trixel

Remember I thought our wedding would just be "Do you take blah blah blah?" and vice versa? Well it turned out the ceremony in the concrete bunker in Van Nuys was actually quite beautiful.

We arrived there about half an hour before our 9 am wedding. I managed to twist my ankle getting out of the car as I was so nervous. We were directed to stand in line to get last minute wedding instructions. I almost decked this chick who cut in front of me but figured in the interest of a harmonious beginning to the surly-trixel partnership that getting into an altercation in the antechamber was in all likelihood a bad idea.

While we were waiting in line, another prospective wedding party drove the sole security guard crazy. He was trying to explain they needed to wait outside until they were called in but as they spoke limited english, they weren't getting it. He actually threw his hands up in despair. Finally he managed to hustle them out enmasse.

After conferring with a clerk, we were funneled into a waiting room with our witnesses and made to wait a few minutes for everything to be ready.

Waiting was fun.

They called us into the other private room, the room we figure was once used for interrogation because it shares a two-way mirror with the waiting room. They didn't interrogate us, but rather a female officiant called us up to the wedding arch and gave us some brief instructions... very brief instructions.

I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing and laughed nervously through the first part of the ceremony. Then Surly started making his vows, looking into my eyes. The vows were beautiful, full of depth. I could barely hold back the tears.

Then it was my turn. I'm looking into Surly's eyes, making these very heavy promises to him in front of witnesses (the officiant gave me an extra line of vows she forgot to give surly, by the way), and my voice keeps breaking up. Getting married was definitely a Big Deal. I started thinking about all of the rambling paths and dead ends I'd followed, and wondered how I'd managed to find such an amazing person. I wondered about how I was going to be able to help him realize his dreams and be happy. I guess maybe that's part of what marriage is, a lifelong, day by day process of trying to do the best for your other and trying to be the best for you both. It's all very scary and wonderful.

I think you can see the Fear in Surly's face, or maybe that's just dazed confusion.

After the ceremony, we tottered out into the glorious Van Nuys sunshine and piled into our cars to go to Harry's in Burbank for nuptial waffles.

We were plied with gifts of champagne and naughty toys by our witnesses (Mike, Matt & Lisa). After a yummy breakfast, Surly and I picked up our rental and headed for Vegas. More on the honeymoon in an upcoming journal.