First comes love, then comes a baby, THEN comes Marriage

Ana and I aren't your most traditional couple. 

So it shouldn't surprise you that a fancy church wedding with the perfect white dress and bridesmaids and groomsmen and tower cakes was never our idea of tying the knot. 

But it might surprise you just a little bit if I told you...

We got married this weekend!!

Look here we are:

Yes, that's me, that's Ana, that's our "ring bearer" and that's the beautiful room we got married in.  Yes.  Just us.  (Well, except for the random dude in the background.)

Fabulous, right?

But, wait.  Are you serious?  Just you?  No friends, family, second cousins, courting paparazzi?

Yes.  Just us.

Because Ana's Brazilian we had always planned on TWO weddings.  One in the States and one in Brazil.  The bigger and more public of the two was always Brazil, and we'd actually picked a date in October but then a little surprise came along and...

Yes, HER, so it required some shifting of plans. 

Isn't she gorgeous?  Her homemade outfit was specially made by Ana's mom's friend for our BIG DAY.

Here we are again:

 

Blame the mood lighting:

Anyway, after Sienna's birth, our priorities shifted.  Small was the new BIG.  Besides, our States wedding was never intended to be huge; it was more for legal reasons.  We're travelers!  We'd rather take the money and travel!  That's not to say we didn't want it to be memorable.  Of course, it had to be a place of remarkable beauty and charm.

Ana chose Santa Barbara for this very reason.  It's gorgeous and brings to mind a certain unspoilt beauty.  And we both love the Spanish architecture: the white walls and red-tiled roofs.

Thus, our choice: The Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

A week prior, I'd called a number of ministers to conduct our ceremony and decided upon a woman named Susan  who turned out to be absolutely incredible, better than we could have even imagined or hoped for.  Seriously, she's that cool.  (And she's originally from Kansas!)

Let me illustrate.  When we first arrived at the Courthouse, we weren't sure where we'd have the official ceremony.  We'd talked about the Courthouse, but Susan had also mentioned a cute Koi pond just a few blocks up the street that might be more private. 

But it was cold and crazy windy, so Susan led us upstairs to a room with high ceilings, huge murals on the wall, dark pews, and Celestine-like windows and said...

"What about this?"

 

 

And we said "Oh, hell, yeah."   And went and took our first picture:

Apparently, the room rents out for $400 dollars or something, but we were a small party and our ceremony short, about twenty minutes, so we skipped this.  Also, Susan had politely requested of the single tour guide that if she didn't have a big party of tourists "Perhaps she could skip the hour and wait to carry on until after we were finished."  Which is exactly what happened. 

Yes, we had this entire room all to ourselves.

Susan's officiating of our ceremony only added to our beautiful day.  I loved that when I asked Susan her particular path, she said "I've devoted my life to celebration."

PAPA loves a good celebration. 

At one point she had us do a prayer she called the joining of the hands whereby we faced each other with our palms outward touching.  Almost immediately, tears streaked down my cheeks as I looked at Ana's beautiful face.  The light shined in her eyes.  She glowed.

I thought I might have to tell Susan to leave for a minute, because Ana looked so irresistible.

Then came the vows.  More tears.  And our BIG, BIG kiss.

(Trust me, PAPA can kiss.)

After wards, we talked, walked around the room some more, and took a few last pictures.

 

 

We even snuck upstairs for a full 360 view of Santa Barbara.  (Apparently, many films have been shot up here.)

All the while, I couldn't help smiling like a BIG kid.

I couldn't stop thinking:

This is my wife...
I'm her husband...
This is our beautiful daughter.
...And THIS is our wedding day.

YES.

Life is beautiful.

-- PAPA

...

What do you remember most about YOUR Big Day?

Comments

[lemon]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

You guys are such a gorgeous family!! I'm so happy for you'll!! :D

[Dave2]

Well congratulations! I guess this means I can stop praying for your immortal soul now that you are no longer living in sin! :-)

[Zeli castro]

Contragulations my daugther and my sun.
We are so happy!
Desejamos à voces uma vida conjugal muito feliz,com muita compreensão e respeito.
Mais felizes ainda porque nos deram nossa primeira neta,Sienna.
nosso coração está repleto de alegria. Beijos mil Pai e Mãe

[Carrisa]

Yay congrats to you guys! You both look gorgeous.

