Valentine's Day. Let's be honest guys, if it didn't exist, we'd be just fine with that. I personally don't mind Valentine's Day, in fact I kind of like it, but then I don't have a particularly high maintenance wife and I have learned the hard way about the value of the card. Plus I really love my wife and I love to give her things, but I'm a terrible random gift giver so it's good to have a day that reminds me that I need to do better.
One thing I do hate, hate, hate about Valentine's Day is restaurants. We all know restaurant reservations fill up pretty quickly if you want to go somewhere nice. Such is the case this year, most of the decent Ventura places are full. But that's fine, because I didn't really want to go to any of them. Due to the special occasion, most restaurants now throw their menu out the window and prepare a special Valentine's Day three course meal and gouge you for every last penny. I'm sorry, but the one choice meal isn't something that I find appealing. I want to go to a restaurant on V-Day and have the normal menu but with a little bit of special embellishment, is that too much to ask?
Anyway, in the spirit of V-Day, here is a meme about my lovely wife and my wedding, courtesty of Avitable...
1. Where/how did you meet?
We met in high school. The first time we met was after a NTHS Drama production of some play when my dirtbag friend (a senior, I was a junior) invited my future wife and her friend (both freshmen) out to get some grub at Denny's (he was always trying to get with whatever freshman he could. Denny's? I didn't say he was smooth). We all went out and had dinner and that was pretty much it. I think I came off pretty good because I wasn't sleazy in any way.
2. How long have you known each other?
That was late 1993 so we have known each other for over 13 years.
3. How long after you met did you start dating?
About a year and a half. Our first official date was my senior prom.
4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
Nine years and two days, but we did the long distance thing for almost four years during college so it didn't seem like that long.
5. How long was your engagement?
One day less than one year.
6. How long have you been married?
Two years in May
7. What is your anniversary?
We started dating on May 6th, got engaged on May 8th and were married on May 7th so you can say that we have an anniversary weekend.
8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
Probably about 165 or so.
9. What kind of cake did you serve?
I think this is the one question I'm not sure about. I think it was a chocolate cake with a vanilla stripe in the middle. I'm fuzzy about what it tasted like because I don't think I had but what we fed to each other. I do remember clearly that it was white with yellow sunshines and red, yellow and orange flowers on the outside. Also, one of Death's "Moms" made a groom's cake that was shaped as sporting gear.
10. Where was your wedding?
The Lacey (Washington) Community Center, the reception was there as well. At first we didn't think to highly of it as a space probably because we went to a dance there once and it was so poorly decorated by our dance committee that we just assumed that it looked that bad. But it turned out to be just about the perfect place to have a wedding in the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater metropolitan area.
11. What did you serve for your meal?
Olympia's Casa Mia catered our wedding and it was soooooo good. The cheese manicotti that they make is so rich and so good so we had to have it. We also had meatballs and chicken parm and all the other typical Italian stuff setup buffet style. Maybe I'm just saying this because I am biased since it was our wedding, but that it by far the best meal I've ever had at a wedding.
12. How many people were there in your bridal party?
Seven bridesmaids and four groomsmen. My wife is better at making friends.
13. Are you still friends with them all?
Yeah, although a couple of them we haven't been very good in keeping in touch with.
14. Did you or your spouse cry during the ceremony?
Oh yeah. I cried like a little baby and my crying made Death? cry and our officiant cried to the point that she had a hard time reading what we had prepared for her to read. All tears of joy of course. Damn, I'm getting teary eyed just typing this.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
When her mom walked her out early in the day so that we could do pictures. I imagined her looking beautiful in her dress, but I wasn't fully prepared for just how beautiful.
16. Any funny moments?
My vows got a pretty good laugh and overall with us and all of our friends and family equally being goofballs there were lots of funny moments. My 85 year-old grandpa drunk off his ass was pretty good too.
17. Any big disasters?
None. Only minor thing was that there was extremely bad traffic from Seattle and almost everybody coming down ran late. We held up the ceremony for almost 20 minutes but it wasn't a big deal.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Maui, or as I like to call it, heaven. Perfect.
19. How long were you gone?
A week.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
Spring for a better and more professional photographer. Our pictures turned out fairly mediocre. It was one of those things that we wanted but thought that he would do a good enough job that it wouldn't matter. Oh well.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Right.
22. What size is your bed?
Queen.
23. Greatest strength as a couple?
Our greatest attribute is that neither of us has any need for drama in our lives so no arguments or disagreements ever blow up into anything bigger than it needs to be. We seriously have never had a major fight. A few minor ones here and there but nothing that has lasted more than a couple hours tops.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
Decision making. I'm terrible at it and Death? just doesn't have the time to make the big decisions. I know that it frustrates her at times and I need to become more serious about the big things and start taking care of business.
25. Who literally pays the bills?
We both do. We still have our own bills and bank accounts.
26. What is your song?
We have lots and lots of songs, but none that I would consider "our song".
27. What did you dance your first dance to?
Ben Folds - "The Luckiest"
28. Describe your wedding dress?
Avitable's answer was too good, I can't improve on it.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
Calla Lily's were used quite a big as well as some roses and orange, red and yellow gerber daisies. They looked great.
