A Recap of our Wedding, Almost a Year Later

I'm sorry for how long this is going to be. Look at me - the first post and I'm already apologizing. Expect more of that in the future.

Ted and I just so happened to have the perfect wedding day. And it's all gone downhill since then. Ha! I jest. I've been sorting through our pictures, trying to figure out which ones to include, and all I'm doing is getting dreamy again. For that, thank you again to our fantabulous photographer whom we loved and who has provided us with these lifelong memories.

We wed on the gorgeous, cloudless, perfectly temped and tempered morning of March 30, 2007. Our engagement was five months long and I took a quarter off from night classes to try to plan the big event. Ted's schedule and therefore availability allowed him to be at my beck and call, so he took a very active and needed role in the preparations. HUGE thanks to our parents for all their suggestions and help, and I can't stop bragging about my incredible bridesmaids who fulfilled every little detail I needed, and lots I didn't think I did. It made me wonder: why do girls ask their unmarried friends to be their bridesmaids? The married ones are the ones who have been through it all and know what needs to be done. All hail to my girlies! In deepest gratitude, I have posted your fabulously slippered and pedicured feet below. Love them shoes!

We got married at the Los Angeles Temple. The grounds were incredible, everyone was happy (hint: get married when you're a bit older - people are ECSTATIC you finally found someone....anyone), and none of the men were sweating in their suits or tuxes. Look at that sky!! Did I mention the weather that never went over 72 degrees? Ahhhhh......

This is one of our favorite photos from the day. We'd been walking along a path to get to the grounds at the front of the temple when I heard the click of a camera. Right after Sandie snapped this picture, I looked forward to see that she had just been swinging her camera down and had taken it while she was walking forward, with her camera down around her knees. I thought "No way is that one going to look good. I was probably picking one of Ted's boogers at the time." But here it is: perfection.

Some of the photos from the temple: the exit out those very cool back doors, playing around in the front, and a thinly veiled make-out. Sandie never had to tell us to kiss each other. She had to tell us to stop.

This is us enjoying the entertainment at our luncheon after all the wedding. Ted's look is typical. Hot and unbothered.

I call these our dreamy shots.

Well, dreamy and booby.

Our reception was at the LDS chapel in La Canada, CA. I went to junior high and high school there, so there was a lot of sentiment there (or "sediment" as Ted would say). It's a charming building, inside and out. Here's a picture of both families. We made quite the large bunch on the front lawn, and I'm not just talking about my Spanx-clad booty.

During our engagement and the wedding itself, I was working as a biology teacher at Renaissance Arts Academy. It's a performing arts charter school in Eagle Rock where the students have a chance to learn lots of music and dance along with their academic studies. The Monday after we got engaged, I was passing out a worksheet to one of my classes. Victoria, with an eye for bling and romance, noticed the new ring on my hand and freaked out.

The cat was out of the bag and from that day on, most of the kids in the school begged me to be invited to the wedding. Instead, I asked one of the string quartets to come perform while we were in "the line" (they were fantastic - you never would have guessed their average age was 14) and then asked a few of my most eager and hardest-working students if they'd like to come to be the waiters and waitresses. They were incredible. They were SO HAPPY to be there and I admit it was wonderful to hear them cheering for their dorky teacher. I still get compliments on how accommodating and cheerful they were. Here's the quartet (Kyle, Geena, Lucy, and Isabella):

A few months before the big day, we did the usual cake-testing (I wasn't about to miss out on THAT part of the planning) and were only pleased with one that was in our price range. Of course, there's no telling how those same cakes are going to taste after they've been decorated for a few days - this homechick has had her fair share of dry wedding cakes. So to save money and to guarantee a good-tasting cake, I made it. Chocolate raspberry with mixed berries and chocolate ganache, served with raspberry sauce. Mom's got the top tier in her freezer, just waiting for our first anniversary, which is only a couple months away. Man, I'm behind!

We had a fabulous program planned out. Jenelle, Stephanie, and Suzy sang a fabulous trio: "Wishin' and Hopin'", my family roasted the two of us with changed lyrics to Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time" (favorite line: "She has a sweet tooth - she's always been a bit uncouth.") and I surprised Ted with a song while Kelly played. My salsa-dancing friends came to show off their goods, and I got to dance with them, having rehearsed with them for weeks to surprise Ted with. This next picture was taken during the hilariousness that ensued, what with Mike giving us classic marriage advice during the musical interlude of his Harry Connick, Jr solo. Again, this is a typical picture of the two of us. My mouth is WIDE open with guffaws exiting at rates faster than Britney Spears' popularity drop, and then there's Ted - mildly amused.

After my mouth stopped hurting, the dancing got underway. LOVED it. I'll never forget all my best girlfriends on the dance floor, singing the words to Salt N Pepa's "Whatta Man". There I was bragging about my brand new husband, and what was he doing? Talking to his labby gal pals on the other side of the room. It was a grand beginning! We left on my hot friend Kerri's hot motorcyle. This is us leaving the premises:

I drove. And our marriage has been that way ever since. hehehehehehehe

Want to see more pics? Watch our slideshow