the reception

This is a little snap we like to call the Red Carpet at the Oscars photo. Joriel's dress looks pretty awesome, but Ben doesn't like the expression on his face. In the background, you can see part of the slideshow we had running on a loop for a good part of the evening - miscellaneous photos of each of us at all ages before we met and together over the past couple years.


Now mingle everybody. Mingle. That's right. Good guests. More cake for you.


Three lovely cakes, all homemade by Elaine, all vegan, and one wheat-free and soy-free. Plus cookies (a whole heckuva lot of cookies!). Truly amazing.


Everything we know about planning an amazing wedding(ish) we learned from these two crazy cats. Nick and Eva did it all and then some (in the middle of a hurricane!) the summer before us. Nick must also be recognized as the tremendously fantastic emcee for our ceremony.


These two lovely ladies, Jess and Jenn, have been keeping Joriel sane for more than a dozen years. Thanks to them, she stayed calm when the ceremony got started half an hour late.


There was enough delicious food to feed at least ten (vegan) armies, thanks to Elaine and her helper bees. Oh, and did I mention the mead? And wine. Lots and lots of wine.


Speaking of wine... these two wonderful people - Lea and Joe - own an acoustic music club in Charlotte and knew exactly what to do when they realized that we had made no plan at all for opening and serving the wine. If we have anything to say about it, they've earned themselves a special table near the heavenly stage.


This is Tracy and Julie. They don't know it yet, but in a few hours they'll be engaged.


The band, Hotel X, rocked. Sadly, they only got to play for an hour because most of our guests went home a bit earlier than we'd expected. Guess they had to work the next day or something :) Darn that silly equinox for being on a Sunday.


Here we see Ben receiving a ritual blessing from a circle of wine-crazed dancing women. Beth (in the foreground) and Caryn at the far right were two of our most amazing helpers in setting the whole thing up. Also Beth's partner Jim. And at least a dozen other people. I wish we could put all the pictures up here.