Gretchen and Rob Get Married: Marquette Park
On Sunday, Liz and I travelled to Gary, IN to attend Gretchen and Rob’s wedding. The spot they chose for both the ceremony and reception was the Aquatorium, a building right by the beach, with a nice view of the nearby dunes and the lake itself.
The musicians of Tangleweed provided music before, during, and after the event.
View of the guests, gathering in the northern room on the second floor.
Though the Aquatorium was closed down in 1971, it was re-opened in 1991 and has been undergoing a slow restoration process. This is a shot of some of the columns. It was a nice contrast, to be within this large building composed of so much stone… and so close to such a large body of water and sand.
As if on cue, the sky began clearing up right before the ceremony began.
Erik, Rob’s frienad and former studio mate, was the officiant for the wedding. He began the ceremony by ringing a bell, and continuing its ring.
Guests looking to the arrival of the couple.
Rob and Gretchen, listening as a friend reads. As you would expect of them, they had a very literary selection of works – lots of friends contributed to the ceremony, and read works from Carl Sandburg, Betty Friedan, Margaret Atwood, Wendell Berry, Rainer Maria Rilke and Diane Ackerman.
All during the ceremony, there were two birds flying in and out of the room. In the corner, their nest contained two fledglings who chirped whenever one of he parents came near. Rather than a distraction, I think most everyone else felt it was a fitting ornament to the room, a nice image that accentuated our celebrations.
Closeup of the bride.
The gifts to the guest included a packet of seeds, as well as a custom button designed by Rob and made by Christen Carter (from Busy Beaver Buttons).
After the ceremony, we stepped outside for a stroll around the building. I remember first seeing the Aquatorium when I visited this very spot during my bachelor party.
Looking back at the Aquatorium.
The statue of Octave Chanute that I discovered with Alex, many months ago.
A quick aside: while inside, I snapped this photo of Chanute’s design. No wonder he’s dubbed “the grandfather of flight.”
Around the back of the Aquatorium, we walked up a small dune to take a stroll by the water.
Looking down the beach towards Gary.
Liz, cooling off a bit and taking a few steps into the cold water.
Guests gathering in the open courtyard area, eating a bit of brunch and chatting.
Rob’s father, thanking the guests and giving his blessings to the couple.
It was nice to return to the dunes, and seemed an incredibly fitting place for the celebration. It was great to see two friends so happy together, and to see such constant smiles on both their faces. Congratulations, Gretchen and Rob!
Splendid post, Felix! We’re indeed very happy, very thankful for such a wonderful day with family and friends. Thank you and Liz for lending help and joining us for the occasion.
Rob Funderburk (July 1, 2010 at 10:58 pm)