Lizzie and Tony get married at the DAR Chapter House

I want to start this post with the (abbreviated) story of how Lizzie and Tony met, it is just too good not to share.  I hope that I get all the details right!  They were actually classmates in high school at Meadowdale High in Lynnwood, but did not know each other at all in high school, and really were not even aware that the other existed.  Flash forward to a couple of years ago.  Tony found himself with an extra ticket to a concert in Seattle (I believe it was the Steve Miller Band) and went onto his high-school class page on Facebook to see if anyone wanted the ticket.  Lizzy responded, and the rest is history!

Pre-ceremony at Volunteer Park

The day of the wedding was pretty much as most of this summer has been in Seattle – sunny and gorgeous.  Because there are limited places at the DAR house for outdoor photos I had suggested to Tony and Lizzie that we meet before the ceremony for a photo session at Volunteer Park, which is only a few blocks away from the wedding venue.  I was a little apprehensive about what I might find at the park that day, as many times when I have been there during the summer (especially with nice weather) it can be a VERY busy place, often with large events involving hundreds of people, with parking almost impossible to find.  But I was pleasantly surprised to be able to park right in front of the Asian Art Museum with lots of open spaces.  The Wedding Gods had clearly decided to smile on Lizzie and Tony!

Tony and Lizzie arrived soon after I did.  They both looked great, but Lizzie especially looked amazing!  We spent a very pleasant time just strolling around the area, taking photos whenever we spotted something that looked good.  The lack of “unintentional photo bombers” was greatly appreciated, and we pretty much were able to take photos wherever we wanted without any interference.  After getting a nice selection of photos we decided that it was time to head for the venue to meet up with Lizzy and Tony’s families for more photos, and to get ready for the ceremony.

The Wedding Ceremony

The DAR Rainier Chapter House is located just a block off Broadway, and is a beautiful old mansion that has been remodeled so that it is an excellent event space.  When we arrived at the venue many of the family were either there or in the process of arriving.  After taking a few minutes for Lizzie and Tony to say hi to some of the early arrival guests we got at least semi-organized and managed to take some family and other group photos.  There were quite a few family members present on both sides, including Tony’s mother Mary, father and Charles also his brother Mike and sister Barbara; Lizzie’s sister Ann; and assorted children and grandchildren on both sides.

Once we finished as many of the family photos as was possible it was time to get ready for the ceremony to begin. Many of the guests had already taken their seats inside the venue, and those who hadn’t done so were directed to find chairs.  Lizzie was escorted down the aisle by her two daughters, Emma and Sarah.  The ceremony was officiated by their good friend Jarmo.  Everything went smoothly until the ring exchange.  (Quick sidebar – this was probably the coolest wedding ring set I have ever seen!  Custom designed and made for Tony and Lizzie in Ireland, and picked up there by the couple on a trip shortly before the wedding.  Close up photo of the rings below.)  Anyway, when Tony tried to put Lizzie’s ring on her finger it was quite stubborn about sliding over her knuckle, leading to laughter from Lizzie, Tony, Jarmo and ultimately everyone in the room as the bride and groom struggled to get the ring into place.  Tony’s ring was fortunately much more cooperative, and fit without any issues.

The Wedding Reception

At the conclusion of the reception everyone moved outside for appetizers and drinks while the upstairs area was set up for dinner.  The venue has a large driveway in front of the building that can be gated to prevent cars from entering, as well as a large porch, and there was plenty of space for everyone to enjoy the sunny day while eating, drinking and catching up with old friends or meeting new ones.

Once the upstairs room was ready, everyone moved inside and upstairs to find their tables for dinner.  Musical duo Barb (keyboardist) and Julio (percussion) provided background music as the buffet was opened and the guests served themselves dinner.  Pyramid Catering provided the food, and it was all excellent.

Dinner was a very leisurely affair, and as their guests enjoyed their dinner Tony and Lizzie made their way around the tables greeting their friends.  At one point Lizzie disappeared; she had another dress that she was going to put on to surprise Tony.  A few minutes later Lizzie pretty much snuck up on Tony, walking behind one of her friends so if Tony turned unexpectedly she would be out of his sight.  Once Lizzie was close enough her friend stepped aside and Tony was alerted to turn around.  He was clearly very happy with what he saw, as Lizzie was now in an all-black dress and looked fantastic!

Next up were the toasts, given by Tony’s brother Mike and Lizzie’s daughter Emma.  From here Tony and Lizzie moved right into their first dance.  They clearly had done some practicing for the dance; as someone who has (at least) two left feet I am always impressed by couples who clearly know what they are doing when they have their official first dance.  Afterwards Tony danced with his mother Mary, and then the floor was opened to the guests.

It was a very nice wedding and it was clear that everyone there had a wonderful time!

Following is a pretty large selection of photos from the day, I hope that you will look through them and leave some comments.