0927 wedding day

I went to the wedding of some good friends of mine, Grace and Bobby. I knew Grace from a lifegroup we were in several years ago, before it broke up and I joined WTBA. Bobby was a member (and still is) of WTBA. When my work schedule changed in 2006, I left WTBA and joined Koinonia, where I met Bobby’s sister, Wendi.

The ceremony was in the courtyard of Grand Newport Plaza in Costa Mesa, a beautiful setting with a fountain. The wedding party was large and a lot of people were at the ceremony. But I knew many of them and it was a very special day.

Liz picked me up in the morning (the ceremony was at 10:30am!) and after a bit of creative driving, we found the parking structure. I should mention that Liz looked great. We found the courtyard and sat down. We were soon joined by Scott, Mari, Kendra, and Chris (aka Daniel). They were followed by Ken, Natsuko, Michelle, Tricia, and Sheri. Then there was Mo and Sherilyn. I even saw Darin and Vivian come in.

The procession and ceremony was magnificent and full of splendor. Wendi looked great as a bridesmaid. There were a few humorous moments, but it was a nice ceremony. Pastor Gary (of SBCC) presided. The recessional was warm and happy. Okay, it was very happy.

The reception was a lot of fun. When they wanted to give away the table centerpieces, the MC asked for a volunteer from each table. Ken volunteered Don, and talked him into going up front. He explained that it was easy to do, since Don doesn’t hear very well.

At the time that they had the bouquet toss, I noticed that Liz wasn’t joining the other single women on the dance floor. When I asked her about it, she told me to drop it. I thought that I found a compatriot in wedding-reception-routine-avoidance. Boy, was I wrong.

Very soon, it was time for the groom to toss the garter. I figured if I didn’t make any eye contact, I would be overlooked. Not so. Not only could I feel Rome standing behind me, but Liz was directing traffic. Fortunately, my wheelchair has brakes and I kept them in place by holding them. They soon gave up and left me at the table. I’m kind of glad that they didn’t think it through. If 2 or 3 of the guys picked up my wheelchair, there was nothing I could’ve done, brakes or no brakes.

The highlight of the reception was a live performance by members of the USC Trojan Marching Band. I remember when Bobby announced the engagement many months ago, he mentioned that they were looking for a Saturday that USC wasn’t playing a home game. I guess this was why.

When the dancing started, I made my way to the restroom. I guess I was in there quite awhile because when I came out, only the wedding party and a couple dozen guests were left. Liz and I left soon after that.