plan on writing it all down because I want to remember as many details as I can.  

What a beautiful bride!  Herself, the dress, everything.  They chose to have a Catholic Mass. (This is a Mexican/Irish family...so there you have it!) The priest knew her and the family from when she was a little girl.  It was so nice to have that personal touch.  She met her groom in grad school, USC, they are both attorneys.  The priest was very humorous, gave a nice homily about marriage, not too long and to the point.  Beautiful live music.  For once I didn't cry!  My cousin looked happy, proud, calm and beautiful as the mom of the bride and the dad was so handsome walking his beautiful little girl down the aisle.  The attendants wore beautiful, I'm sure-they-can-wear-again dresses in a burgundy color.  The Bride's sister was the Maid of Honor.  The "program" was printed on very nice cream card stock, embossed with the Bride's & Groom's initials (a nice touch) and tied with small burgundy-colored ribbon...party favor!!

The reception was at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA...a beautiful setting for a wedding reception.  Lovely grounds, large receiving areas (for the hors d'oeuvres...served by tuxedoed servers).  While there, one can look at all the displays lining the halls.

Wedding are so nice for families who live all over the country to catch up.  I was able to visit with out-of-state cousins and family who we don't get to see very often.  Of course, pacts were made to get together more often, but we'll see.  One of these cousins is moving to Laguna Beach next month, one of my favorite places!  I can hardly wait for the housewarming party.  Anyway, back to the wedding...

The dining room was beautiful with very tall, artfully draped windows (in gold, I think, after all this is a president's library), white hydrangea bunches with cymbidium orchids as the centerpieces, white tablecloth with gold table topper, white china, dark chocolate letters in clear bags tied with gold chiffon ribbon for party favors.  Each bag held the first letter of the bride's or groom's name.  They had a beautifully-done menu card on cream trimmed in gold (another party favor).  The menu was fabulous and beautifully presented... here goes:

Salade

Rice paper basket of mesclun greens with passion fruit vinaigrette

Entree

Braised boneless short ribs with cabernet sauce 

and

White fish with meuniere sauce and herbes de Provence

Garlic mashed potatoes and julienne vegetables

Dessert

Wedding cake with a strawberry dipped in Swiss Chocolate

The cake...beautiful and elegant in its simplicity, delicious, too, chocolate or a white cake. The strawberry had the perfect sweetness.  All accompanied by champagne or wine.  It was a lovely feast.

Ah...now to the party!  Live musicians, great music, great time dancing the night away and visiting!  If the hubbies wouldn't dance, we danced with each other.  Like I mentioned, there were all of us cousins and we love to dance.  Did I mention that my dad and his siblings had mostly GIRLS!!!!... and that we got a wonderful and fun sis-in-law from my brother?... and that my side of the family is the Mexican side?!?!  We had a BLAST!  Yes, our husbands did dance with us a time or two, but if they wanted to sit out a few, that didn't bother us.  My mother is a very good dancer as well (my dad and she used to really cut a rug) she danced with her sons-in-law a few times.  

It was so fun and a really great time to remember.  The Bride and Groom are going to Ireland for their honeymoon.

Afterward, sister #6, her hubby and my hubby & I crashed at sister #5's home.  We stayed up late talking and laughing, "discussing" things.  The next morning the coffee smelled so good and was enhanced by the addition of pure agave nectar for sweetness (thanks Jenner...I introduced it to the lot of them).  We made a wonderful, hearty breakfast which our husbands thoroughly enjoyed (after all, the way to a man's heart IS thru his stomach, men like their food...take note newlywedded ladies), visited some more and then home.  It was a fun and lovely weekend.