The Wedding

This weekend proves to be one of the most memorable on record. Ben and Whitney got married Saturday, and I am ecstatic that I got to be part of it.

Work on Thursday turned out to be frustrating. Coming home to Brad's delicious cooking -- Brad was Ben's best man -- at my apartment and my closest buddies hanging out was a great cure for work-related blues. I can't imagine where Brad learned to cook, but his almond-crusted halibut was so delicious that we had to kill some time drinking wine and Martinelli's before we left for Jazz Alley having finished so quickly. Good food can turn hungry men into vacuum cleaners.

Ben didn't know we were going to Jazz Alley, which was good because it turned out he really wanted to go there. In fact, as we drive by it in Downtown Seattle on our way to find parking, he made a remark about it. According to Brad, he said "Oh there's Jazz Alley! I should remember where that is." He hadn't quite put it together. Nor did he put it together when we went by the second time, nor when we pulled into the Jazz Alley parking garage. "Hey, this is the Jazz Alley parking garage!" "Yeah," Brad said, "I hope they let us park here." As we were walking under the awning to the entrance of Jazz Alley, only then did Ben finally exclaim, "We're going to Jazz Alley!?" He was excited. :-D

The music was great. Jazz musicians know how to have a good time with an intimate, live audience, and a table full of bachelors -- Kevin, Alex, Matt, Brad, Peter (Brad's brother), Tyler (Whitney's brother), Danny (Ben's brother), Ben, and me -- sure makes for good times. The man playing upright bass was one of the most talented musicians I've ever heard. I think he managed a three-part harmony on the thing. Astounding!

After Jazz Alley, we got some dessert at a restaurant down the street, but not before our caravan got separated and my car got lost (thanks to following Whitney's brother). ;-) Good times were had by all, and then dishes were done when we got home. (And the next morning, too.)

Friday we all got up to go pick up our tuxes. I think I look pretty good in black tie; even better when I lose some weight. I highly approve of cranberry as a choice of color for the wedding party. After trying on our tuxes, Alex, Matt, Kevin and I had no responsibilities until 4:30 when the rehearsal would be, so we decided to go explore downtown. Once we swung by my apartment (and finally got off the computers), we headed down to Pike's Place. It was the usual atmosphere of street musicians and fish-stand workers pulling pranks on paying customers. And of course, the world's very first Starbucks was there. We decided to walk from Pike's Place to Seattle Center, but by the time we got there we had to turn right around and head back to Pike's Place because it was getting late, so we decided to take the monorail to Westlake. We ended up 20 minutes late for the rehearsal anyway, in part, no doubt, to the usual Friday evening rush hour traffic that grips Seattle in the same way it does SoCal. Ben was just about as late, though, so we were fine. :-)

After the rehearsal we went out to a special dinner for close family and friends, complete with delicious food, speeches, a photo slideshow, and of course some flirting with the bridesmaids. Apparently Ben has a history of nearly killing the people who go hiking with him. Whitney, Brad said in his toast, is in for an adventure. The night culminated in some Halo 3 versus, the groomsmen receiving beautiful pocket watches as a gift from Ben, picking up Tessa from SeaTac and trying to figure out how we were going to make coffee without a French press or coffee maker, after which I stayed up way too late catching up and finally got to bed around 2am. My apartment is very very noisy at night, but really only when people are sleeping.

The morning of the big day we all got up right around 6:30. I made pancakes for everyone, and Brad made coffee in a saucepan (which we then strained through a filter into cups -- ingenious!) and also some bacon. Truly a successful and memorable breakfast. Thankfully, that wasn't the end of the success and memory that day! We managed to get ourselves to Clise Mansion by about 8:30 to help put up decorations. Soon after, the groomsmen had a party while we all changed into our formal wear. That's when the singing started, and it really didn't stop until people started showing up for the wedding. (A healthy round of "We Will Rock You" ought to be the end of any good bachelorhood, am I right?)

Once we'd changed, we let Ben and Whitney alone with the photographer to have that ever-important "first glimpse" of the bride and photos thereof. Once that was done, the men went outside to have our pictures taken together. We had no problems smiling and joking and generally taking a healthy mix of funny and serious photographs. The girls, on the other hand, seemed to be having trouble really getting their happy faces on, so we covertly organized a synchronized wolf-whistle that managed to get them laughing. Mission accomplished. Then after the family went out to have their pictures, the groomsmen partied inside with more singing and some small bit of dancing to keep the mood lively until 11:30 arrived.

Once people started arriving we got our game-faces on and got down to our duty of escorting friends and family to be seated. We had to deal with the (somewhat good) problem that more people showed up than we had room for. In some cases we pulled younger folks out of their seats to let an older couple sit; after all, we wouldn't want any deaths on our hands. The chairs and walls were filled with people. Then finally the time came for us to file out. We all got caught up in the last minute stresses -- Should we go now? Don't let the latecomers see the bride! Where's the flower girl? -- and it almost got to me. Then I started walking and realized that now was the time to smile and get happy, because the most special thing was about to happen. The bridesmaids and groomsmen lined the front, and the ring bearer and flower girl pulled off a flawless victory. (Ben followed shortly.)

