Wedding, originally uploaded by ultimatewhit.

A few notes: first, this is Claire reporting. Secondly, we are now on our honeymoon in Costa Rica (post to come). Lastly, I have no idea how or where to start this post – a LOT happened….

We were married in Zephyr Point, which is on the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe. Starting four days before the wedding, various friends and family joined us at the conference center and cabins were the wedding would be. Every day leading up to the big one, different preparations were made; and each night, we watched a beautiful sunset over the lake from our cabin porch. We could not have been luckier in terms of the weather … seriously, it was perfect.

Thursday evening was our rehearsal dinner (tacos and salad made by Whit’s mom, followed by peanut butter pies made by Hilary). About thirty people cozied into the main room of our cabin after eating for a round of toasts. While the rehearsal dinner had not been a priority in the scheme of things to plan for the wedding, it was an amazing experience – one that I know will stick with both Whit and myself.

The next day, guests started arriving and huge efforts were made towards the final set-up for Saturday. Seeing as we did not use a caterer, florist, or any professional help – there was a lot to do. Fortunately, we had a crew of friends and family willing and eager to help out – so all was complete in time to hang out with everyone as they arrived. Seriously though, the help we got was incredible. People were stepping up out of nowhere and pitching in on things we hadn’t even considered doing. I pause to call out any one person specifically, as there were many and each one critical in their role.

Needless to say, on Saturday – our wedding day – all went smoothly. Actually, it was everything we wanted. That morning, I did girly bridal things while Whit visited friends in different cabins and had a swim in the lake. It was a sunny, clear day – providing an ideal backdrop of the lake and mountains during the ceremony at the outdoor amphitheatre on the conference grounds. Bear (Whit’s mom) was our officiant and led a wonderful ceremony with readings and music by friends. Afterwards, the guests were ushered off to a Happy Hour in a few cabins while we had our photos taken.

Then there was the reception.

Whit surprised me with a video, comprised of various footage taken over the seven years we’ve been together. It might be the best present he’s ever given me, up there with the new showerhead he picked for our first Valentine’s Day. From there, we went through a lot of the normal reception stuff – dinner, toasts, first dances, cake cutting, dancing, bouquet toss, and more dancing. Every last bite of food and cake was eaten, and a great effort was made on the wine and champagne. We were so happy with how many people danced – and pretty much how the entire night turned out.

But it didn’t end there. Sunday we picked up two kegs and barbequed at a park nearby. Another gorgeous day to spend with close friends and family – who not only killed the kegs in less than six hours but did so while enjoying baseball, croquet, bocce, and ultimate Frisbee (of course!). So much fun. We headed back to Zephyr Point in time to jump into the freezing cold waters of Lake Tahoe while the sun was still up. Even then, the water is so cold it takes your breath away.

Monday. It’s always such a downer. This was the day people had to leave. So sad after such a great weekend. By that night, we went from a party of 150+ to five. Whit, Drew, Sandy, Brad, and I enjoyed a final sunset with all the leftover food and booze. Made an amazing frittata in our new wok (seriously, it was really good), and tried our hardest to stay up – only making it til 11:00.

The next day was all about cleaning and packing before the drive back to San Francisco.

So now, we’re married! And, we have incredible memories and random lost and found items to help the experience last. Like I’ve said – and will try to say again without sounding too much like a Hallmark card – our wedding was such an extraordinary experience and we could not have hoped for anything better. We only wish we could do it again because it was so much fun!