"In his domestic administration my father had this system . . . to keep a journal and insert in it all occurrences of any note . . . A record very pleasant to look at when time begins to efface the memory of events, and very well suited to get us out of perplexity: When was such and such a thing begun? When completed? What retinues came? How long did they stay? Our trips, our absences; marriages; deaths; the receipt of happy or unhappy news . . . An ancient custom, which I think it would be good to revive, each man in each man's home. And I think I am a fool to have neglected it." (Montaigne, Book I, Essay 35 (publ. 1580))
[This post covers Kerry & Luis wedding day and thereafter; prior post (via this link) covers the week prior, through rehearsal day.]
Friday March 24 – the big day finally is here!! Breakfast with Dad, Therese & Mark, Barb/Emily/Alison, Carol & Jim at the “Breakfast Club” – nice. Continually running into folks and talk-talk-talking – nice. The girls are doing all of their prep stuff over at 706 (where PJ had a sleepover with N & K).
Morning: getting things just right (Friday 24 March)
706 prep continues . . . (Friday 24 March)
Eventually I join the guys in the wedding party up in Luis’s suite for some photos and prep stuff. Superhero socks are displayed.
Pedro doing work (Friday 24 March)
Ready to roll (EPG selfie work in Palomar elevator) . . .
. . . at least once the bus arrives (waiting a bit in Palomar lobby) (Friday 24 March)
Then we jump on a double-decker “007” bus – girls in upper level – and drive down to “Scorpion Gulch” – for an extended picture session.
On bus. NOC did a great job. (Friday 24 March)
Scorpion Gulch (Friday 24 March)
Scorpion Gulch (Friday 24 March)
Scorpion Gulch (Friday 24 March)
K looks as great as one would expect – the dress was pretty incredible (later, someone at the wedding venue is pestering to buy it). Pedro and I don’t have much to do here, so it’s a good chance for us to sit and chat in the bus while the photos are being snapped.
The Entire Crew (Scorpion Gulch, Friday 24 March)
Onto the Croft for more wedding photos; then the families arrive for another round of photos; yes the excitement is building. (See prior post for a few larger-group family photos.)
Parents! (Friday 24 March)
Outlaws! (Friday 24 March)
Cousins! (Friday 24 March)
Us! (Friday 24 March)
Ceremony starts at 5p. So many lovely-personal touches by K&L – including a handkerchief with a touching embroidered message that K hands me moments before we walk up the aisle – yes this took a little while to recover from. But away we go. The string quartet does a lovely job,
I like this photo a lot. (Friday 24 March)
You think of a lot of things on this kind of a walk, with a fine daughter. (Friday 24 March)
EPG and PJ (lovely dress!) walk in, the wedding party heads inside, and then I get to walk my little girl up the aisle. And happily turn her over to Luis. Amazing. As mentioned in prior post, EPG does a remarkable job. Among other nice touches – Luiso recites a lovely poem.
The singers do a wonderful rendition of Panis Angelicus and it’s quite fine to have Linda and Anne working with them. Ceremony was touching, fun, memorable.
[Side note: I loved that K&L used the very traditional wedding vows. There’s something powerful there – how about “’til death do us part”? That’s quite a statement, actually, and worth pausing to think through.]
Cocktail reception in the courtyard area (another nice touch: K&L uses the “Bormann bourbon” recipe for one of the two “signature cocktails” – they had to work with Cecilia and Steve G to line up one ingredient not available in VA or AZ); folks move through the reception line; we meet many more folks, including some DC friends we hadn’t previously met. Jeff Ward works his magic – the Fuego Bistro food travels so well for catered events!
Reception (Friday 24 March)
Reception (Friday 24 March)
Patricia and I greet the guests via a few remarks – with an assist from EMG, who interjects a few well-received thoughts. We also had EMG lead the traditional “grace” for the meal. Very fine toasts by NOC and Dan. Wedding anniversaries for PJR/NRG and POC/NOC are recognized. I have a little daddy-daughter dance with K!
long-time wedding promoters in celebratory mood (Friday 24 March)
EMG leads grace (Friday 24 March)
The main dancing starts; the reception time flies by way too quickly. Goodbyes for those calling it a night.
We walk back to the Palomar – such a convenient location! – a very nice chunk of the wedding guests hang around in the lobby/bar area late into the evening, including some well into the morning. Yes it’s fun to rehash the previous 24 hours, and to talk about whatever and everything, with folks we don’t see nearly often enough.
After the hotel lobby shuts down, a group of us gather for one last round (and a few snacks) up in the K&L suite – this was quite fun as various folks are in various states of exhaustion, or not.
Last call (invasion of K&L suite, early morning 25 March) (sort of a modern-day charivari?)
