April 18th, 2009
8:45 Markel took me to his mom's house to have my hair done. His sister awoke, frantic, saying that her boyfriend couldn't move his back and they'd have to go to the hospital... They'd be lucky to make it to the wedding. Markel's mom and I simply smiled, avoiding the drama, and continued finishing my hair.
10:05 I met Markel's dad at the dry cleaners to pick up my dress. Markel's sister, María, and her boyfriend had just been picked up from the hospital where Toni had a shot in his
culete to bring his neck and back up to speed.
10:10 Flowers were distributed. Yellow flowers for the family - the dads, the moms, and grandma. Purple for Markel and the four grooms buddies. (Peta, Seta, Jefe & Juanma)
10:30 Back at the house. Markel had already left to his aunt's house to get ready with his friends. Becky and Sara were in charge of makeup, making me look beautiful while they got ready too.
10:32 Markel's stepmom, Juani, told Becky and Sara to have some breakfast... couldn't start with the makeup without eating!
11:00ish Re-start makeup. Debating colors, techniques and styles.
11:54 Sara hasn't had a chance to get ready since she's been busy making me beautiful! Becky shoos her away while she finishes the last touches.
12:05 Getting in wedding dress... remember the garter, the nylons, the jewelry...
12:35 Markel calls... "Where are you guys?" (as Markel's dad is impatiently waiting with the car for us to be finished...)
12:45 Finally we arrive to the city hall. Cheers, smiles, and cameras greet me as I get out of the car (forgetting to remove my seatbelt at first). Everyone piles into the city council's chambers. Dad walks me upstairs and seats me next to Markel and our two witnesses - Gema (my old roommate when I studied abroad) and Igor (a friend from Markel's group). First seconds of silence followed by loud cheers and claps by our friends and families - along with the occassional "¡GUAPA!"
Ceremony The councilman (of fiestas and events, nonetheless) Iñaki enters the room. He reads us the laws of matrimony followed by a poem by Rudyard Kipling. We stand up and face one another. In English, Iñaki asks if I accept the responsibilities as stated by the city of Getxo. "Yes, I do." In Spanish, he asks Markel the same. "
Sí, acepto." Our ring bearers (little Ugaitz, a second cousin of Markel's, and Aimar, my new step-nephew-in-law) bring our rings. We place the rings on our left hands, as common in the USA (Spain places wedding bands on the right hand). He pronounces us
marido y mujer. We kiss!
Mr. & Mrs After everyone piles out of the city hall and awaits us on the balcony, we walk down the stairs. At the door of the city hall is an archway of traditional Basque dancers, dressed in folk clothes. They make an arch with swords and candycane-like sticks. We walk through the archway and are greeted by a dancer called
aurresku who dedicates his dances to the new bride and groom. He is wearing a white uniform with a red sash. After he honors the new matrimony, the entire group of Basque dancers appear on the balcony and perform a few dances
all together. They dance to the beat of a small tambourine and a flute that one man plays simultaneously! Once the performance finishes, each dancer wishes us congratulations in Basque "
Zorionak" and gives us two kisses on the cheeks.
Photo session We walk over to gardens near the city hall for a photo session with family and friends. Everyone jumps in who wants their photo taken with the bride and groom. Markel and I then joined our fathers and went to a nearby windmill and cliff for the professional photo shoot with our photographers.
Punta galea is a beautiful area with a view of the bay. Can't wait to see the pictures!!
The neverending lunch Our chauffer, Markel's dad, drove
us to
la Casa Vasca restaurant in Bilbao. We mingled a bit in the wine cellar, munching on appetizers and drinking
cava. The apertifs included little sausages
txistorra and cod in different sauces from the region. Bubbly Spanish sparkling wine
cava was adorned with a cherry.
Our entrance After the rest of the guests found their place in the dining room, Markel and I entered to
What a Wonderful World as performed by Joey Ramone. After a quick "thank you" and "gracias," done in both languages, we had a seat and started the five-course meal.
The meal First plate included boiled prawns, wild salmon,
foie (duck paté) on toast and asparragus. Second plate included grilled prawns and
ragout (a stew-like seafood dish served in a shell). First main dish was grilled seabass, followed by a lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate. Second main dish was steak tender loin with potatoes.
The dessert I cut our cake with a sword-like knife that the restaurante provided us with. Markel cut my piece next. As we were served our cake, we also were served the dessert plate with ice cream, chocolate treats, and a coffee to follow.
Bouquet & garter toss Although Spanish traditional also includes the bouquet toss, we added the American tradition of the garter toss. To the sound of Beyoncé's
All my Single Ladies I tossed the bouquet... and who caught it? My sister, Sara! After a brief explanation of the American tradition of throwing the garter, Markel tossed it. His friends fought hard, but ultimately Jurgi walked away with the prize. However, the game was not over. We included the tradition (perhaps a midwest tradition?) of the bachelor who caught the garter must then place it back onto the leg of the bachelorette who caught the flowers. With red faces and lots of laughter, Jurgi put the garter on Sara's leg.
