Oh, please...hold your applause! There's much more to come and we wouldn't want you to miss a thing...not one person involved..not one of the many soul-deep, sincerest thank-yous Min and I feel such strong need to express!!!
Understand, this was originally intended as a "simple, logistical ceremony", strictly for the sake of legality and legitimacy. We had the wedding in our wee apartment, since the weather wasn't very cooperative, and all we had originally intended was a Justice of the Peace, our two witnesses, and a very casual dress code (Translated: Jeans! LOBO). What follows belies any intentions we had along those lines!
So, without further delay, may I take the grateful time to introduce you to our wonderful wedding party, and recount their individual and collective contributions, for which Min and I will be forever truly and lovingly grateful!!!
First and foremost, we must thank the man without whom this would not have happened, an old friend, Mr. Mike Fortunato, and his lovely wife Debbie, for taking this on with such short notice. Mike agreed to officiate with only a couple days notice. His presence was requisite...Debbie accompanying him was another lovely, welcome flower at the event!!!
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Where does one possibly start when explaining Peter?!? Regardless appearances, he is NOT all "smoke 'n' mirrors"... most of the time! But he's come through for me with all flavors of magic over the course of the almost 20 years we've been great friends. Thank you, sir...so much... for being there once again!!! :-)> |
Tho' a newer friend, than ol' Peter...a most lovely and wonderful friend to us both! AND...a favorite barmaid at our favorite waterin' hole, where she and Mindy commiserate over "womanly thangs"!!! And she's always got hugs fer me...this girl's got it ALL goin' on! Thanks so much, darlin'...for bein' there for Min...for US! ;-> |
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Lill, katieoaks, and april in sunshine... wonderful, lovely, sweet, caring, good friends all...not your typical "internet chat horror story"! Lill arranged... from Carver, MA...to have a cake waiting when she arrived in New London. Katie brought the flowers... from Boston. And april...well april brought NYC... and a car to pick up the other girls from the train station... and... AND... Godiva Chocolates!!! T'anks, goils...GAWD we love ya!!! :-*) |
Also a newer friend, and also...a favorite bar"person"... okay..."barwench"...but that's just becuz he's always smellin' SOOOOOOOOOO purty! So Sailor...ya wanna take our picture?!? Yep...a swabby too...with a fine hobby in photography...an' tryin' to make advance points wit me bride!!! *wink* Thanks so much, Jess'...you ARE da man!!! :-) |
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And I also spoke of how they contributed collectively. After all, all they needed to do was to be there...and they were, God love 'em each and all! But, too, they collaborated online, on the phone, on as tight a schedule as you can imagine...and, together, they turned this "logistical rite" into a most-heartwarming event...for everyone concerned! And that's only the beginning...OH YES...there is MORE!
After the marriage was completed, we had to go online, where preshys and katwoman had also collaborated to set up a "by-invitation-only" private room, with a card that had a guestbook to sign. That guestbook had almost fifty entries in it last I saw...with more coming, we're certain, as people continue to discover our whirlwind marriage has, in fact, happened! The "reception hall" was filled to overflowing a couple of times in the short while we had before our dinner reservations kicked in. Most amazing is that, while it was 6:45 EST for us, it was in the wee small hours of mornin' for some who made a point of being there...just the same. That this internet chat thing is international...crossing all the time zones...seemed to be no impediment for the ones close enough to want to be there regardless...and we remain gratefully humbled and impressed!!!
Our Internet Wedding Card
(Doesn't display in 4th Gen Netscape...use IE for best results!)
With the internet reception in such full swing we almost didn't even get the chance to chat, we took our leave to head out to Trader Jack's in Mystic, where Peter was so generous as to treat the entire wedding party to drinks, appetizers, drinks, dinner, and, for dessert, that wedding cake Lill arranged...with coffee...with Baileys!!! ;-> We had a most-wonderful time, with this intimately close group, and then we finished off the evening back at the Bank Street Cafe, where, being Tuesday, we pretty much had the place to ourselves! We had more great visit, got in the obligatory dance, and had more great visit. Have I mentioned the visiting?!? Was GREAT!!! We had already bid Katie a fond adieu after dinner, since she had to work the next day and had an early train to catch, but we were lucky enough to be able to catch Lill and april the next morning for breakfast before they, too, had to head out! Not only more great visit, but a terrific breakfast at the State Street Diner...on them! ;->