we were so excited and touched to be a part of matt and johann’s special day!

words cannot express how absolutely amazing it is and how wonderful it feels to know that two people, who love each other no matter what the case may be, can join their hands together in marriage.

the institution of marriage is an endless debate. i am in favor of it. i love being married. i am old fashioned in my thinking around it {not about who but about what}. i believe in it. it is a different plateau to be on. it feels special. my relationship with hc changed for the better after we were married. it felt solid and secure…for so many positive reasons. we made that commitment to one another, we said our vows. we promised to never leave each other’s side. we believe in making each other a better person. you have to be selfless and realize that you have to give but you will get in return. all this sounds great in words but it’s definitely hard work and never ever perfect.

i think the hardest part about getting married is the work you have to do before it happens. it’s about finding the right person. how do you know it’s the right person? it sounds cliche but it’s about getting each other to a better point. you are on each other’s side, you pull one another up when the other is down. finding the right person is tough work but once you realize you are both in it to win it, it’s all worth it.

so, that morning, we got ourselves ready for the big day. we packed up olive’s many, many things. got ourselves dressed, packed up our stuff for the day, and headed out to matt and johann’s home. we cruised there! we got inside, dropped off our stuff, chit chatted for a bit with them, matt’s mom & stepdad, and then headed our way downtown to the courthouse.

[matt, peanut, and rich before we head out to the courthouse]

[cutie stella playing]

[olive totally intrigued by stella from afar // burberry dress]

[the crazy fog that blanketed the city]

we scored a close parking spot and trekked our way into the building. we got there before them {even with a pit stop to nurse olive!} and waited in the lobby. apparently, we were in the wrong building! it was so comical getting around with a stroller, not every area had an elevator, so we literally carried the stroller up escalators and through revolving doors! what a debacle.

we finally made it to the destination. everyone was already there. matt and johann invited a few select people to witness their marriage. we were so honored to be asked. hc and i have never witnessed a city hall marriage so it was interesting to experience it. it was quite a small waiting area, you have to sign up on a list, and wait until your group is called. it was so intriguing to watch all the folks who were there to get married. some were dressed up, some were dressed down, overall, a lot of unique characters.

[olive waiting for the ceremony to begin]

[engraved with the words panda and bamboo]

[pre-ceremony with the handsome couple]

[with james and daisy]

[the family…josh, liz, stella, matt’s mom, and cliff]

our group was finally called. i was so excited! we filed into the room, the judge was so cool and relaxed. she started the process and i started to cry. i was so, so happy for them. it truly was a beautiful moment to witness.

[exchanging of vows and rings!]

after the ceremony, we were all so ecstatic! lots of hugs, congratulatory words, and tears.

[husband and husband!! they are married!]

[the happy couple…look at the shadows of everyone taking a picture!]

we had some time before lunch, so we made a stop at field’s on state. we shopped around, some people grabbed a snack, and of course we made a starbucks run. it wouldn’t be an outing with me and matt without a starbucks stop!

[field’s on state]

[never without a starbucks stop // look, i match the straw!]

[starbucks]

[thanks jenny for randomly taking this photo…i love it!]

after field’s, we walked over to the restaurant, petterino’s. we had a nice, little, private corner of the restaurant. here we relaxed, mingled, reveled in the excitement, and truly enjoyed each other’s company. i was so hungry! i was excited to manger some food! the bread basket was bad news…hc called it crack bread. there were so many yummy varieties of bread to consume.

[her naps were so limited…too much excitement // holding on tight to the carrot rattle]

[the ‘crack’ bread]

[stella loving her salad]

after lunch, we headed back to matt and johann’s abode to continue the celebration. there, a lot more folks were able to join in on the festivities. i helped them host their guests…i wanted matt and johann to enjoy themselves and spend time with their friends and family. it was their day and they definitely should revel in every minute of it.

they ordered brisket from mariano’s, josh and liz took care of all the beverages, and hc and i brought the wedding cake and desserts. everyone slowly trickled in, we served drinks, set up the food, and enjoyed the company.

there were quite a few kiddos at the party. josh and liz have stella, vicki brought 8 month old eric, and alison brought her little dude. it was fun to see the little kiddies interact! olive and eric had a great time playing together. it was so sweet. they were both really calm and curious. there was a lot of staring, maybe some slight grabbing, but nonetheless…a heart melting moment to see the babies interact. so adorbs!

[danielle, luis, tony, and liz]

[brisket from mariano’s]

[olive and eric playing together]

[jenny, mica, diane, and vicki]

midway through the party, we popped some veuve clicquot and toasted the beautiful couple. johann said a few words and then liz made a lovely toast to the couple! cheer cheer!

[getting ready for a champagne toast to the happy couple // vintage champagne glasses…over 70 years old!]

[liz giving a heartfelt toast]

after the toasting, matt and johann cut the cake! woooo! it was so cute. the cake was such a hit…everyone loved the rainbow layers. so fitting. it was a picture frenzy. the cake was the celebrity and we were the paparazzi!

[the wedding cake from the goddess and the grocer]

[cutting the cake!]

[rainbow wedding cake]

[ain’t it sweet?]

[my delicious piece of cake…nom. nom. nom.]

[mj and shira]

it was such an incredible day. the beginning of a beautiful marriage. the wonderful company of friends and family. it seriously flew by so fast. olive was such a good little gal all day. we had the best time celebrating their beautiful union. cheers to marriage equality and cheers to the fact that love is love!

xoxo