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http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/lucky1.jpg
This lovely Irish lass and laddie had a big SURPRISE up their sleeve for all of us … see their smiles?
www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/lucky3.jpg and www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/lucky2.jpg
They gathered our families together last weekend (March 7-9) for a meet the family engagement celebration in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Steve had just given his beloved Aimee an engagement ring the previous Tuesday, March 4th.
True to their family loving natures …they arranged an immediate family get-together, renting a luxurious cabin with 11 rooms, including 6 bedrooms and 4 baths. The idea … as we parents were told, was to have some time together to just lol, omg, wtf, bbq and kick back. Check out this cool cabin! http://www.poconosgetaways.com/haven/index.shtml
Saturday morning … we’re noshing on bagels and cream cheese … loving life and having a good time. Then … in traipse Steve and Aimee to hand out these “Pocono Surprise†bags for each family member. www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/lucky6.jpg Oh! How cool, I thought. Steve explained that they’d gotten different official NHL color hockey shirts personalized for the families.
Our family colors were green to represent the Dallas Stars and Aimee’s family in orange would be the Philadelphia Flyers. My immediate thoughts were … “OMG. We’re going to play hockey as an engagement ice-breaker?†It had been raining pretty heavily … and we were in the woods. I can only imagine all the mud and tree-stumps and gad … potential for broken bones. I’m getting a little worried.
Steve comes over and puts his arm around me… “Notice the Pocono Surprise†writing on the bag, mom?†Yeah … surprise. We’re in the Poconos. He says, “Look at the date on the little M&M hearts.†I pull my out the tin of M&M’s with teensie-teensie lettering on it. Notice the date, Mom? Alright … so it says “March 8, 2008 and here we are.†Steve gave me his, “I love you but you’re a moron,†look. I’m thinking to myself that he’s the moron to think his MOM is gonna play hockey in the mud, in the woods.
“We’re getting married today!†he finally exclaims. All of a sudden … I’m really confused. I thought we were gonna play hockey. “HOLY SHIT!†I had to respond. I didn’t mean to … but what else could I say? “The wedding photographer will be here in about two hours,†he says … and we just wanted this to be a fun family celebration. Aimee and I will have to get ready but we’ll need you guys to help with some decorations like an indoor arbor assembly and stuff … and then you all get dressed in your hockey jerseys for the wedding. OOOOHKay. Wow.
There was much hugging and kissing and, “Oh, you sneaky kids!†exclamations amongst the parents. The siblings of the bride and groom all KNEW that the get-together would actually be a wedding and between the bride and groom and siblings … they’d made arrangements for everything! It was really going to be a Pocono Surprise!!
Things started being ushered into the main area of the cabin. Aimee’s sister Kim had made a carrot wedding cake – at Steve’s request. The dads and Steve’s brother, Randy (Githyanki) started assembling an indoor arbor … complete with lights, greenery and wedding bells. Then, all of a sudden … I see this huge Japanese Daruma doll sitting in the dining room – next to the miniature hockey rink that Aimee and Steve had assembled on the night before the wedding. I recognized the daruma doll … it’d been up in our attic since we moved back from Japan back in 1994.
What is a Daruma, you ask? Well, it’s an egg-shaped paper mache Japanese doll without the eyes painted in. A wish is made and one eye is painted in – usually the left eye. The wish should be goal-oriented and involve the wishers in attaining it. The other eye is not painted in until the wish comes true. The Daruma doll is constructed so that no matter how hard it is pushed over, it always rights itself and has become the symbol of "never give up, keep trying and good luck!â€Â
Okay … so in respect to Steve and Aimee’s wish for a happy marriage... they paint in one eye before the wedding: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding10.jpg
Then ... Aimee takes off to go get dressed and the rest of us put on our jerseys and Steve hangs out with us in his tuxedo. Yes! The bride and groom still wanted to have a traditional look for themselves – so we took a few pix while we hung out and waited for the bride, the flowers and ceremony.
Here’s Steve with the Dads: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding14.jpg They called themselves the Three Amigos … and that seemed just the right name for them too.
Here’s Steve and his older brother Randy (Githyanki) … all prepared to be Steve’s best man. http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding02.jpg
Steve sits down near the funny little hockey rink diorama that he and Aimee made: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding15.jpg
Father of the bride and Aimee begin their walk down the aisle: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding16.jpg
Then … bride, groom and best man take their place at the arbor … http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding04.jpg and say their vows: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding05.jpg
Best Man, Randy Gibson provides the rings: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding13.jpg
Steve kisses the bride: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding06.jpg
Dad Jerry hugs the groom: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding01.jpg
These next two photos are from the wonderful professional photographer the couple had hired, Ms. Laura Ann Bailey. Check out the artsy black and white bride & groom huggy photo here: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding08.jpg and the communing with nature photo out back of the cabin: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding09.jpg Ms. Laura will link several more photos in the next couple weeks – but these were great representations. Here’s her website and contact info: www.lauraannbailey.com We highly recommend her.
After the wedding, Laura indulged the couple outside for a variety of photos. I snuck out to catch a few to share with you. Here’s one: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding07.jpg However … it was when I’d peeked out the window and saw the funny vision of Aimee wearing her fuzzy pink boots under her dress --- that’s what really spoke volumes: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding12.jpg Although she’d purchased some exquisite pearl and rhinestone studded heels for the ceremony … she was NOT going to wear them outside in the woods. Can’t blame her – but I didn’t get a pic of the pretty princess heels – just the abominable snowman boots. Loved them!
Back into the cabin … Steve and Aimee color in the other eye of the Daruma doll – because their wish for a wonderful wedding had come true! It was fun that Aimee kept on her tiara to help color the eye. http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding11.jpg Note the funny bit we noticed that after the wedding, Aimee donned the “orange†team color jersey to put on. Steve explained that he … um … forgot that when he ordered the jerseys that they were getting married! What the heck though, they won’t get their shirts mixed up and … they each look mahvelous in their respective colors. It’s all good.
Here’s a happy honeymoon they sent us from Antiqua at the nice Sandals resort where they’ve enjoyed the past week: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding17.jpg They sailed and snuggled, snorkeled and snickered: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/wedding18.jpg
Now … all that above explains why this couple of crazy Lucky Newlywed Leprechauns wish you a
Happy St Paddie’s Day: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/lucky1.jpg and here’s my happy dance about it too! http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/lucky5.jpg
What more could they possibly want? How about three weeks of mischief being entertained by our Shacknews favorite HWM Leprechan: http://www.shacknews.com/images/steve/wedding/lucky4.jpg
May your Day and year be filled with lots of Love and Good Luck!
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