my beautiful niece sara got married to her tall, bearded and oh so funny best friend over the weekend and paul and i wouldn't have missed it for the world. so off to santa cruz, california we went. before checking in with my half sister/mother of the bride lynn, we couldn't help cruising santa cruz boardwalk and checking out the beach. it is always, always a treat to be close to the ocean. after getting our sand and sea fix, we met up with family and helped with the last minute to do list. (i have to admit i kept thinking to myself, "i'm so glad it's not me in charge this time, i'm so glad it's not me.") i did love being asked to be the bridal party florist and immersed myself in creative, flowery deliciousness. thanks for trusting me with the bouquets and boutineers, sara.
the celebrations began that night with a slider bar at an appropriately named restaurant in aptos called burger.. next, wedding day! with a 2:30pm ceremony start, paul and i took the morning to drive into monterey and check things out there. we passed miles and miles of farmland and rows and rows of artichokes, strawberries and brussel sprouts enticing us to stop at a bounteous local farm stall. in monterey, we rented bicycles and rode around the city and along the beautiful coastline. we spotted seals, otters, sea birds and a lighthouse along the way. i absolutely loved being by the ocean again.
nicole and her boyfriend brandon drove up from los angeles for the wedding and we met them there. the beautiful wedding for the beautiful couple took place outside under the trees and clear, blue skies. congratulations, sara and trenton! we played lawn games during cocktail hour until the food trucks arrived then guests enjoyed a happy picnic altogether celebrating, toasting and enjoying this newly married couple.
our last morning, paul and i drove into capitola, one of my favorite california seaside towns and then met nicole and brandon back in aptos for a hike in the forest of nisene marks state park. it is quite an experience to hike among these towering, enormous redwoods in this beautiful setting. the weekend festivities drew to a close with tireless lynn hosting a brunch which included another surprise and loving event. father and mother of the bride, lynn and gary, renewed their wedding vows surrounded by family and close friends. redwood forests, beaches, boardwalks, a wedding, family, a vow renewal, a weekend to remember.
a quick update on ben and kensey.
kensey sent this photo of ben leaving dallas yesterday on his way to begin working with amazon in prague! kensey is still patiently waiting for her visa and will join her husband a.s.a.p. good luck, ben!
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