I arrived at St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church 15 minutes before the wedding was to start. St. Cyprian's is a tiny church located near downtown St. Augustine in the historic neighborhood of Lincolnville. All week it had been hot and humid and CLOUDY and OVERCAST - decidedly un-Florida-like weather; however Saturday the sun came out and it was a gorgeous day. I parked my car in the church's tiny dirt parking lot and when I got out I was looking into a neighbor's backyard. A man and a young boy were cutting up a pumpkin and the boy was pulling the seeds and "gross stuff" out of the pumpkin while giggling with delight. I walked past the small houses and heard the Florida/Georgia game through some open windows. I wondered how many of the men attending the wedding would try to sneak in a tiny radio; we would be alert for ear pieces.
The church looks like it has about 10 pews on each side - like I said - tiny. It's all wood inside - even the vaulted ceiling is all wood. Beautiful. The vicar is a tall man with a great smile; he welcomed us all and the service began. It was simple and moving. Kelly wore a white strapless gown with a strip of orange fabric highlighting both the top of her dress and the bottom. (That's the best I can do on descriptions - not a fashion maven here.) I will insert a picture here from the reception:
Like I said - beautiful. After the service Kelly & Mike (the bride & groom) and their families waited on the steps out front and greeted all the guests. A beautiful antique white Jaguar awaited to whisk them to the reception. An old black Cabrio whisked me to the reception. The reception was held at the St. Francis Inn Bed & Breakfast in the "back courtyard" which is actually the owners' backyard. Joe & Margaret Finnegan's house sits next door to the inn and their backyard is a bricked patio with what used to be a carriage house in back. The carriage house is now called the Garden Hideaway and is usually rented to guests; tonight it was reserved for a public restroom for the wedding guests.
Appetizers were delicious and topical: mummies (pigs-in-a-blanket), a pesto cream cheese tort (delicious) was decorated with a spider and web on top with eyeballs all around the base (olives stuffed with onions). Next to the guest book was a fun photo of Mike & Kelly grimacing at the camera. Russell - an artist and friend of the couple - volunteered his services as barkeep - and his area contained a large pirate skeleton, and several collectible & creepy bottles of booze.
And here's where the trouble started.
It was VERY HOT yesterday - 84 degrees with a heat & humidity factor making it feel like 88 degrees. At the church and on the street with a lovely breeze it was nice, but the buildings blocked most of the usual breezes and it was quite HOT in the back courtyard. So my first choice was an icy cold bottle of beer. Ahhhh....
Kelly had gotten a bit overheated herself so spent some time cooling off in the air conditioned Inn while we guests chomped at the appetizers and downed the booze. Yea, another icy cold bottle of beer for me....I think I chugged this one....
By the time Kelly and Mike arrived many of the guests (I observed) were having a GRAND time. I was sitting at what Kelly dubbed the "fun" table. We were mostly Inn employees and, I have to say, the really fun people. Ellie had brought her British friend John - and it is always so much fun to abuse the British - and the rest of the seating was the Baster family - Mike and Bozena (recently married themselves) and Bozena's grown "children" Peter, Anna, and Jakub. Bozena and Anna and Jakub perform the housekeeping duties at the Inn and have been with us several years. They are from Poland and are just the most wonderful family.
Someone started calling tables to the dinner buffet and Mike ( I didn't know he was such a troublemaker) brought it to everyone's attention at Table 6 that we would be going last. Last? We were starving. We discussed this loudly that this must be discrimination against the Polish. I think I stood at one point and made some comment about Anti-Polish Racism. There was a lot of giggling at our table. Finally, the powers-that-be allowed Table 6 to eat.
Mike's family is originally from Oklahoma & Texas (although they live in Colorado now) and had prepared grilled brisket and fresh pinto beans. That brisket was the most flavorful and tender and delicious beef I've ever tasted. We also had garlic mashed potatoes and fresh-cut corn. Wonderful.
After dinner Russell waved me over to the bar. He had something special to share with me: Patron Tequila. He poured me a shot and I also requested another bottle of cold beer with which to chase it. O my goodness, just the smell of the Patron was delicious. I didn't shoot it - my goodness no - I was afraid of disrobing and performing awkward sexual acts with strangers - and there were 'way too many cameras for that - I sipped it. We also had champagne toasts and then out came the wedding cake.
Bozena & Jakub had baked the wedding cake and it was fabulous. Two layers of white cake with a delicious filling of sweetness and almonds and I - don't - know - what. Just deliciousness.
And then the dancing started. Thank God I had a camera because I was feeling pretty loopy by then and talking and laughing VERY LOUD. The camera kept me taking the pictures instead of being featured IN the pictures....although....Jakub is a fabulous photographer and I do remember putting my face right up to his lens and making some kind of face. I took 88 photographs then put down the camera and got out on the dance floor. Luckily, I switched to water at this time - I did have to drive home - and so the dancing and the lack of more alchohol helped to sober me up. Not so for many friends who are featured in my photos on my facebook page. :o)
Halloween was a blast this year - an adult blast - and my morning hangover was very mild. Congratulations to Kelly & Mike Brooks!
Sounds like a fun time. I would imagine dancing while intoxicated would be similar to dancing on a ship. Whooooaaaa to starboard, whooooaaaa to port. It's the waves causing it, honest.
ReplyDeleteUmmm hummm.