R&C Wedding, Part 1

The Knoren wedding celebration began Thursday night as we all headed to San Francisco.  Robby and I got a later start than we had planned, so we didn't get into our room (Chelsea's apartment) until close to midnight.  Not the greatest way to begin the busiest weekend ever!  But adrenaline kept us going.  We were up bright and early the next day, and soon Chelsea was over and the wedding bustle was beginning.

We started by working a bit on our hair, then headed to a make-up counter to get our faces on!  Chelsea looked absolutely flawless.  Sara, Esther, and Rosalinda (Chelsea's good friends) stopped by to hang out and bring coffee, and my mom soon came for her make-up time, too.  Unfortunately Carly and Camille weren't in San Francisco yet, so they missed out.  

After our make-up, we headed back to Chelsea's apartment and finished getting ready.  The most exciting part was helping Chelsea into her gorgeous dress.  I wish we had had more time to enjoy that moment, but the clock was a-tickin', and Robby and I had to get to the ceremony location to set up a few things and get ready.  Little did we know terrible traffic would still make us late.

The ceremony was held at Sunnyside Conservatory, a lovely wood building with windows everywhere!  It was perfect for our intimate setting.  I did not get a single good picture, but luckily Chelsea sent me a couple taken by Roger's amazing photographer friend.  Until I get reprimanded for using a professional's photos without his permission, then, I'm going to include them here on my blog :)

Robby and I had the honor of being part of their wedding.  He married them, and I provided music.  Chelsea's friend Rosalinda ended the ceremony by singing a stunning rendition of "At Last," which couldn't be more fitting.  At last Chelsea and Roger get to be together!

After the ceremony, we had delicious cake and champagne and all had a wonderful time getting to know each other better.  There would be plenty more fun ahead, though, so after our congratulating of the new Mr. and Mrs. Knoren, we headed back for a quick freshen-up before meeting for dinner.

Dad and his son-in-laws

Cake cutting!

Delicious cake!

Like everything else that weekend, dinner was just incredible!  We ate at the well-known Cliff House, which is near Lands End in San Francisco.  My goodness, the food was unbelievable!  House-made bread, crab-cakes, filets, creamed veggies, and a to-die-for molten chocolate cake for dessert.  Chelsea and Roger definitely spoiled all of us!

Mother-of-the-bride and bride

Esther, Sara, and Rosalinda

Auntie Di and me

The happy couple toasting!

You think the fun stopped there?  Oh no...we headed back to this incredible vacation home Chelsea and Roger had rented for the out-of-country guests.  Once again I failed as a photographer and have not one single picture of this place!  It was crazy amazing, though -- three stories, tons of bedrooms, windows everywhere, a tiered courtyard in the backyard.  I think they may have given the out-of-towners a wrong impression of how people really live here!

We spent the rest of our evening enjoying the good food and drinks provided by the newlyweds and have a fabulous time getting to know Roger's family and friends, all of whom we fell in love with!

The next morning, we packed up and started back to Visalia to prepare for wedding celebration part two!  Stay tuned...