Tied with a Black Bow Tie

The big formal wedding weekend has arrived, and gone. The exhaustion for everyone is very apparent on this Sunday morning.

It all started on Friday. K and D wen to the rehearsal a little before four ... and I worked through the day, planning to meet them at dinner (since based on time tables we determined there was no way for me to get home in time, get ready and for us to arrive at the destination we needed to be at.)

So, around seven, I met my two dapper gents at the Chambers Hotel. They both were sporting suits and ties and looked quite lovely. K was especially cute in his tan suit and bright teal shirt. The shirt was amazing against his complexion. Of course, it was a long day, so we knew that we couldn't stay too late. But wine and food was enjoyed by all - the adults, of course. And the kids enjoyed playing out on the balcony on the rooftop. The fare was a little unappealing to K, I think it was because mushrooms were sprinkled were through most of it. And I can say O did fine with his first non-familial babysitter.

The next day, I got up at 7 a.m., and started it off with a run. After the run, I had to stop at Target for a few items and then went to get a mani/pedi. My feet were in worst shape this time - so the massage part of the pedicure was nice, but I think she may have tried to clean up some of my blisters too much so now every once in a while, I have some pain if something rubs against my feet ... we'll be watching that.

Then it was time to get ready ... I donned my ballgown, my boys donned their tuxes and we were off! The wedding was perhaps the most over-the-top affair I've ever attended. Three officiants, a wedding party of nine adults and seven children (one of which was of course our very adorable son.) The ceremony reflected Catholic and Jewish elements. I will say the chuppah was beautiful and I really enjoyed the Jewish elements of the ceremony (as they were the first time experiencing them in person.)

After the ceremony, we moved outside for pictures ... D abandoned me, so I was responsible for making sure our son behaved. My heels kept sinking into the grass, and it was hard for the seven kids to stay entertained ... so all the parents gave a collective cheer when we were told the kids were dismissed. K and I went upstairs to the veranda for the cocktail hour before the reception. K became a fan of orange juice and seltzer water over the weekend, since that tended to be what was ordered for him. It was fun to look at the array of people's attire. (Unfortunately, there were a few women who looked at least on the farer end of the range of 40 ... who's dresses were meant for people in their early 20's. Too short!)

Dinner arrived, and we enjoyed an heirloom tomato salad with watermelon, arugula, goat cheese and balsamic as our first course (made for me and K, really!) Second course for me was a miso-glazed sea bass with wasabi potato puree and asparagus. It was lovely - Daniel had the beef tenderloin, that wasn't as good my fish. They even served a gluten-free option for dessert ... which was a pleasant surprise and provided me my chocolate fix.

The best part of the evening though was when the dancing started, as they did begin with some of the traditional Jewish dances. It was fun to watch, and K really enjoyed it. D is not much of a dancer (at all) so he just wanted to sit back... Alas, it wasn't a surprise. But with K's yawns getting exponentially bigger, we knew we needed to exit the festivities. We got home a little after eleven. O was fast asleep, and my sister I think was a bit exhausted from watching him, too.

Of course, just because we all got home late, it didn't change the fact that O wakes up when he wakes up ... and so now ... trying to recoup from exhaustion.