The Wedding of the Century

Well, to be honest, I seem to call every wedding I am involved in "The Wedding of the Century," but this time, I must say, I really mean it.

I just returned from my sister's wedding in San Francisco. I freely admit that when she informed me the wedding was to take place at all, I requested that it happen in Hawaii. Honestly, if I have to travel anyway, let's make it REALLY good. She, however, chose to have it in SF where she currently lives and where she met her knight in shining armor yadda yadda yadda. Whatever. As far as travel destinations go, I really can't complain too much. And it IS her wedding, right? I feel charitable today.

So, we left the baby in Austin, TX with grandma (we both felt very guilty about this, but knew we had to do it sometime) and headed to the Sunshine state. Flights were good, if you ignore the fact that I apparently cannot handle the responsibility of paper airline tickets anymore, and what started out as a $1000 trip quickly became a $1300 trip, right there at the airport. As God as my witness, I shall never buy paper tickets again!

SF is downright chilly this time of year, but it wasn't uncomfortably so. From Thursday to Sunday, I was pampered and treated to massages, nail treatments, good food, and fantastic company. My darling hubster was treated to a yucky sinus infection and two more days sitting in the hotel room playing video games and reading. Our only real time together was on Alcatraz and at the wedding (not that I am relating those two events in any way, mind you). So I had a good time. He was bored. I have no sympathy past the sinus infection, however. He enjoys video games and reading, after all.

We couldn't afford to stay in the hotel where the wedding was taking place, so we stayed practically next door at the funky and fun Hotel Diva. It was clean, comfortable, and had extra perks like a Diva temporary tattoo on our pillow when we checked in. Unfortunately, the tatt somehow went missing soon after I told hubby I wanted to apply mine to my lower back. Weird.

The wedding was... well... lovely isn't really adequate. It took place on the 32nd floor of the St. Francis Hotel, which has been a SF landmark since the early 1900's, at about 5:30pm on Sunday, May 29. The weather was completely clear, which meant the short, romantic ceremony was nearly overshadowed by the tremendous, breathtaking view. I say NEARLY overshadowed, because my sister was so gorgeous coming down the aisle in her designer wedding dress that people audibly gasped. She actually managed to outshine the city Tony Bennett left his heart in. That doesn't come to the surprise of anyone who knows my sister, of course.

Her suite at the hotel was equally remarkable. It was easily larger than her one bedroom condo in Russian Hill, and it is called the "Windsor Suite" because Queen Elizabeth II and her husband stayed there in 1983 or so. How many people can say that they have sat on the SAME BED that QEII herself slept in? Not very many. Certainly not many with my income.

Dinner was scrumtious, starting with a lobster puff pastry, through a roasted pear salad, a pistachio-crusted sole, and finally a wedding cake from heaven. Dancing provided by the Martini Brothers, and my husband even hit the floor with me!

Athena and grandma had a really great time together, although grandma seemed a little worn out by the end of the week. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. Thanks for asking!