Wedding!

At the end of June, Aunt Marianne said 'I do.'  Above are the happy couple together with their parents.  The kids are happy to report they now have two uncles.  Uncle Sylvain fits into the family quite well.  He loves cooking and games, and leans a bit to the nerdy side, all characteristics he shares with Marianne.  A native of France, he is doing his best make our kids bilingual.  Charles and I met in French four---it is possible he might succeed.  

All four of our kids were in the wedding.  We had a junior bridesmaid, two flower girls, and a ring bearer.  Charles did the English language version of the reading for the ceremony, while his cousin Victoria covered the French reading.   

Nova and Charlotte practiced walking in heels in the grass.

Charles, Marianne and Matt

Francoise and Roberta trying out the front row seats.  Believe it or not, in less than an hour storm clouds rolled in and the wedding had to be moved inside.  The lobby made a good back up location.  By the time recessional was done, it was pouring.  

Piloting the rings in by drone was about the coolest way Marianne and Sylvain could have asked Solomon to fulfill the duties of ring bearer.  Their wedding had all sorts of fun, playful elements.  Our first hint of this was the invitation that included a tardis.  The wedding programs were entitled 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Wedding' and included crosswords and wordfinds about Marianne and Sylvain in French and English.  

Elements of the ceremony were serious, others playful.  Their vows, which had all the meaning of the traditional version, we said in anapestic tetrameter, as Dr. Seuss would have written them (so of course the Cat in the Hat had to show up).    

After the recessional, the bride and groom hurried under a 21 Nerf gun salute

A photo booth served as a guest book.  The kids (and most of the adults) took full advantage of the props.  

French family and friends who could not make it to the US sent a lovely little video we all watched at the reception.  In August there will be festivities in France.  

Marianne and Sylain along with their best man and his wife.

Ariadne investigating the dessert.  If you think you spy a tardis...you would be correct.  Here's a closer look.

Charlotte was so enthusiastic about the cupcakes, she ended up with a frosting moustache.  

Solomon and Nova with their cousin Victoria.  

Cousin Tom and his wife Lehaina

First dance...

The dance floor was well used at this wedding.  We heard Kazakh songs, French Songs, Sinatra, Happy, and eventually, despite a complete ban--the chicken dance.  The wedding party and siblings were to blame.  More mischievous fun was in store.  Toward the end of the night, I couldn't find the older three kids anywhere.  It turns out the had been  recruited to decorate Marianne and Sylvain's car.  I hear the inside was entirely filled with balloons.  Ariadne had some tricks up her sleeve too (or in her flower basket).  Around 10:00 she started dispensing blue glow in the dark bracelets.  When Marianne enquired where all the guests had gotten the bracelets, the only person they could credit was the three year old.

Well, the weekend has come and gone, but oh, what a weekend it was.  We partied and visited and celebrated.  The kids danced, danced, danced, all Sunday night.  Here's to a happy marriage!