The knot is tied

The best feeling is when you look at him...and he is already staring.

My favorite picture from our wedding day.

Earlier this year Jeff and I tied the knot, promising to be with one another till death do us part. If you're thinking, "Wait what?!?! When did this happen? I didn't even hear about your engagement," you're in good company. We only recently told our family. And by recent I mean last week. Delivering the news in person was important to me so we shared the news when my family came out for a visit.

We did what I've dubbed a "staylopement." A wedding with no family or friends in attendance and local rather than in a tropical paradise.

We exchanged vows at the top of Smith Tower, a building rich with Seattle history, on a weekday afternoon. It also has special meaning to me and our union.

 

When I arrived in Seattle in the fall of 2013, one of first places I visited was the observatory at Smith Tower. In addition to holding the title of the tallest building west of Mississippi before the construction of the Space Needle it's also the home of the "wishing chair." The legend goes if an unmarried woman sits in the chair she'll be married within a year.  Five months later I met Jeff. I knew early on this relationship would be different. Fun fact: when I got home after our first date I cancelled a date I had set up for the next night. I wasn't taking any chances he'd see me out with another man. I knew Jeff was special. We are both lucky to have found each other.


Me in the "Wishing Chair" in Sept. 2013 and on our wedding day.

Rather than deal with the nightmare of planning a wedding ('cause let's be real here it would MOST CERTAINLY be a horror show because I'm a perfectionist) we opted for a small and low key affair. Bronwen and Sara with Shotgun Ceremonies were the perfect officiants and photographer Alex Garland captured the moment beautifully.

I didn't wear a white dress or even a new dress. Instead, I opted for a long sleeved wrap dress I've only worn once before (when I filled in on the desk of the morning show at WPDE.) I paired it with knee boots and a cropped pleather jacket. I made my own bouquet using local red roses and lace from a craft store. Jeff wore a coordinating suit and as we left the house I remarked that we looked like Prohibition-era mobsters on our way to a secluded speakeasy.

Riding the elevator to the top of Smith Tower.

The day before the wedding the weather was less than ideal. Mother Nature dealt us a trifecta. Snow. Hail. Rain. Complete with a monstrous traffic jam just outside the city like gloomy icing on a dank and dark winter's cake. What a difference a day makes!

The special day itself dawned calm, if not clear, quiet and rested after the tumult had passed. Thankfully the snow had all melted, the roads were clear, and the sun even peeked out beyond the clouds as we took the next step in our relationship.  We were graced with a small oasis as we stood on the observation deck for pictures amid smiles and laughter as we recounted stories of our courtship for our officiants. Of course I cried openly near the end while Jeff tried to hide his manly tears. It was a joyous occasion. The Smith Tower provided us a complimentary champagne toast then it was off for a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant a few blocks away.

We took time off after the wedding and are still planning our honeymoon. Wherever we decide to go, exploring with one another and enjoying our time together is a top priority.

A staylopement may not be the option most want to choose but it was perfect for us.

“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness–and call it love–true love.” – Robert Fulghum