First dance Dream a Little Dream of Me sang by Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong played as Markel swept me around the dancefloor.
Karaoke The DJ got the tunes started and encouraged people to get out on stage. Highlights of the incredibly successful karaoke event included
Like a Virgin performed by Uncle Mark, Dad, Matt, and our friend Brandon as well as
Hotel California sung by Dad and I. Markel and I also did a duet of
With a Little Help from my Friends by the Beatles.
Bohemian Rhapsody and a song in Basque also made the list of karaoke performances.
Regalitos Markel's gifts to the males in attendance was a Cuban cigar recommended by a friend of ours. He passed them out to the guys (and a few ladies who wanted one too) while my mother and I handed out my gifts for the girls. I gifted a heart-shaped cookie cutter with a recipe that was my grandmother's. I wanted to share my love for baking as well as an American family tradition of sweet treats to celebrate!
The Garden After a long lunch, we went downstairs to continue dancing. The restaurant has a club that is attached below. The DJ played popular tunes that we all tore up on the dancefloor. Best surprise was Markel's grandmother headed downstairs too! She continued saying that "Today I have won another granddaughter in my life!" which lit my face with a giant smile.
Divino Cielo The after-party followed at a nearby bar called "Divine Heaven." Markel and I had arranged with the bar to allow our large group to take over the bar in turn for cheaper drinks. While our party wasn't exclusive, the majority of the bar was full of the wedding guests. Uncle Mark danced with the English and non-English speaking guests, easily making lots of friends. My brother reinacted the Basque dancing we had seen earlier in the middle of a group of friends. Around 2:00 a.m., Markel and I said our goodbyes and headed the Carlton for our first night as husband and wife.
Markel and I are out of cute, little piso at the end of this month and on the search for a new one!
12:45 Finally we arrive to the city hall. Cheers, smiles, and cameras greet me as I get out of the car (forgetting to remove my seatbelt at first). Everyone piles into the city council's chambers. Dad walks me upstairs and seats me next to Markel and our two witnesses - Gema (my old roommate when I studied abroad) and Igor (a friend from Markel's group). First seconds of silence followed by loud cheers and claps by our friends and families - along with the occassional "¡GUAPA!"
all together. They dance to the beat of a small tambourine and a flute that one man plays simultaneously! Once the performance finishes, each dancer wishes us congratulations in Basque "Zorionak" and gives us two kisses on the cheeks.
us to la Casa Vasca restaurant in Bilbao. We mingled a bit in the wine cellar, munching on appetizers and drinking cava. The apertifs included little sausages txistorra and cod in different sauces from the region. Bubbly Spanish sparkling wine cava was adorned with a cherry.
The meal First plate included boiled prawns, wild salmon, foie (duck paté) on toast and asparragus. Second plate included grilled prawns and ragout (a stew-like seafood dish served in a shell). First main dish was grilled seabass, followed by a lemon sorbet to cleanse the palate. Second main dish was steak tender loin with potatoes.
Karaoke The DJ got the tunes started and encouraged people to get out on stage. Highlights of the incredibly successful karaoke event included Like a Virgin performed by Uncle Mark, Dad, Matt, and our friend Brandon as well as Hotel California sung by Dad and I. Markel and I also did a duet of With a Little Help from my Friends by the Beatles. Bohemian Rhapsody and a song in Basque also made the list of karaoke performances.
through Detroit to see the Carmichael family. Although Michigan isn't one of the most common states to visit nor is Detroit a popular city to tour, we were able to experience them both in full effect with the help of our dear tour guide, my Uncle Mark. My aunts, uncles, and grandma were all great hosts who opened their homes to us and made for a memorable vacation.
My Aunt Kathie and Uncle John picked us up at the airport and took us to their place. They live in a quaint farmhouse on a plot of land where you can see few neighbors and no town or city. The house is beautifully decorated with antiques and homemade craftsmanship. Their four year-old dog, Buffy, ran around the house and entertained us the two nights we stayed there. Their tree was lit and Christmas village still up for us to enjoy. We ate delicious cheeses, fruits, and drank wine over great conversation.
Uncle Mark gave us a tour of Detroit in his Jeep Cherokee, from Motown to Grosse Pointe. On Saturday, we started by hitting the big museum stops. We went to the Motown Museum, where we saw the birthplace of some great music. The Supremes, Jackson 5, the Temptations, and more all produced their hits right in the Motown studio. We also visited the Detroit Historical Museum to learn about the years in Detroit from fur trading to building cars. My favorite stop was the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) where we saw masterpieces by Diego Rivera and Joan Miró. For a bite to eat, we tried real Detroit food - the Coney Island from the famous American Coney Island in downtown.