Saturday March 25 – breakfast with big family group at “Breakfast Club” – again – after, we wander around talking with folks – Palomar pool area is reserved for us at 11a – great weather, great turnout, great fun. In the early going we spend some time in the Palomar lobby area with Rich Kohlhaas – Yvonne drove him in from his east-side place – fun to sit there with he, Yvonne, EMG as others – Charlie, Mike Hough, Steve, Cecilia, PJ, etc. – move in and out (unexpected reunion).
St. Joe reunion in Palomar lobby (Rich Kohlhaas, Yvonne Kenne) (Saturday 25 March)
Hikers, and some not-hikers (Saturday 25 March)
A large group work their way down to South Mountain for a lovely hike (if perhaps a bit more strenuous than anticipated).
South Mountain (Saturday 25 March)
Early afternoon, EMG and I go over to the Croft to pick up various items that had been left in overnight storage. Back to the pool party; eventually we spend a little time in the water; a fine gathering spot.
O'Connells and cohorts at pool party (Saturday 25 March)
Some swimmers required more or less coaxing to enter the pool. (Palomar pool, Saturday 25 March)
In the evening we walk over to the Duce – another ideal gathering spot – also a very nice turnout, including some folks that were invited here but not to the wedding due to the usual numbers crunch. Could tell that some folks, including me, were feeling a little fatigued at this point!
The Duce! (Saturday 25 March)
Eventually we walk back to the Palomar where a good-sized group keeps going past midnight – after all we needed to properly observe Nick G’s b’day (including NRG’s recitation of “age 31” factoids) – everyone pretty much wrapped up after that (except the indefatigable MG Hough, who I’m told hung around until heading to the airport).
only known photo commemorating #31 (Palomar lobby, early morning, Sunday 26 March)
Sunday March 26 – after early breakfast (Hobbit-style, we ate two breakfasts this day), a Gales-grouping heads over to St. Mary’s Basilica for 10a Mass – yes it was fine to attend with the family members – Mass perhaps a bit overdone, lasted 90+ minutes – but the music generally was good and we got to hear Adoro te Devote in Latin, nice! Then a huge grouping had breakfast at, of course, the Breakfast Club – Carol caught a pretty good selfie of this. We check out, sorry to leave the Palomar, it worked perfectly.
I think I counted 27 breakfasters of our group (Sunday 26 March)
Those not heading quickly to the airport gather at 11419 – PJ throws together some tasty nachos using Honey Bear leftovers, nice! – EMG checks out the shuffleboard action – we watch some NBA, sit out back, sample a couple beers – entirely pleasant. Then I drive EMG, Barb, Emily, Alison out to the airport (while checking on tracking down a lost EMG bag, which turns out fine).
11419 back yard (Sunday 26 March)
Around 5p we were visited by Saeed and Mina – so that was fun. Remaining travelers head to the airport; I think Jenna was the last of this group. Carol & Jim head to Yuma (we see more of them the following week/weekend, which works quite nicely!). UberEats gets us through the dinner hour.
Monday March 27 – Tuesday March 28 – some milling around on Monday morning; to our pleasure-but-not-shock, K&L decide to stay an extra day in Phoenix. So EPG, PJ, and I go to lunch with them at Chelsea’s Kitchen (everyone else back to work). Perfect patio weather and a delightful lunch (though it may have caused, or contributed to, a bit of stomach flu!) EPG hits the road and we’re very sorry to see him leave.
School-mates pleased with Chelsea's lunch (apres le deluge, so to speak?) (Monday 27 March)
NOC and POC come by – eventually they stay overnight (“good sports!”) – low-key evening as K&L are feeling rather poorly, esp. L (we learn EPG also is feeling it as he finishes the drive into Santa Monica; PJ is hit later; but not me!) So enjoyable to just recap the events of the past week-plus, a very nice finale.
Tuesday morning – PJ and I take K&L to the airport – they are on their way to Napa Valley for honeymoon!
Couldn’t have been nicer throughout. K&L got what they deserved. We all feel very blessed.
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Flipbooks were a fun idea at the reception photo booth - here's a sample featuring the stars of the show:
[This post covers the week prior to the wedding day; the post that follows [which you can access by clicking here] covers the wedding day and thereafter.]
Third time in a row that we were blessed with terrific turnout, amazing new in-laws, unrelenting fun, cooperative weather, fun venues – and best of all – an ideal spouse for one of our children. Luis and Kerry are great together, and we are lucky to have him as part of our family.
