August 11, 2015

Wedding Bells in Portland

The flights from Anchorage to Portland were completely full, but on time, and I was treated to wonderful views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount Hood on the connecting flight from Seattle.  We flew so close to Mount St. Helens that I was able to see inside the top of the dome.  What a treat.  That was a first for me.

Portland was under an extreme heat warning as the daytime temperatures were reaching into the triple digits.  That’s almost unheard of for the Pacific Northwest, but it’s happened a few times already this year.  I have to admit that I was dreading the heat, but I was able to manage surprisingly well.

It is quite easy to get around Portland without a car, and I took the MAX light rail from the airport into downtown where I transferred to a streetcar.  Kevin had given me explicit instructions on where to go, and I arrived at the venue for the welcome/rehearsal dinner without a hitch.

Not only did I meet Darwin for the first time, but I also met Kevin’s mother and sister, in addition to many of Kevin’s Portland friends.  Such lovely people.  And, I am happy to report that Darwin is a sweetheart!  What a fun time everyone had.  It’s not surprising that Kevin kept us busy all weekend, making sure that everyone was entertained.  Kevin’s friend Zoe had invited me to stay with her and Mark at their hotel suite, and it was so nice to get to know them a little better.

The wedding ceremony on Sunday afternoon took place at the historic First Congregational United Church of Christ, a beautiful stone church.  The wedding was beautiful, and I will admit to shedding a few tears.  It’s nice to see Kevin so happy.


Beautiful Stonework and Stained Glass
Ready for the Wedding March



Darwin and Kevin Exchanging Vows

Kevin's Mom, Kevin, Darwin and Kevin's Sister

It was soon time to make our way to the Cerulean Wine Bar for the reception.  Kevin could not have selected a more appropriate location, since he knows more about wine than anyone I know.  Whenever we get together, excursions to the Willamette Valley for wine tastings are always on the agenda.  The food was delicious, the wine was heavenly and the conversations were stimulating.  Everyone had such a good time, and the festivities ended all too soon.

Cutting the Cake

Happily Ever After

I am so grateful that I was able to share the day with such wonderful people.  Kevin will always be a special person in my life, and I am happy to welcome Darwin to the fold.

Good Friends

9 comments:

  1. Off topic. Was wondering how your camper van is doing particularly since it does not have a lot of ground clearance. Any issues where you can't pullover due to too large of a curb drop. We have a sprinter van and our biggest issue is not being able to stop along roads because of to steep a curb drop.

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    1. The Sprinter has been doing really well in Alaska. Except for the problem while getting off the ferry in Wrangell, we have had no issues. We just take it very, very slow when there appears to be a large drop off, but we do try to avoid them if at all possible.

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    1. You are so right about that! It was a very happy day.

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  3. I am so glad you posted the Kevin and Darwin's wedding!!!! They look so happy. I love Kevin's smile..could not contain the joy..... I loved the "happily ever after" sign.

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    1. Kevin was smiling from ear to ear the entire time! I have never seen him so happy. He certainly deserves it!

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  4. So nice that you were able to go to the wedding ... looks like it was a lovely occasion.

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    1. I'm so happy that I was able to attend. It was a beautiful wedding.

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  5. Wow thank you Sarah for this amazing post and for coming to our wedding, we loved to have you here and be part of this special moment of our life, I'm looking forward to read more about the places you visit and your experiences.

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