So I promised a big honeymoon post, but I realized I can’t really talk about the honeymoon before I talk about the wedding.
The Wedding
The wedding was wonderful. It’s one of those experiences that is really hard to appreciate until you’ve been through it. Never again will I be bored at a wedding, or praying it would hurry up and be over. After the actual ceremony it’s crazy how full throttle you have to go. Take pictures, do dances, throw stuff, eat stuff, say hi to people, it’s crazy. It’s hard too because you wish you could stop and talk with everyone there, but it’s impossible. Too many people, not enough time.
People kept asking me in the weeks leading up if I was nervous, and my response was always "not yet." I didn’t get a little nervous until I was finally standing in front of all the people waiting for my bride. The whole ceremony my heart was beating out of my chest. I hardly remember any of it because I was too busy fighting tears, or looking at Stacie.
The reception was a lot of fun. We raced around taking pictures everywhere, and then we did all the special dances. We played "Welcome to the Jungle" during the garter toss, and I busted out my Dodgers cap. If you still don’t get the joke, that song is Eric Gagne’s entrance song. I thought it ruled. haha. Eventually at the end of the night we took off in a nice Lincoln Towncar to our hotel by the airport. Which begins the next part…
The Honeymoon
This section could probably be several posts in itself, but I’ll condense it. The night of the wedding we stayed at a nice Marriot property by the airport, and the next day we flew off to Hawaii. We spent the first 6 nights on Kauai, and the next 3 nights on Oahu. In Kauai we stayed at a nice condo with a beautiful ocean view. Over the course of the week we saw many pretty sunsets and beautiful waterfalls. We visited every shore of the island and ate all kinds of good food. Kauai was really nice and not too busy, though traffic near the airport is worse than the 5 freeway, it’s nuts.
After Kauai we flew to Oahu and stayed at the nicest hotel in my life. The place was so fancy it had a telephone with a touchpad that controlled the whole room. You could turn the lights on and off, change the temperatue, order room service, etc. The bathroom had a huge tub, a big glass shower, and two sinks. The first day in Oahu we just relaxed and went to the beach, where I then got water in my ear and a slight infection of sorts. The next day I had a fever and was miserable, but we made our way to the Arizona Memorial. I’m glad I got to see it, but I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more had I not been dying. Our last day on Oahu we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. This is like a small Disneyland with no rides, but instead they have different cultures on "display" via shows, videos, dances, etc. This was actually a lot of fun, but one day wasn’t enough to see it all.
Overall, getting married and the honeymoon were both amazing. I’m still not sure that I feel married, and I’m not sure when it will settle in. I have a feeling that each day it will feel a little more real. Thanks to everyone that shared in our day and sorry to all the people who couldn’t. Check out some pictures below.
Waimea Canyon
The Fern Grotto
I’ll try and get some wedding pictures up soon.