A contagiously festive-joyous feel to the gathering. Perhaps the very long run-up added some pent-up demand for a celebration? The Rossello family traveled quite magnificently indeed – showed up in big numbers, mixed so graciously with everyone; we enjoyed spending time with them and their friends (and much appreciated having had this recent opportunity to get together). K&L also have a wonderful group of friends based in the DC area – great turnout here as well, and we know many of them from prior pleasant visits.
And it was entirely gratifying to see the turnout from the Gales family. My 88-year-old dad made the trip! Every one of my seven siblings made it! Along with so many of their spouses, and so many of their children and their children’s spouses. Thousand-plus miles travel in each case (often with a plenty-long car trip before ever getting to the airport). These folks show up, and they are prepared for action – so much fun, so nice to get to know the next-gen types better in their adult iterations. At age 61 it’s hard to beat having my dad and 100% of the siblings right there for everything, just like always – this is a lucky thing. (In some ways it made the absence of mom, and the absence of Mary, all the more noticeable, ach.)
For Patricia’s “side” – we enjoyed the usual strong representation from her cousins – nice! (But wouldn’t Rita Z have loved it!) (Speaking of PJ – the typical impressive effort with wedding planning, then with pulling off multiple events – she makes it fun!) Anyway, I would be quite happy to keep running shout-outs here to so many more from the attendance list. Such as the O'Connell and Reghabi families - who show up in numbers and add so much. But I won’t.
A thoughtful remembrance of folks we missed (place-cards were on this table) (Friday 24 March )
Except I do have to specifically mention the quite-amazing job turned in by Patrick (EPG!) in his role as officiant. So hard to strike the right balance, and he did it in every aspect: made it personal without letting it get “insider”/tiresome; allowed the inherent emotion and beauty of the wedding ceremony to shine through without letting it get sappy or melodramatic; just enough funny comments or concepts that lightened the mood without breaking it and without straying into the distracting “hey even though it’s not my day, look at me I’m really clever” zone. Etc. He was splendid. All of our kids, and their spouses (really, each deserves an individual shout-out), are just terrific at these events – welcoming to all, tireless, thoughtful, fun.
K&L are great people and “got what they deserved” – with their spouse, with the ceremony, with the turnout, with the warmth and happiness the guests brought, with everything involved in the wedding.
Chronological overview:
Weekend of March 17-19 – K&L – along with Pedro and Maga – arrive in Phoenix around noon on Friday, March 17 – the official start to the festivities! EPG, PJ and I go to lunch in Tempe with those four at House of Tricks – warm/wonderful weather, fun meal out on that shaded patio. We lingered; it was great to catch up. We drop Pedro and Maga at their hotel – they had planned a few days travel in northern Arizona with Luiso and Nadja (who were arriving in Phoenix later that day). Then onto 706, where the O’Connells were hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party. Among other highlights: EPG had brought some Russian River growlers!
Lunch at House of Tricks (Friday 17 March)
Over the rest of the weekend – wedding prep stuff by those who were good at such things; breaks for lunch at our favorite places (Richardson’s on Saturday, Parlor on Sunday). PJ prep’d my traditional birthday meal on Sunday night – pretty sure it was the first time that the entire family could attend, it really was quite marvelous, and many incredibly nice things were said, I won’t forget.
Monday March 20 - Wednesday March 22 – continuing prep for all of the upcoming events. On Monday – PJ and EPG accompany K&L to whatever state office that issues wedding licenses – now things are getting official. Then a group of us travel to the Total Wine store on 16th & Camelback – meeting up with Jeff Ward – I doubt that we’ll ever buy beer/wine/spirits in those quantities ever again! Convenient and fun.
License approved! (Monday 20 March)
K shopping with Jeff Ward at Total Wine (Monday 20 March)
Check-out time at Total Wine (Monday 20 March)
On Tuesday – we had such an entertaining time at the spring training game (or at least in the stadium concourse, as noted here). Then back to 11419 where Patricia put together a nice little supper, and EPG shared more of his Russian River haul.
Spring training a la concourse (Tuesday 21 March)
More prep stuff on Wednesday. Out-of-town guests are arriving! Main event for the day: we hosted a dinner/get-together here at 11419. Guesstimating about 70 people attended. Perfect weather; Honey Bear BBQ worked just fine; PJ’s planning pays off; folks circulate inside, and outside, and give the darts/pool table/shuffleboard a workout; keeping an eye on Puerto Rico team playing in the finals of the World Baseball Classic. Mostly the event worked just as intended: a fun get-together plus an opportunity for guests to get acquainted, or get better acquainted, or just have some laughs. T'was a great night.
House party (Wednesday 22 March)
Thursday March 23 – PJ, K and NOC leave by mid-morning – hair stuff, or nails stuff, or whatever – they eventually spend an overnight at 706 (speaking of which, NOC did a great job as matron-of-honor – so much behind-the-scenes stuff, no doubt I’m unaware of most of it).
