The Happiest of Times

Last weekend was one of the happiest times I've ever had: I got married! It was such an overwhelming (and overwhelmingly wonderful) experience that it's been very difficult to think about how to write about it...it's one of those things that's not easy to articulate. However, rather than feeling paralyzed by the threat of forgetting too many details or by not being comprehensive enough, I'm determined to just share what comes to mind. A thorough chronology of things and events might make sense at another point in time, but for now, I'm going to try to just relax about it and detail some more immediate responses (however cliched and inarticulate they end up sounding). And not to be all nerdy and weird about it, but I've been really struck by the various kinds of ways that the events of the wedding have been captured and disseminated across different media platforms. For example, we've already got snapshots of the main events, which are circulating on facebook and instagram, but we're still waiting for the pictures from the photographer. It's interesting/strange not to have just one formal record of it (e.g., a wedding album) but rather an expansive assemblage of people's own images and experiences. In a way it's nice because it then feels less like one monolithic thing and more like a large, ongoing community celebration, which is basically what it was. Such a wonderful group of friends and family that came together to celebrate. Jordan masterfully planned the whole weekend with a perfect mix of large and small group activities, with plenty of breaks built in. Totally awesome. 

Our immediate families braved the freakish Nor'easter and had made it to New York by Thursday night. We had dinner with my parents and sister who came, and then checked on Jordan's family. On Friday morning (Nov. 9), we headed off to City Hall, which was a real treat. Such a joyous atmosphere and so many funny personalities. We filled out various forms and stood in a few lines, and after about an hour, it was our turn to get hitched! The ceremony was super fast. It felt like a blur, actually, but a happy one, for sure. I was so excited and amped up. Immediately after, we headed to the Woolworth Tower Kitchen for a family lunch. It was really the first time that our families had spent any time with one another, and everyone got along great. My dad gave a really moving and sweet speech, and the food was divine. I was in such a gleeful state, it was kind of unbelievable. Friday afternoon, most folks got naps in (not us, we were too excited), then later, our maternal units and my wonderful sister all came over to help arrange the flowers for our wedding celebration the next day. Jordan has a great eye and aided by the others, we assembled some really nice simple arrangements (I mostly threw away leaves and stems as they were trimmed). Everyone was pretty pooped so we wrapped up in the late afternoon. In the evening, J and I headed to Spritzenhaus to meet out of town friends and family to get some extra time in with them. Saturday morning we had our immediate families over to our apartment for a bagel brunch, and it was super fun. I really love the family I've married into, and was so excited to share my wonderful family with my new spouse. The bagels were tasty and we told lots of great stories about funny family things, childhood tales, etc. It was such a relaxed and happy atmosphere, and it all felt very comfortable. It was really terrific. I'll conclude here for the moment, but there are so many other good times left to report on. For now, enjoy some of the pictures we've got so far.