Lisa & Michel's Wedding

Today was the wedding of Debbi's two best friends, Lisa and Michel. The three met at a venue for country line dancing about a year before Debbi and I started dating and considered themselves "the Three Musketeers". Lisa and Michel were already dating by the time we hooked up, and I still poke a little fun at Lisa over a small incident from playing minigolf back when we first met.

Friday night was the wedding rehearsal, which I didn't go to as I wasn't actually in the wedding. But I went to Buca di Beppo with folks for the dinner. I left work early, but ended up getting to San Francisco way early, so rather than sit around and read, I went and explored Yerba Buena Gardens down by the convention center, which I'd never really walked around. It was just about sunset and the lights were coming on, and it was rather beautiful. There's a lot of running water at the gardens, which as you can guess I appreciated.

Dinner was large and tasty, as you might expect. I've met Michel's parents and aunt a couple of times, and am flattered that they remember me. His family is French Basque (hence the spelling of his name). It's good to see them and also Lisa's parents. I guess it is slightly odd to be practically considered family by the family of my girlfriend's best friends, but that's about how it is. They're very welcoming sorts.

Debbi spent Friday night at the hotel for the wedding party, while I went home to take care of all the cats.

The main event was Saturday afternoon. I was afraid I might not make it, as it took me longer than expected to tie my tie (I haven't worn a tie since my sister's wedding in 2001!), and then I discovered that someone (a little furry black someone, I'm pretty sure) has chewed up a shoelace on my dress shoes. So I dashed off to the shoe repair store I've been patronizing and fortunately was easily able to buy new laces. Aargh.

I left about half an hour late, but got to the hotel in time to meet up with the fellow I was carpooling to the wedding with, and we got there nearly an hour early. Not even the whole wedding party had arrived yet!

The wedding started right on time, in Michel's family Catholic church. I think this is only the fourth wedding I've been to in my life, and certainly the first Catholic one I remember. The priest was a character, treating the event seriously but with just a little bit of levity (I understand he was a lot sillier at the rehearsal; "I now pronounce you Godzilla and Smog Monster", Debbi says he quipped). He actually reminded me a lot of Peter David, if you can imagine that. Lisa looked like she was about to explode, she was smiling so broadly. Deb says they weren't really nervous about the ceremony at all, once they finished all the preparations. Which, y'know, is a good thing.

The reception was held at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco, a pretty nifty venue with good food. The music was mostly country and pop, and there was a goodly amount of dancing. Debbi brought me out to slow-dance a couple of times, which is about all I'm up for as far as dancing go. (Dancing and me are like ships passing in the night; I've never clued in to why it's entertaining either to do or to watch.) The food was yummy, and I was stuffed for the second time in two days by the end of it (good thing I was basically over my sickness, eh?).

Deb says Lisa finally got nervous just before they danced their first dance. But it came off really well. Then her parents surprised the heck out of her when they started two-stepping to a later dance; turns out they'd taken lessons without her knowing in order to surprise her. Lisa's so cute when she's surprised off her ass! Both she and Michel spent the evening doing the meet-and-greet thing, too, as there were about a hundred people present - family and friends.

I chatted a lot with Michel's cousins and their husbands, as we all watched the exuberant 8-year-old daughter of one cousin who was barely able to restrain herself from dancing until the music began. And I met a few of the Musketeer's dancing buddies (some for the second time). I was a bit surprised they didn't play Don Henley's "All She Wants To Do Is Dance", since it seemed appropriate in some cases.

Unfortunately I started turning into a pumpkin a bit early. I think I was still feeling run down from my virus and was especially susceptible to a post-dinner food coma. But we hung around until about half the people had departed, and then went back to the hotel where we crashed (after arguing with the hotel staff to get a non-smoking room with a king bed, as they managed to screw up our reservations; Debbi played the allergy card to push them into action).

So it was a lovely wedding. I think I would go insane if I tried to throw such a thing myself! But attending one is fun.