30. Are your wedding bands engraved? What do they say?
Mine says "A loves B" and hers says "B loves A"
One thing I do hate, hate, hate about Valentine's Day is restaurants. We all know restaurant reservations fill up pretty quickly if you want to go somewhere nice. Such is the case this year, most of the decent Ventura places are full. But that's fine, because I didn't really want to go to any of them. Due to the special occasion, most restaurants now throw their menu out the window and prepare a special Valentine's Day three course meal and gouge you for every last penny. I'm sorry, but the one choice meal isn't something that I find appealing. I want to go to a restaurant on V-Day and have the normal menu but with a little bit of special embellishment, is that too much to ask?
Anyway, in the spirit of V-Day, here is a meme about my lovely wife and my wedding, courtesty of Avitable...
1. Where/how did you meet?
We met in high school. The first time we met was after a NTHS Drama production of some play when my dirtbag friend (a senior, I was a junior) invited my future wife and her friend (both freshmen) out to get some grub at Denny's (he was always trying to get with whatever freshman he could. Denny's? I didn't say he was smooth). We all went out and had dinner and that was pretty much it. I think I came off pretty good because I wasn't sleazy in any way.
2. How long have you known each other?
That was late 1993 so we have known each other for over 13 years.
3. How long after you met did you start dating?
About a year and a half. Our first official date was my senior prom.
4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
Nine years and two days, but we did the long distance thing for almost four years during college so it didn't seem like that long.
5. How long was your engagement?
One day less than one year.
6. How long have you been married?
Two years in May
7. What is your anniversary?
We started dating on May 6th, got engaged on May 8th and were married on May 7th so you can say that we have an anniversary weekend.
8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
Probably about 165 or so.
9. What kind of cake did you serve?
I think this is the one question I'm not sure about. I think it was a chocolate cake with a vanilla stripe in the middle. I'm fuzzy about what it tasted like because I don't think I had but what we fed to each other. I do remember clearly that it was white with yellow sunshines and red, yellow and orange flowers on the outside. Also, one of Death's "Moms" made a groom's cake that was shaped as sporting gear.
10. Where was your wedding?
The Lacey (Washington) Community Center, the reception was there as well. At first we didn't think to highly of it as a space probably because we went to a dance there once and it was so poorly decorated by our dance committee that we just assumed that it looked that bad. But it turned out to be just about the perfect place to have a wedding in the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater metropolitan area.
11. What did you serve for your meal?
Olympia's Casa Mia catered our wedding and it was soooooo good. The cheese manicotti that they make is so rich and so good so we had to have it. We also had meatballs and chicken parm and all the other typical Italian stuff setup buffet style. Maybe I'm just saying this because I am biased since it was our wedding, but that it by far the best meal I've ever had at a wedding.
12. How many people were there in your bridal party?
Seven bridesmaids and four groomsmen. My wife is better at making friends.
13. Are you still friends with them all?
Yeah, although a couple of them we haven't been very good in keeping in touch with.
14. Did you or your spouse cry during the ceremony?
Oh yeah. I cried like a little baby and my crying made Death? cry and our officiant cried to the point that she had a hard time reading what we had prepared for her to read. All tears of joy of course. Damn, I'm getting teary eyed just typing this.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
When her mom walked her out early in the day so that we could do pictures. I imagined her looking beautiful in her dress, but I wasn't fully prepared for just how beautiful.
16. Any funny moments?
My vows got a pretty good laugh and overall with us and all of our friends and family equally being goofballs there were lots of funny moments. My 85 year-old grandpa drunk off his ass was pretty good too.
17. Any big disasters?
None. Only minor thing was that there was extremely bad traffic from Seattle and almost everybody coming down ran late. We held up the ceremony for almost 20 minutes but it wasn't a big deal.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Maui, or as I like to call it, heaven. Perfect.
19. How long were you gone?
A week.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
Spring for a better and more professional photographer. Our pictures turned out fairly mediocre. It was one of those things that we wanted but thought that he would do a good enough job that it wouldn't matter. Oh well.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Right.
22. What size is your bed?
Queen.
23. Greatest strength as a couple?
Our greatest attribute is that neither of us has any need for drama in our lives so no arguments or disagreements ever blow up into anything bigger than it needs to be. We seriously have never had a major fight. A few minor ones here and there but nothing that has lasted more than a couple hours tops.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
Decision making. I'm terrible at it and Death? just doesn't have the time to make the big decisions. I know that it frustrates her at times and I need to become more serious about the big things and start taking care of business.
25. Who literally pays the bills?
We both do. We still have our own bills and bank accounts.
26. What is your song?
We have lots and lots of songs, but none that I would consider "our song".
27. What did you dance your first dance to?
Ben Folds - "The Luckiest"
28. Describe your wedding dress?
Avitable's answer was too good, I can't improve on it.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
Calla Lily's were used quite a big as well as some roses and orange, red and yellow gerber daisies. They looked great.
30. Are your wedding bands engraved? What do they say?
Mine says "A loves B" and hers says "B loves A"
3 comments:
Very nice. And I can't believe we had matching dresses - what a faux pas.
Awww, how romantic. Happy V Day to you and Mrs. Brandon.
IF I ever get married again, can I borrow your wedding rings?
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