Then the moment of truth and joy -- the beautiful bride emerged at her father's arm, radiant and obscured by the standing crowd. Her father, who dwarfed Ben somewhat awkwardly, released his daughter to him and I think that may have been when it really hit Ben. I couldn't see his face throughout the ceremony, but I know that I couldn't help smiling from ear to ear when I looked at Whitney so I can only imagine how Ben must have felt. The pastor gave a little sermon about love, most of which I can't remember because I was filled with giddiness of a kind I thought only women were supposed to experience. It was such a joyful experience. The pastor made one tongue-slip that was just perfect for keeping the mood light, and after a few minutes he made the pronouncement. How proud must all of those parents have been to see the time and love they had all invested pay off in that singular moment. (Invested in both Ben and Whitney individually, of course, but also invested in trying to get them together for years -- those parents and their machinations.) After that, we whooshed out after the newlyweds to receive and greet the guests.

The bridesmaids looked gorgeous (and, I think they would say, most certainly better have after the effort they made to look so) but their feet did not feel so hot I think after standing in cute shoes for a few hours. We all endured a bit of sore feet for the sake of greeting family and friends, but it also gave us a chance to talk amongst ourselves. The wedding party is proof that Ben and Whitney know how to make good friends. (But also miss some bad apples, given my own presence.) ;-)

After the reception there was delicious food with enough carbs to fuel us up for dancing, and the most excellent best man's speech I've ever heard care of Brad. The man has a handle on public speaking, and even if he didn't know what he'd said after he was done all he needs to know is that it was inspiring. Ben and Whitney cut the cake and we all went to dance.

Ben was glowing as he danced with his new wife. I've never seen the man happier or more content. After the first dances (newlyweds, father-daughter, mother-son), I made the bold (for me) move of asking one of the bridesmaids to dance. It's nice dancing with someone who has less confidence in their own dancing than you do in yours, because then you look like an expert and can be encouraging and laugh when you misstep. I hope it was as fun for her as it was for me. At some point shortly after the first slow dance, people started disappearing because they served cake. (I guess I didn't hear that announcement.) It seemed like Ben and Whitney were more interested in dancing, so about four of us stuck around with them right up until "Dancing Queen" came on and Ben called it quits.

As we exited, I got pulled aside to go help decorate Ben and Whitney's car for their grand departure. (That was much better than cake, if you ask me.) We covered the thing in bows and ribbons and balloons and lipstick, and strung up cans to drag behind it. Absolutely grand! I have no idea if they tried to drive out of Marymoor like that, but I surely hope they didn't.

With the car bedecked, we returned to the reception room for the bouquet and garter toss. They decided to go with the sketchy pull-the-garter-off-her-leg method, but at least he didn't use his teeth. The choice of music, though, was somewhat sketchy. Last weekend when they were choosing, I was all for Indiana Jones as a theme, but yesterday with Ben reaching up underneath Whitney's dress I couldn't help but rethink my support. Was I seeing "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or "Temple of Doom"? (God forbid it be "The Last Crusade!") All the same, Whitney's little brother caught the garter (and I nearly tripped over him in a lunge), which spells doom for the hopes of any of us bachelors getting married this decade.

Then the dancing resumed and we all had a ball. At various points I started a conga line with Matt Jeffryes, ended up doing some kind of spontaneous dance routine with three other groomsmen as everyone looked on, and popped a button clear off my vest, which nearly hit Matt in its flight. We put some energy into it.

Finally the time came for us to wrap up the music and send off the new husband and wife with bubbles and cheers. They were obviously eager since I think they were first out the door and didn't wait long enough for people to get outside to blow bubbles on them, though its possible this was a strategic dress-saving measure.

With Ben and Whitney sent off, we got ourselves changed and helped un-decorate the mansion a bit, and then I and the folks from Claremont all shoved off to go see Quantum of Solace. The movie was somewhat disappointing, but I think Alex was most disappointed that the ticket taker lied to us when he told us they would show the new Star Trek trailer before it. After the movie, Renee took Alex down to the airport and the rest of us went to Red Robin for dinner. It was nice to see Peter and Kathryn again; everyone was surprised they came all the way from Chicago. After dinner, we all headed to my place to spend some time together. Jessica was kind enough to drive Peter and Kathryn for us (and later on to Kirkland where his brother and sister-in-law live), and Josiah had to leave, unfortunately, but I was happy to see him again, too.

Over at my place we all chatted and had tea (which, incidentally, came from Christine and Todd's wedding) or cocoa. Jessica took Peter and Kathryn home for the evening, and Tessa, Matt, Josh, Kevin and I all decided to watch "Enchanted," just in case any of us hadn't been fully steeped in romantic giddiness for the day. I love that movie. Though later, trying to fall asleep, I found that I was reminded by most every thought of how single I am now. Guys like me get lonely. We get over it, though.

This morning we woke up early to get Kevin out to the airport. On our way back, we looked for a place to have breakfast and finally walked through Redmond to find a place. We settled on Panera bread, which was probably the most expensive place for the smallest portions we might have found, but it was sufficient. After our walking tour of downtown Redmond, I took everyone to see Microsoft Campus, and while the Visitor's Center is apparently closed on Sundays, we did manage to find a working Surface to play with. We went back to the apartment for Matt and Tessa to pack things up, relaxed and played some portal, then headed out to the airport again, after which Josh and I came back and played frisbee at Marymoor and watched people fly RC airplanes. (They were hovering in place -- amazing!) Pizza, a movie (the Fifth Element), and video games rounded out the night, and soon I will sleep.

Tomorrow, things go back to normal and this long weekend becomes another memory. It will be one of my fondest, though. I am as glad to have been a part of it as I am honored to be Ben's good friend. And of course I am so glad for all of my friends; I care for each of you. Our time together has been unforgettable. But hey everybody, come back and visit soon!