We did get married!

I realized I never actually updated the blog once we got married. So to kill the suspense, we did get married on December 6, 2008, just as planned. :) Married life has been wonderful. We still are enjoying life in San Francisco and all it has to offer - 17 microclimates, amazing views, and vibrant neighborhoods. This spring we took a fabulous trip to Europe - sort of like a second honeymoon.

Awhile back I wrote a little piece about our wedding and what made it special. Here it is, just to wrap up the 'getting hitched blog:

A few things about us:

Chris and I had known each other for several years before we started dating – he was the older brother of one of my best friends from school. I would always spend a few days with their family in California over the summer, and one summer there was a spark. We had already discovered several surprise connections between our families (like that Chris’ uncle was the soccer coach of my sister!) so our relationship seemed somehow fated. We were married exactly 3 years to the day after we first started dating.

The diamond in my engagement ring came from a pair of earrings belonging to Chris’ great-grandmother. The other diamond? It is in his younger sister’s engagement ring. She is getting married – to one of Chris’ friends - this summer! [Update: they are now expecting a little boy in December! Can't wait to meet nephew #2!]

I used a piece of my mom’s 4-tiered cascading veil (it was the 70’s!) and pearls my dad had given my mom (he passed away a few years ago) as accessories. I “borrowed” a lovely hairpin from a dear friend and used my grandmother's handkerchief featuring a blue butterfly for my “something blue.” My mom and sister both walked me down the aisle.

A special treat to me was the fact that my favorite high school teacher, Fr. Deeves from Ursuline Academy, was able to marry Chris and I at my family’s parish.

Old Red Courthouse and Museum was an amazing venue for us. As an architect, I loved the historic character of the building. We got to show our guests a little slice of Texas history (most of Chris’ friends and family had not been to Texas before our wedding) and also showcase our families’ history in Dallas. Chris’ family is mostly in California, but his mom grew up in Dallas and her family has a long history in Dallas. Between our two families, we had so much history that we prepared our own museum guide that included fun facts about our families’ history in Dallas.

Chris isn’t a cake person, so in lieu of a groom’s cake he opted for Mexican hot chocolate and snickerdoodle cookies. Right before we cut the cake, I surprised Chris with his favorite ice cream – a banana, peanut butter and chocolate concoction from Coldstone – presented in mini San Diego Padres baseball cap bowls.

In our three years of dating, Chris and I lived in New York City, San Francisco and took many driving trips (including the cross-country trip that took us from New York to San Francisco 4 months before our wedding). We decided to have our table cards feature some of our favorite places along the way. Grant Central Station, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the State Fair of Texas were a few.

Since our wedding was in early December, Chris and I wanted to do something that promoted the holiday spirit. We provided holiday cards at all the tables and asked our guests to write a holiday message to someone who needed a little cheer. We delivered the cards to children’s hospitals, nursing homes, and sent many overseas to our< soldiers.

Texas themed welcome bags greeted our guests. We filled them with Texas-shaped chips, salsa, and, of course, Dublin Dr Pepper. The brown bags were tied with a bandana, and a vintage Dallas postcard welcomed guests.

And the lucky lady who caught my bouquet is now engaged! [Update: Married and a proud mama to Benjamin!]

We were lucky enough to have Stacy Cross and Kate Mefford capture our day. Click here to see their awesome pictures.