Lin had suggested that I try submitting a little something to the Circle, so here's a little excerpt from my family newsletter from when my wife and I married in March. If I have a 'style', then I guess this bit will sum it up
(Context: we were married on a 1940's choo-choo in a VERY small, informal ceremony with family and close friends...about 50 were in attendance)
Meanwhile, final preparations were being done for the bride and Maid of Honor in the lounge car, which the groom was scarcely allowed to even glance at for fear of catching a glimpse of the bride prior to the wedding. He was thus requested to stand in a corner while search parties were dispatched to locate the ever-wandering Kevin, who had the honor of escorting his daughter down the aisle (and later holding Dan’s lei for ‘a second’ in the post-reception mini-van scramble).
Britney was running up and down the aisles, screeching at each guest to “SIGN THE MONKEY!!! DID YOU SIGN THE MONKEY YET??? SIGN THE MONKEY!!!” Clutching the monkey in one hand and her Sharpie in the other, she dashed up to my dad and screeched “DID YOU SIGN THE MONKEY YET???” to which he calmly replied, “For the seventh time, yes, I signed the monkey.” She smiled, said “Oh!!” in that over-caffeinated Britney way, then whirled and bolted towards another victim who had doubtlessly already signed the monkey.
Once signal flares announced the discovery of the elusive Kevin, the wedding was ready to begin! Tyler dutifully started the music and his stereo struggled to life, playing the beautiful, delicate theme from “Practical Magic”. After the Moms went down the aisle, I did my stroll to stand next to Father Ken, looking out at our closest family and friends, and watching the rest of the party come forward.
Then Lani gracefully walked down the aisle….looking as lovely as I had ever seen her, wearing her beautiful Mandarin style dress and lei, with a single orchid in her hair. Her smile warmed my heart and calmed me. Kevin presented her, and the ceremony was underway.
Father Ken said a few words about marriage and then we had a brief prayer, which was to be followed by the playing of a song on the stereo. After the prayer I motioned to Tyler to play it, and he pointed the remote at the stereo, trying to get it to go. Lani stepped aside so as not to block the remote’s efforts to awaken the sleeping CD player. After some effort, the song was aborted, which, though the episode of trying to get it to play was amusing, was also a sad loss for the ceremony. The song in question is beautiful, and very appropriate for our relationship and this moment, so I’d like to at least share with you all now the lyrics for that song. (lyrics go here in the newsletter)
We went on to exchange rings and repeat our confirmations with Father Ken, as the stereo finally sputtered to life, Don Henley singing to, and through, Father Ken’s oratory while Tyler frantically tried to turn it off (Lani ultimately reached down and put the stereo out of it’s musical Teret Syndrome).
Father Ken and I had been in communication for some time in the prior months; I had kept him informed of Lani’s condition and he and his fellow ministers prayed for her to get through all the kidney stone stuff. I also informed him of my plot to make Lani cry during the ceremony.
Ok, it wasn’t a PLOT to make her cry…but I really did want to say a few words to her, for all to hear. If you’d like a refresher, here those words are: (insert my drivel here)
After my little speech (thanks for the public speaking tips, Mike F!), we went on to finish the ceremony. Father Ken presented us as man and wife, and as the stereo sat in a retarded silence, refusing to play ANYTHING on cue, we all marched back down the aisle. When I reached the rear of the car, I asked my co-worker,Kate, if she could hear everything ok. “Yes!” she said thru tear-stained eyes….even her Texas twang was wavering in that moment :^)
--Well, that's a bit of my wedding :^) I know it's informally written, but it's just a family newsletter...but do you think there's any 'there' there? Or should I stick to newsletters and posting on message boards?

Thanks so much for reading! Dan