Disclaimer: I wanted to share pictures from the wedding week and I thought a blog would be a good way to do it. However, I am a very amateur photographer with a point and shoot camera. My daughter has now married into a family of professional photographers so there will be far better pictures of the event. Also, I was having such a good time that I missed many, many photo ops, most notably at the wedding itself and the reception that followed. Also, pictures i took of people I really wanted to include in this blog did not turn out. I have included a few pictures taken either my husband Mel, my brother-in-law Jon or Kir's friend Becky. I have put their names in parentheses.
Kir and Josh didn't want a traditional wedding but instead wanted to do all of the planning themselves. They planned a four day event and only hired a caterer for the wedding day to cook the meat (which Josh selected, purchased and delivered himself) in the barbecue sauce (which Josh designed, perfected and enlisted the two dads to help make) Other than actually cooking the meat and the side dishes and placing them on the table, all of the execution was done by Josh and Kir, their family and friends,
The wedding was held in Luray Virginia, a five hour drive for most of us so most of the planning had to be done from a distance. My mother, Barbara, who lives in Luray, found the most beautiful venue, a pavilion overlooking the valley with the mountains as a backdrop. Her house was the drop off spot for tablecloths, plates, presents, etc. She also housed and fed many of us during pre-wedding visits.
Josh and Kir did much planning prior to wedding week but the wedding week was still a flurry of activities.
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Here is Kir next to her friend Heather's pick up truck loaded with wedding supplies.
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| Kir and I had a rather hot (no AC) but fun road trip to Luray in the truck eight days before the wedding. (Mel) |
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My crazy daughter did a tri-athalon one week before her wedding.
Here she is with her nieces, my grand daughters, Anya and Maya, before the swim.
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| The start of the swim |
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| The end of the swim |
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| The start of the 26+ mile bike portion |
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| My oldest granddaughter Anya did the 6 mile run part of the triathalon with Kir. |
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| Maya didn't run but here she did stretch her legs. |
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We had lots of jobs during wedding week. Mel entertained our grand daughters and ran to numerous stores. I made the appetizers for the wedding and the wedding cake. But, we did have time for fun. My mother bought sparklers which we lit Saturday night..
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| Kir and Josh lived in three different places during the week. Here is House #1 where Kirsten almost got attacked by two bears (Ask her for the story) and Josh made us a yummy breakfast. |
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| Kenzi enjoying a bone. |
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My grand daughters were not exempt from work. Here they are painting the corn hole set.
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| And making the pinata. |
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My cousin Will came from Australia with his buddy Chris and was put right to work.
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Kir and Will's friend Chris doing some planning in the pavilion.
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| I cut material for table runners. (Mel) |
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| Maya working on the pinata. |
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| Anya and Will putting labels on Josh's barbecue sauce. |
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| Chris taking a nap. |
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| Monday night dinner at Josh and Kirsten's House #2. This house had a wonderful view, nice furnishings, a hot tub on the porch, a fire pit, an outside bar-all with the wonderful view. Many of us want to rent this house in the future. |
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| The whole group at dinner. |
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| The sunset view from the house |
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| Josh cooking salmon supplied by my mother. |
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| The soon to be wed couple with their baby |
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| Eating s'mores at the fire pit |
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| Cooking s'mores at the firepit. |
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| Kirsten in her bridal negligee! |
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| By Thursday, many of the guests had arrived and joined us in wine tasting at three wineries. Josh, Kir, Mel, Fred, Myrna, me with .Maya and Anya |
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| A bus was rented for the occasion. Kir, Theresa, and Shelby |
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| Josh, Kir, Becky and Alex |
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| Jason, Jonathan, Amanda and Leeann |
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| Shelby, Jamie, Cori, Amanda, Matt and Staci |
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| Mel, Fred, Myrna, Kir, Josh |
Becky, Alex, Ryan, Amanda, LeeAnn, Jonathan
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| Amanda, Theresa, Kir and Shelby |
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| Theresa, Amanda and Shelby |
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| Becky, Alex and Theresa |
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| The last winery had miniature ponies. Anya and Maya |
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| Maya |
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| Anya |
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| By Friday night, most people had arrived for the fiesta dinner and games, including Corn Hole, a game we always thought was invented by my nephew Tim and his fiancee Nellie but maybe not. Anya and Sophie |
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| Badminton. Alex and Gabby |
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| Our long time friend Shujian enjoying the festivities |
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| Yet another gorgeous sunset |
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| Our good friends, Myrna, Fred and Berdine |
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| Ken, Gale and my mother chatting |
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| Brett, Lex, Gabe and Tim |
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| Sasha, Nicki, Sebastian and Brett |
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| Mel's brother Bert and my son Ben |
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| Emily, Josh's sister and his mother, Susan, with Jo and Jamie. |
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| Josh's Aunt Toni with Phil. |
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| Amanda and Leann with Doug and Ryan |
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| My son Ben and his wife Jeni. |
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| Kir's girlfriends created funny tee shirts and so did Josh's friends. Kaitlin. |
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| My grand daughter Sabrina was having a good time. |
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| Proud Dad and happy daughter |
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| My sons, Kir's brothers, Ben and Mike, giving a heartfelt toast |
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| Kir and Josh enjoying the toasts |
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| Kirsten's long time friend Becky giving a toast about their many adventures |
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| Josh's mother, Susan, giving a toast with wise words of advice |
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| Doug and Mike |
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| The tee shirts |
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| Devon, Alex, Maya and Anya before the smashing of the pinata |
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| Lola hitting the pinata |
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| Ben, Mike and my nephew Scott |
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| The morning after. Josh's Aunt Toni cleaning up for wedding night |
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| Josh's dad, Dick, helping with clean up |
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| My mother and my aunt Margaret with the wedding flowers. My mother bought the flowers and cut all of the greens for the flower chain. My aunt designed the flower chains |
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| The sunflowers which were on the tables, in Kir's corsage, on the fence. |
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| Kir and Becky |
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| Shelby doing Anya's makeup |
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| Anya looking very glamorous |
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| Post makeup and hair, pre wedding dresses |
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| Leann doing final touches on Kir's hair |
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| My five granddaughters looked fabulous in their yellow or white eyelet dresses and Alex was handsomely coordinated |
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| Pre-wedding photos. The wedding party |
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| Bride, groom and their siblings |
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Josh waiting for Kir (Jon)
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| My grandkids start processing with the flower chain (Jon) |
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| Walking Kir down the aisle. (Becky) |
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Walking Kir down the aisle (Jon)
The now married couple's first dance
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| Bride with proud Dad |
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| And groom with proud Mom |
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| Alex at the party |
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| Lola and Sabrina with their Aunt Kiki |
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| Jen, Shelby, Leann, Amanda. Theresa and Becky with Kir |
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| My brother-in-law Jon, my sister Ginny, my mother, my aunt Margaret and friends Shujian and Dan |
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| Jo and Mike giving a toast |
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| Mel thanking everyone for their help |
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| The beautiful woman in the middle is Debbie who performed the very moving, spiritual and personal ceremony. She was amazing!! |
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| Grandkids on the dance floor |