[Backpacking Dad]

Congrats!

[Captain Dumbass]

Congratulations PAPA family, what an awesome day.

[Csquaredplus3]

Congratulations! Beautiful bride, precious baby, handsome groom... yes, life is beautiful.

May you live happily ever after...

Life's best to you, Chris

[Shannon]

Congratulations! Sienna looked so sweet in her little outfit!

[penny]

Congratulations! You are a lucky man, big P!

I was married in a gazebo, in a garden, in Colonial Williamsburg, and what was most memorable (to me) was that none of the employees knew where it was located. Seriously, I had to ask at least a dozen people who worked there, until someone finally thought they might vaguely know where it was.

[Melissa]

Wow! So beautiful! You always looked amazing in blue, and Ana's dress, amazing, please tell here how fabulous she looks. It has a very spanish look about it. And of course, Sienna, so cute especially when she's sleeping in your arms. Juno had her baby before her and bleaker got together, and like she says, "Normalcy just isn't our style" :) I don't have to tell you the infamous live happily ever after, because you've been doin that, I hope to have a relationship like yours someday with a strong foundation of communication, laughter, and love.

love,

your loving sister

[just beth]

oh! yay for the papa family! many, many good wishes for all of you!!

xoxo

b.

[goodfather]

Congratulations! [sniff] I always cry at weddings...

[Amanda]

Brian, Congratulations!!! I know it's been a while, and yes, I'm still reading, checking up on you.

[Jamie]

Congrats - This is so great!

Want to really know what I remember from my wedding. The two drunk girls (one I worked with and the wife of one of my husband's co-workers) that decided, on my wedding day during my reception, to get stupid drunk and try some girl on girl action on the dance floor (and yes, I have the video)

[Twenty Four At Heart]

Yay! congrats!!
I used to live in SB ... worked in and out of the courthouse. I've been in the room you were married in .... BEAUTIFUL!! I'm so happy for you! Congrats!

[preTzel]

Aww, you make my heart swell with joy and tears moisten my eyes. Congratulations to both of you! That is the best. Hey - Sienna is growing too fast - tell her to slow down. :)

[Rhea]

OMG, congratulations!! I'm so happy for you guys!! You look beautiful as a couple...as a family with little Sienna. Congrats!!

I did things a little non-traditional as well. Ended up pregnant at 19, married my one and only long-time boyfriend a bit earlier than I'd planned. :o)

[The Stiletto Mom]

CONGRATS!!!! How exciting for you! The entire family looked gorgeous!

We got married by a woman as well on a mountain in winter...we all skied down after, it was gorgeous and non-traditional as well which I think is the best way to go!

Congrats again...I'm so happy for you!

[Character Builder]

We did things in the same order as you! Except that our son was about 2 1/2 by the time we finally got around to getting married. Congrats--you all look so beautiful and happy!

[the scientist]

congratulations, you look so cute! Too bad we missed it,

[Sammanthia]

CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so happy for you guys!

[jennyonthespot]

Absolutely. You are both glowing. Your smiles say it all, and sweet Sienna... looks tuckered out from all that excitement!!!

Congratulations you crazy kids!

[foradifferentkindofgirl (fadkog)]

Gah! I left a big old long comment here when you posted and I must not have seen the verification process!

To be sure it shows up now, I'll just say congratulations and say how gorgeous you all looked on your big day!

[Leslie]

Congratulations!

Dave and I aren't traditional either. We got married all low-key-like, too. Julia was on the way and while some people suggested it made our wedding less special, we felt the opposite. That's the greatest thing about being head over heels in love - it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I like to believe we're living our happily ever after.

Your family is beautiful! You can really see the love you have for each other. May it last a lifetime!

[texasholly @ June Cleaver Nirvana]

Congratulations. The wedding was absolutely perfect. The baby's outfit...amazing. YEAH! So glad you are all a family no matter what order...details, details.

Merry Christmas!