The Much Anticipated Wedding

After a couple weeks of preparing and vacationing, we were anxious to meet and greet the remaining of our arriving family and friends for the big day. On Friday, Dec 28, we arrived back on Rarotonga and over the course of the next few days were joined by another 17 guests - making our group total 27. We had a couple complete surprises...two of Eric's friends (Casey and Ben) had told us they were not coming and then unexpectedly showed up on the doorstep. It was a perfect wedding gift!

The Weekend Before...
The weekend before the wedding was spent in vacation mode...everyone enjoyed swimming and snorkeling, big group dinners, island exploration, catch-up conversations, and Eric and his crew enjoyed their favorite past time of philosophizing while smoking flavored tobacco in the hookah (2 travel hookahs were brought to the island for the occasion). It was a flurry of activity after so much time just the two of us - in fact, we hardly saw each other! But we didn't mind too much since we were so eager to spend time with friends and family...after all, we still have a 5 month honeymoon ahead of us! I personally found it difficult to sleep at night because I was so energized from the action and wanting to not miss a thing. As a result, my immune system got hold of the cold my mom had the week before and within a couple days I started to lose my voice. I figured maybe it was God's way of getting me to quiet down and reflect on this wonderful week of time with loved ones and getting married.

The Day Before...
It wasn't until the day before the wedding that Eric and I woke up early morning and thought "Crap! We've gotta figure out how everything will go tomorrow!" We jumped into action and convened a meeting with Eric's father (who married us) to discuss the content and flow of the ceremony, a meeting with the small group of people with a role in the ceremony and then a big group rehearsal that night before dinner to practice human aisle formation and our positions for the next day.

Once we got most of the items checked off our list, Eric and the boys (except our dads who both graciously stayed behind to help with wedding stuff) set off for the challenging cross-island trek. I was sent to bed for a nap and also snuck in some beach and talk time with my girlfriends and family. Later, when the boys returned I was told about Eric's climb to "the needle" - a rock face at the top of the mountain that is the highest point on the island. It was a good thing he was back safe and sound before I saw all the photos that could have prevented the wedding the next day! I suppose every groom must have his last hurrah with his guys before the big day.

The Day Of...
Bride's side of the story: The night before the wedding I spent with my mom in a sleepover just like old times. We both woke up at 5:30AM and talked and reminisced before the day began. It was a very special time for the two of us. Eric spent the night and morning with his family as well. And we all had a big breakfast at my family's villa next door. I, unfortunately, didn't have much of a voice and was quite exhausted already, which kept me from stressing out. About noon, all the girls headed over to The Muri Beach Club Hotel for a light lunch and tropical drinks. Afterwards, I headed up to my room to get ready with my girlfriends Kandice, Kavita, Lorri and my mom. Kandice, my maid of honor and friend of 20 years, did my hair and make-up (just like we used to as girls, but a bit more sophisticated for the occasion ;) As tradition dictates, my mom helped me to get dressed and put on my wedding jewelry (hand-made by my dear friend Laura). After all the grooming and photos, my Dad came to pick us up and escort us stealthily to the villa for us to wait until the ceremony began. I was given my bridal bouquet of Frangipani flowers, I put a flower lei on my dad and we waited for the cue to make our way to the beach aisle entrance.

Groom's side of the story: Prior to embarking on the day's events I took some much needed time to re-write my wedding vows for the ceremony and reflect on the promises we were about to make. After that it was distraction time and my friends and I headed out to find a good snorkel spot and had a great time seeing eels, rays, parrot fish and even a turtle. We headed back a little early to make sure everything was ready for the ceremony and enjoyed a last hookah session while getting reports from friends across the globe about USC's (our college football team) win in the Rose Bowl - Go Trojans! Before I knew it, my dad and I were standing underneath the flowered alter surrounded by friends and family waiting for Mariah to walk down the aisle. (My dad was kind enough to offer me a few parting jokes to help pass the minutes before the big moment - thanks dad!)

The Ceremony...
It was an emotional moment standing there with my dad - so symbolic and much anticipated - that neither of us could completely hold back our tears. After our ring bearer and flower girl (Sage and Maya - my friend Cheryl's children) walked down the aisle, it was our turn. It is a moment I will remember more vividly than the rest of the ceremony - being able to look at each person standing there supporting and loving us as we were about to say our vows as we walked past them. And seeing Eric, my husband-to-be, at the end waiting for me with a smile. As Eric's dad Jeff gave his blessing and sermon; as we said our vows and promises; as Anne Baumgarten and Cheryl each gave a wedding reading; as we exchanged rings and kissed...we were surrounded by a circle of friends and loved ones who we knew would love, support and help us as we embark on this life-long journey.

Our ceremony concluded with us joining the circle, holding hands, offering a prayer and a blessing and a moment of reflection. The backdrop was the most lovely of beaches and lapping clear water on the shore. And my favorite part - the part I've always dreamed about for our wedding - feeling the sand in between my toes as I wriggled them about...reminding myself to always remember this moment, and this promise.

Then it was photo time! We didn't hire a photographer...we didn't need to because we had several in our group of friends on hand who did a great job. I think we totaled over 2,000 photos in the first cut...click here to see a small sample of the photos. We'll post more as we get them sorted and edited. :) Thank you to John, Lorri, Tom and all our other photographers for capturing the many moments of our wedding.

Wedding Dinner...
And then to the dinner at Muri Beach Club. The dinner was delicious and very elegant. We had several gourmet options to choose from and plenty of wine and champagne to go around.

Although I wasn't feeling 100% at the start of dinner (due to my cold and lack of food...most brides I'm told are too nervous to eat much on their wedding day), once I got some food in me and the music got going, we both thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We were touched and entertained by toasts from my father and mother, maid of honor and several of Eric's friends. We did the traditional bride/groom first dance, father/daughter dance and then everyone jumped in to join the dance party. Some of our friends even got inspired by the evening and sang karaoke to a few classic songs. It was certainly a night to remember!

After...
And then to the wedding night...BLEEP...you didn't really think we'd let you in on those details! Ha ha ha! What we can say is that the whole experience was much more emotional than either of us anticipated...and of course, it all went so fast! It was an event to promise and celebrate our union, to honor the family and friends that have and will support us throughout life, and to mark the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. We are thankful to all who were able to be there in person, and also to everyone that we know was there with us in spirit. We are a very blessed couple and feel extremely grateful as we now start our "honeymoon." Five months to go!