Click above for more photos.
Tim and Meryl married on Sunday, October 3rd, 2004, in Berkeley Rose Garden, in a very personal ceremony attended by about 45 dear friends and family members. The weather was lovely, not too hot (as we had feared until a few weeks earlier) and not at all rainy (as it was other days that week). Friends reported that the sun came out just before we began our processional. We were far too excited to notice! Two wonderful musicians from the San Francisco Conservatory played Couperin for our processional and recessional and a beautiful piece by Tim during the ceremony. Tim's dad, Tom, read an affecting poem Meryl had written when she was planning her proposal to Tim. We said our own vows (no officiant, although Tim's dad took that role for the legal part). It's lucky they were short, as we started crying almost immediately and it was difficult to get out the words in any intelligeable manner.
After the programmed bits of the ceremony, we had about half an hour of time for reflection and prayer, inspired by the Quaker method of silent worship. Meryl's dad, Roger, stood up near the beginning to share the feeling that we were "going about God's business." That encouraged a number of others to stand and share thoughts and wishes. It was truly beautiful, we can't begin to express how moved we were by everyone's loving words. We wish everyone a moment like that, at least once in your lives. Makes everything else seem utterly trivial.
We followed the ceremony with refreshments while the families posed for photos. Huge thanks to Weidong for being our official photographer, the first results are just coming out and they are absoultely amazing (see the picture on the main page). Then it was off to the reception at the Hillside Club, a medieval-feeling space with a ballroom, kitchen, and stage not far from the Rose Garden.
We'd like to take a moment here to thank all the wonderful people who made our wedding possible. Peter, Jette, and Weidong (plus some random strangers who happened by) worked hard to get the chairs and tables down for the ceremony, we have no idea who cleared up as they finished before we realized they had even started, a number of people that we also didn't catch set up the reception, Candy and Sarah did wonders handling the dinner (both set-up and cleaning), Bret and Julie covered for our lack of organization on the music front, Bill, Laura, Dan, and Anne helped get flowers together, and it seemed like everyone lent a hand with cleaning up at the end of the reception. Our parents and siblings helped with nearly every aspect of the day (plus some). Julia gave us "unlimited labor on the day of October 3rd" as her wedding present to us, and she ended up being in charge of the U-Haul and rental gear as well as working with Candy and Sarah on dinner and being involved in a number of other parts of the preparations. We are completely awed by work everyone put into making our wedding day run smoothly. Had we known it would take so much, we would have hired a caterer and a day-of coordinator and considered both to be cheap!
Anyway, people enjoyed the food and the wine (we learned later that a couple people liked the wine so much they ended up drinking more than they intended), we got some great toasts, our first dance was utterly dreamy, and the cutting of the fruit tart (cake alternative) went well although it happened a bit late. Actually, everything started late, but people didn't seem to mind too much. Nearly everone got on the dance floor for a couple of swings (Tim was inspired to teach an impromptu swing lesson, which helped tons) and the last waltz. We loved seeing how much people mingled. Jim and Lindsay, in particular, looked amazingly cute dancing together! At the end of the night, guests with hungry friends gathered up the remaining wine, food, and fruit tart, and the two of us headed home extremely happy and exhausted.
We left early the next morning for 10 lucious days on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. Snorkeled our hearts out, surfed a bit (or tried), hiked the incredible Waimea Canyon trail past a pair of waterfalls, took a boat tour around the very striking Na Pali coast (thanks to NEDLC's gift), laughed at a cheesy luau, wandered the tourist stores and art galleries, read very thick books while nibbling pineapple (thanks to a basket sent by Plan It Jewish), and otherwise enjoyed everything that is meant by an island vacation. Our favorite snorkel spot was Tunnels Beach on the north shore, where we saw a sea turtle and swarms of butterfly-like tangs. We tried to go back on the day before our flight home and found it impassible due to the "northern swell," also known as 40-foot waves. If you go, go in the summer, apparently we were lucky to get good conditions our first time.
Now that we're home, we're both struggling to keep the sense of calm we found during the honeymoon. Tim's feeling freed by the marriage. Meryl's having a harder time figuring out what it all means, but is starting to at least believe it's real through the process of changing her name. All in all, though, we're both still feeling on top of the world and thoroghly enjoying being our own family. Thanks again to all for your loving support!
| Tim and Meryl's Page of Silliness |
 View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook |