Kent and Christine Get Married

I’ve been up early today, running errands and going to be meeting up with Dave and Alex at 11:00 AM. Today is Kent and Christine’s wedding, and we’re all going to be travelling to Michigan for the festivites, and staying the night. Woohoo!

Dave, leading the way. Before we left Chicago, Alex was delayed and asked to be picked up last. I got in the front seat and Dave and I got into this discussion about "calling" shotgun. Apparently, Alex had called shotgun over the phone.

I disagreed, saying that I always thought both parties had to be present before one could call "shotgun." While he technically called "shotgun" first, he was nowhere near the car. We then got into the rules and Dave washed his hands of the whole deal, saying that it was "up to us" to figure it out.

When we drove up to Alex’s place, I pretty much imagined that we’d settle things like men and play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to see who sat up front. However, when we pulled up, I decided to just stay in the front seat.

Alex hopped in back, and we never brought it up. :|

A shot of me, taken by Alex. From the back seat. :P

Alex and Dave, as we make our way to Saugatuck. Pronounced Saw-Gah-Talk. Like my car, Dave’s car doesn’t have AC. We’re all slowly broiling here, but after about 30-45 minutes, you kind of get used to it.

Kinda.

And we’re here! There’s a ton of people around, due to some Art Fair. Plus, I think this particular place is really popular, especially around the holidays. A very quiet sort of town, but really packed with people.

This is what I imagine it’s like, off-season.

A glimpse of the town. Right now, we’re trying to find some place that has air-conditioning. Only later did we find out that a storm had come through the place, around noon, and knocked out a lot of power for the area.

Two scooters from one of the local bike gangs. The gang members aren’t pictured here on the hogs because, most likely, they’re off hassling shopkeeps somewhere.

After some walking around, we found a Hot Dog stand near the lake. The breeze was a really great change from the day, so we decided to eat here, by the cooler winds and in the shade.

The seating area for the Coral Gables Dog House. We waited for our food for what seemed like a half an hour…

That wait may have been unduly influenced by this man. Within five minutes of placing our order at the hot dog stand, this guy (far right) broke into Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

Alex, Dave and I found a nice place right across the street, in the shade. We ate up and killed a bit of time before the wedding was to start.

For those who may not know, Dave is an actual ordained minister of the Universal Light Church. This is wedding #2 for him, as he’s already got one under his belt.

He originally got ordained to marry Kent and Christine, but another friend of his asked him to perform a wedding ceremony last month. He’s a very popular minister among our group of friends. :)

If you’re interested in hiring Dave, give him a holler.

Walking around town, we saw this sign.

Happy Birthday, America!

Wedding time! As the hour draws near, we decide to leave Saugatuck and head over to the wedding site (which is about 2 minutes away in Douglas). On our way, I swear to Christ, we pass a kid in a boy scout uniform who was talking to some out-of-towners in their car and giving directions. Here’s a shot of him talking to the local police.

Had I more time to look around, I guarantee you I would have been able to find an apple pie, cooling on a windowsill somehwere.

Off the main highway, here’s where we pulled in for the wedding. I actually took this shot after a few of the ones below. I was crouched by the road and wasn’t paying attention when I heard this loud honk. I looked up and saw Stu, waving from his car. :)

Justin and Emma arrive! They had been down at a nearby bar (right on the edge of the dock), and happened to be walking out to the parking lot when we pulled up!

I want to marry a lighthouse keeper who lives by the side of the sea…

Emma, Justin and Alex walking towards the site.

For the record, I made it about half-way up that mound of dirt there, in the background. :|

Justin, trying to wrap himself all the way around the bar.

Emma, getting some air. If you ever want to know the secret to staying young, it’s swings.

Justin, showing us why the ladies love him.

I liked the whole performance overall, but due to the dismount… I give it a 9.6.

The wedding site was on a small peninsula by the lake. The white tarp you see was hastily put up. Alex, Justin, Emma and I were all down by the dock bar, getting some water and some drinks. We watched two or three people slowly set up the tent and figured we had a lot of time left.

Later, we found out that
the original tarp (which had been in place since the morning) was completely destroyed when the noon storm swept in. Kent arrived to find the entire structure torn to shit, and had to get an emergency crew to set up the one you see above.

Everything went off without a hitch, however. We didn’t know about the tent fiasco until much later.

Jake, Kent’s sister’s dog. He was the official ring-bearer for the ceremony, and had the rings tired around a little collar.

Best_ring_bearer_ever!

The time drawing close, Alex, Dave and I decide to change.

In the parking lot.

Felt like my old high-school days, back when I was in orchestra and choir. We’d have to change quickly in unlikely places. The heat by this time is quite extreme. I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and had been sweating the entire time.

I hate this picture, but let me show you the level of pain I was experiencing. July heat, and me in a suit and tie.

Alex looks great – calm and collected. But don’t let him fool you. The heat was terrible!

LOL. Looking at this picture again, it’s like I’m saying "Please. God. Kill me now."

Emma, looking lovely and taking a rest before the wedding begins.

Dave, looking over the poems he’ll be reading, with Justin looking over his shoulder. Justin was the one who picked the poems, and the two of them discussed the ceremony.

Dave sipping water, and getting ready to participate in his second wedding.

More guests arrive. That’s Kent on the left, and Rob and Gretchen on the right.

The entire wedding was very small and very intimate. Everyone was able to fit under the tent without a problem. In the background, Dave is going over the material one last time.

What was funny about this scene was that Christine had just arrived about 10 seconds ago. Everyone turned and was ready to see her approach… but then she turned around, and went off to get some pictures taken by Stu.

Even Kent had expected her to start walking towards us, but then said "Uh… I guess we’re going to wait a bit." :D

Gretchen and Rob.

Christine, radiant and all smiles, making her way towards us.

Dave, reciting some of the poems Justin selected.

A quick peek across the aisle, during the ceremony. For the most part, I put my camera away and tried not to take too many pictures (didn’t want to miss the wedding, if you know what I mean).

Ahhh. Kent putting the ring on Christine.

Woohoo! Congratulations!

The exchange of vows was incredibly intense, and I wish I could somehow relay to you how passionate both Kent and Christine were when they were looking at one another. Stu was right up there, taking photos, and I bet he was able to capture the moments fully.

Afterwards: the bride and groom.

:)

What time is it?

It’s PAR TE TYME!

This is where we’ll be for the next three to four hours. On a boat. On Lake Michigan.

Getting drunk.

:thumbsoup:

Only the people at twelvestone will understand this one.

Emma, doing the coy, sexy thing again.

A view of the inlet. We were somewhat isolated from the lake itself, and had to make our way (a good 10 minutes) out, until we hit the wide-open areas. If you can see where that small, reddish boat is… that’s where we’re headed. We will be continuing that direction, and loop around a bit until we hit open waters.

I got this movie right as Dave and Gretchen were trying to "push out" all the water that had collected on the boat tarp. They stopped soon after I started recording, so I did a sweep of the boat to try to get a panorama of everything. :)

This is the view of that hot dog stand, but from the water.

Andrew, one of the youngest guests on the boat. I felt bad for the guy, as there wasn’t really anyone else around his age at all for him to talk to, or hang out with.

On a few occasions, I made it a point to try to hang out with him a bit and chat. I’m not sure if a drunk Asian guy is his idea of a fun converastion, but hell… I didn’t see anyone else really trying to see if he was having any fun. We did have a good, extended conversation on different types of fireworks (he didn’t know what roman candles were, ffs).

I think this might be my quirk, but I tend to be able to talk to kids better than adults sometimes. Mostly at large holiday/family gatherings, I’m better with the younger ones than folks my age or older. Might be maturity. :P

It might also just be the whole misfit syndrome. I feel so on the peripheral so often, I feel like I can relate.

I really wish I could take credit for this shot, but no. Stu’s the
one who set up this pose, and I just happened along and snapped a pic over his shoulder.

I can’t stress it enough. Stu’s work is amazing, and I can’t wait to see what sort of photogrpahs he took for this wedding. If you haven’t seen his work, definitely go check it out.

Three Pirate Jokes From Dave (which, if you ever get the chance, you really have to hear in his official pirate voice):

PIRATE JOKE #1:

A girl walks up to the movie theater, and lo and behold there’s a pirate in the booth, selling tickets. She asks to buy a ticket to go see Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

Pirate: I’m sorry, girly, I can’t sells ya this here ticket.
Girl: Why not? I’m thirteen. I want to see it.
Pirate: This here movie ain’t PG-13.
Girl: It isn’t? What’s it rated?
Pirate: Aaaaaarrrrrrr!

PIRATE JOKE #2:

A girl walks in to the mall to get her ears pierced. She’s a bit surprised to see, at the store, a pirate working behind the counter. She’s a bit thrown off, but decides to find out more information about how much it costs.

Girl: I’d like to get my ears pierced.
Pirate: Just one then, lassie? Or both of ’em?
Girl: Both of them, please. How much will it cost?

The pirate nods, pointing his head to a nearby sign.

Girl: Only two dollars?
Pirate: A buccaneer! Aaaaaarrrrrrr!

PIRATE JOKE #3:

A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel tied to his balls.

(At this point in the joke, I announce to everyone that this is absolutely the BEST_JOKE_EVER. Punch-line be damned. Anything, ANYTHING that opens up with this sentence HAS to be good!

A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel tied to his balls. The bartender pretends not to notice anything, and takes the guy’s order. He gets him a glass of beer and, after a few minutes, decides to ask.

Bartender: Uhm… buddy?
Pirate: Yes?
Bartender: Well, I don’t mean to be rude here… but do you know you have a steering wheel tied to your balls?
Pirate: Aaaaaarrrrrrr! It’s driving me nuts!

Have you ever wondered what I would take to become a sea captain?

Apparently, all it takes is some diet Pepsi, some Marlboro Lights, and some Tylenol. :|

We were in some sort of small canal-type area. Up ahead, where those two small markers are, is Lake Michigan proper. Everything opens up at that point, and we start to lose sight of land a bit.

Shannon and Phil, friends of Kent and Christine that I met at the wedding. I grabbed this shot of them doing the Titanic thing, which Kent later saw. He made me show them this pic and, after I got their e-mail, I promised I’d send them a copy.

Emma, through the looking glass.

There was a kid who was setting off some fireworks, way out here by himself.

This isn’t an actual lighthouse per se, but just about as pretty as one.

A shot of Stu, taking a shot of Kent and Christine. Like I said, I bet he’s going to have some amazing photographs.

I thought this was rather cool – Stu just kept the two of them there, and was shooting with a polaroid. Once he got a shot done, he’d throw it down and try to get another.

This is what Michigan looks like, from the lake.

Right as we hit the open water, the waves started to get a bit more aggressive and the entire boat was lurching around a lot. The swells weren’t all that high, but for someone like me who hasn’t been out on a boat in years… it felt really rough.

I was trying to walk around, and had to keep reaching out to grab things to catch my balance. After a while, I couldn’t tell if it was the waves or the whiskey causing my problems.

I tried to get a movie of the movement, trying to capture all the swells and lurching… but I got this instead. It seems to capture more of Rena showing some cool images to Kent and Chrstine, more than it captures the up-and-down of the lake.

Damn, I forget who they are.

Kent, the happily married man.

A photo of Rena. We apparently met some time ago, but I had forgotten. She thinks it might have been on Justin’s birthday, but I’m not so sure now. I’m pretty sure it was at the same restaurant (Takealeitlan), but it may have been on someone else’s birthday.

We got along really well, I’d like to think. During the wedding, we compared cameras (we had the exact same friggin’ camera), and were both snapping pictures and movies the whole time. On the boat ride, I got to find out a bit more of what she did, and discovered she was solicited by the MCA to do a piece there!

Here, let’s see. How does that phrase go? I’m not yet in the land of drunk, but I can see it without a telescope?

I made a proposition to Rena. I asked for us to swap cameras, and for us to each take a photo of the other.

This (above) is the one she took of me. And actually, I really dig it, despite my eyes being closed. Cool shot. I wonder if all the pictures she takes are this neat.

Justin, who always seems to have the halo effect going on.

Aaaaarrr!

It’s driving me nuts!

hahahaha – sorry. I just can’t stop laughing from that one. :D

Alex, Dave, Gretchen and Rob. They all seem to be having a good talk.

Emma and Justin, photogenic as always.

This is more towards the evening, after dinner. Rob and Alex grab a quick cigarette while looking out at all the boats.

Stu reloads his cameras, while Dave and Ruth chat. I first met Ruth many, many months back, at Justin and Dave’s Divorce party.

Rob, looking super suave; Gretchen, looking super cute.

Rena and Alex.

Here’s a view of the harbor. We backtracked from the open lake and returned to the inlet. Along with about 30 other boats, we found a spot and just drifted, waiting for the fireworks to start.

While I tried to take photos, it was hard to get them in focus. Here’s an early one from the evening.

The whole time, we could see two dark red lights, which looked to me like road flares. It seriously seemed like two guys were just walking down a line of fireworks, setting them off one by one.

Here’s a nice one, reflecting off of the water.

Like I said – a bit blurry. But here’s what I saw. Honestly, my images don’t do this experience justice. This was my first time out on a lake for the fourth, and it was just gorgeous.

After a few initial attempts to capture things with my camera, I just put it away and took in the sights, the colors, and the sounds.

Norm, Alex and Dave, all checking out a huge spider that was spinning a web in the middle of the boat. I first met Norm at Christine’s birthday party, a while back. He’s dating Lisa, who I met at Stu’s Zaireeka party, last winter. The two of them both work with Flash, and I had the chance to talk with them both a bit more during the boat ride. Good people, good talks.

Rob and Gretchen, doing the cute thing once more.

Ah, back on land!

After the boat ride (and after moving a lot of stuff back into people’s cars), we arrived at Christine’s brother’s restaurant, the Loaf and Mug.

We had our afterparty here, and hung out in the back area for the remainder of the night.

Here’s a shot of the back patio. We drank more beer, did a bit of wine, and just relaxed into the rest of the evening. Overall, everything was really, really low key at this point.

I had hoped to talk with Rena a bit more and, since she said she was tired, I asked around and got Scott (Christine’s brother) to make a pot of coffee. As the night progressed, however, Rena started to slip farther and farther away, and was nodding off in her chair.

Man, that’s gotta be rough. Just sorta conking out like that, completely out of the blu…

what? What do you mean?

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Casey, the best man, giving his speech. He was a nice guy and was a friend of Kent’s back in their college days

A bit later, I hung with him and Rob. Three guys, two joints.

I crashed out soon after. :|

Leah, giving her hilarious speech and talking about Christine’s obsession with "lists."

Shortly after this, most everyone cashed out and left for their respective tents/rooms/bed and breakfastses. Dave stayed up pretty late (3 AM) chatting with the late-night crew, but I ended up just calling it a night and going to be somewhat early.

Justin, Emma, Dave and I were able to take advantage of Scott’s extreme generosity, and got to crash out in his apartment above the restaurant.