One year ago today my wife and I said “I Do”:
Like most things Susan and I undertake, everything in relation to our marriage yesterday went like clockwork.
My mom arrived at 12:30 p.m., Susan and I were ready shortly thereafter, with enough time to spare to draft my mom as our official photographer for the event and snap a practice shot or two…
…before we headed off to pick up Susan’s mom at the hotel around the corner from us at 1 p.m. Forty minutes later we got street parking less than a block from the courthouse and had made our way through the metal detectors to check in with the clerk.
Smooth like butter it went.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that we didn’t have a lot to worry about. No ringbearer or flower girl or best man or bridesmaids or dozens of guests being served passable chicken dinners and cheap champagne at some sectioned-off hotel meeting room with a DJ in the corner spinning whatever.
Instead it was just the four of us, and darling Court Commissioner Toni M. Levyn in her tiny little chapel who after a very touching little ceremony and with the power vested in her by the state of California and the County of Los Angeles pronounced Susan and I husband and wife ohhhh… about 15 minutes or so after the 4.9 quake landed at 1:53 p.m.
Apparently we were the only people in L.A. not to feel it. Seriously. From what I’ve read it even woke up some dead people buried at Forest Lawn who wondered what the hell was going on. We didn’t so much as sense even the slightest shaking.
Afterword Commissioner Levyn even took a picture of our wedding party:
And then we were outta there and back in the Prius I’d rented headed back towards the eastside with a few hours to kill before our reservations (Thanks to Joz!) at Edendale Grill.
Feeling a need for margaritas and munchables, we opted to stop at El Conquistador and after Susan’s mom told our waiter he had to congratulate me and Susan, he did just that and then served us up not one but two complimentary shots of tequila.
Back at the house we kicked back while the remaining June gloom burned off revealing a beautiful afternoon, and then headed over to the restaurant for an excellent meal under the acacia trees on the patio. Susan’s mom made sure to point out that Susan and I were newlyweds to the hostess Jen (who it turns out had been married the previous weekend) and she sent us over a dessert with her congratulations.
With that we dropped Jeannie back off at the hotel, and got back to the house and hugged my mom goodnight before literally crashing.
— • —
And tonight, in celebration of the beginning of our second year together, we’re going to walk up for drinks and dinner at Edendale Grill. I love you more than ever, Susan!