Whatever the hair/nails/etc. crowd was doing, it was working (Thursday 23 March)
EPG, Luis and I involved in various prep items for the weekend; eventually I head downtown; move the liquor supply from 706 to the Croft; check in to the Palomar downtown. Swing by the pool area where a big chunk of the Gales family visitors had congregated (notwithstanding somewhat cool (though generally sunny) weather).
Palomar pool, downtown Phx; round one of many (Thursday 23 March)
We get organized and make our way over to the Croft for the rehearsal. Everyone looks fancy; the run-through goes fine; the venue looks great; the singers rehearse Panis Angelicus and I get to be rehearsal-accompanist, which was fun. As I learned with NOC, that thing about walking your daughter up the aisle is kind of overwhelming, even at the practice stage. Some photos were taken.
Rehearsing (Thursday 23 March)
Officiant and his subjects (Thursday 23 March)
Rehearsal attendees (Thursday 23 March)
Sort of entertained by the rehearsal (Thursday 23 March)
For the bridal party, some waiting was involved (Thursday 23 March)
Drop my car at the hotel, then over to Bianco’s for the rehearsal dinner. So glad Pedro & Maga hosted this event at this spot – the outdoor setting was lovely, the food was really good – there’s a reason the place regularly wins national awards. 50 folks or so in attendance. The appetizer phase was amazing. Then somehow they could serve pizza to all of those folks while maintaining temp/texture – really tasty stuff, tricky to pull this off.
Bianco's! Perfect evening. (Thursday 24 March)
Bianco's! (Thursday 24 March)
Bianco's! (Thursday 24 March)
But of course the food aspect of the evening, while much enhancing it, isn’t the main thing – mostly it was the pleasure of wandering around and talking to everyone – so fun. Pedro & Maga offer such nice welcoming remarks; then various folks stood up and said the kindest things about K&L; then K&L introduced their wedding party and also offered some quite thoughtful remarks – all of this was warm-nice as could be.
Some very nice remarks . . .
Folks not involved in the rehearsal had been invited to join us at Bar Bianco starting around 8p so – as the rehearsal is running just a bit long – of a sudden we start gaining additional fun folks! This included a few Glee Club guests (Dave & Sonny; Dan & Cricket; Mike Hough), next-gen family members, friends of both families, etc. Meaning that at the conclusion of the rehearsal dinner the evening was far from over – there were so many people to catch up with, and so many things to discuss at Bar Bianco, and so many things to laugh about, and even a few beverages to sip (none paid for by me) – I suppose there were various late-night groups wandering around, but toward the end of the evening, or the beginning of the morning, I was enjoying hanging around with a group consisting of my three sons, Luis and POC (though they moved on), the Steve & Liz “children” (including Maeve), Mike Hough (per usual). We run into Jimmy Kimmel and a couple of his pals (who we learn are regulars at Bar Bianco). Eventually we walk back to the Palomar.
It was our late-night duty to entertain the groom-to-be (Thursday 23 March)
Why not a celebrity sighting (outside Bar Bianco) (early morning Friday 24 March)
Courtesy of POC (per usual), we had two fine baseball outings within the last few weeks.
With bride+groom-to-be, at a spring training game we intended to watch.
Outing #1 - driven by Kerry, actually - was a rare visit to a spring training game - Salt River Fields, where the D'backs played somebody on Tuesday, March 21. One problem - record-breaking heat - and POC had gotten tickets so good that our seats were in full sun for this afternoon game. We had some serious intentions of watching the game from those seats, but somehow never left the concourse. SRF does offer some good beer choices (food also); we avoided sunburn; and it was pretty pleasant if baseball-lite. Joined by attorneys from Greenberg Traurig. PJ makes dinner at the house after.
for some reason we never left the concourse
Outing #2 - Opening Day was Sunday, April 2. Downtown Phoenix packed for the Dbacks - and with visitors for the Final Four (games being played Sat/Mon in Glendale). We meet up downtown - coordinated by 706 folks - fantastic weather, moderate temps, a rare open roof for a day game.
Pre-game crew, early stages
Pre-game crew, gradually building attendance.
Carol & Jim joined for pregame, then started working their way back to Alaska. William Gales joined throughout. Dbacks struggle mightily but pull off a 5% win probability come-from-behind in the 9th inning. So that's always fun. Dinner at 706 after, a very enjoyable day indeed.
lovely afternoon, roof open, fine seats
Mini-reunion of Chaparral High School's [so-called] [and misnamed] "Adventure Club" (circa 1999) (with Jon)
