Wedding of the Year

La Jolla, or Hello from La Jolla,

La Jolla is probably lovely any time of year. It's especially beautiful when a family member gets married at La Valencia Hotel overlooking the ocean. My niece Laura and Brian got married under sunny skies on Saturday, 25 October 2008 at 4;30 p.m. Laura, who is a natural beauty, radiated in her wedding gown beside a very handsome new husband, who I learned is a singer and terrific dancer (watch out Bing Crosby).

Laura and her mother/my sister, Chris, orchestrated the day from 8 a.m. to midnight. Yoga started the day, so yes the bride and groom did see each other before the wedding (but Brian was not allowed to see the wedding dress beforehand). The matrons and maids of honor spent much of the day laughing and getting ready for the great moment, including mother Chris, who was the matron of honor. And what an honor for the mother of the bride to standing beside her daughter during the wedding ceremony. That certainly is proof of what a close relationship they have.

Pictures by the ocean while the guests devoured savory appetizers from La Valencia's chefs. An those were just the start of a scrumptious dinner. Elegance was the theme of the day as we migrated from one place to the next. After dinner, we were out on the patio for the traditional first dance of the newly married couple, Laura with her father Rick, and then things broke loose. Who had time to even think about the wedding cake laid at each place setting. Oh, but I managed the taste both selections between flashing photos.

For this aunt, the weekend started with scurrying around finishing off all the last minute details, enjoying sunsets, visiting with family and friends she hasn't seen for along time at the welcome reception in an ultra modern house the parents of the bride rented for the week, and even joining in on the spa day with the bridesmaids. The rehearsal dinner was slated to be at George's, a posh restaurant in La Jolla that exceeded our expectations. (And fortunate for me, this was my second time there, since I got to enjoy a dinner the month before as we sampled items for the final selection.) The wedding wasn't the last event, oh no. Most people had come a long way to get here, so there was a brunch on Sunday, including the wedding couple, to reminisce the delightful event.