Just in case anyone out there might be interested (old school chums, friends of the family, currently-unoccupied Internet stalkers), following is a note I received from my Dad regarding my sister Elizabeth’s wedding this past weekend. I post this in lieu of a wedding present (bastard, aren’t I? Well, that’s what they get for not including an online gift registry with the invitation). Also enclosed is a really cute picture of the lovebirds, taken by Archer, one of Lib’s long-time cohorts.

Go Libby and Vinny! You da—um—couple!

Aloha, One and All….

This is to let you know that the Libby-Vinny Nuptuals (Saturday) came off splendidly, if somewhat delayed, due to the fact that the Groom-to-Be (who, in one of his many guises, is an expert repair person) had to fix the stove that was to cook the wedding food instead of getting himself dressed for the Event. The Bride-to-Be was cool as a cucumber, assuring various nervous guests, the Minister, and the Band that Vinny would in fact show up. Which he did, in his snazzy old red Mustang convertible, “Molly,” only a little over an hour later than when the wedding was supposed to start.

I should tell you that the Wedding was at “Senator Fong’s Plantation and Gardens” in Kahaluu, a lovely site with a huge covered pavilion and lush (and slightly buggy) lawns. Sen. Fong, now deceased, was the nation’s first Chinese American Senator, and himself something of a Party Animal…which is supposedly why he built the place. Being somewhat concerned about the bugs, wedding guests were welcomed with a smile and the offer of a shot of “Deep Woods Off.” As it happened, the bugs petty much behaved themselves, but it rained on and off, so the ceremony (and about 150 chairs) got moved indoors.

The Ceremony was beautiful, and made more so by the fact that our two Granddaughters, Caitlin and Lucy, were brought into the proceedings. Vinny pledged his love not only to Libby, but to the girls, and believe me, there were few, if any, dry eyes in the assembled company. During the ceremony, Vinny gave the girls jade pendant necklaces, which complemented the exchange of rings. Lucy had the honor of sprinkling flower petals as Libby and I moved up the aisle. It took her a little while to get the hang of delicately scattering the petals; she thought it would be more fun to just grab handfuls and fling them! Another nice feature was that Vinny got to stomp on a glass, and we heard both “Mazel Tov” and “Banzai,” so all sorts of traditions were honored. The wedding tables had beautiful flower decorations, courtesy of the hard-working Lenzer girls.

As most of you know, Vinny (aka Vince, Vin) is a genuine, certified Foodie, having had Chef’s training here in Honolulu, worked in a restaurant, and would have gone on to the Culinary Institute of America, had he and Libby not met via Match.com. As a result, the wedding feast was wonderful. It was put together by Vinny and one of his chef friends here, plus numerous helpers. Wedding prep started weeks ago, and involved purchasing an extra fridge and a freezer to accommodate the makings of the feast. The Wedding cake was also spectacular, having been assembled by Vinny’s nephew, Tom, in Colorado, shipped here frozen, and assembled and frosted by Tom on site. Live flowers were part of the decorations. Joan and I both thought it was the best wedding cake we’d ever tasted.

It was also a time for the Gathering of the Clans, ours and Vinny’s. Sara and Danny came from Kona, Meg from Santa Fe, my niece Abbe from San Francisco, as did Libby’s old friend Shelly Pearson. We got to meet some of Vinny’s clan from Wisconsin, as well as sharing the occasion with his local (i.e., Mililani) family, his sister Ellen, husband Jack, and nephew and family. Vinny’s family and friends did a tremendous amount of work, as did our folks, and the results were spectacular.

Libby and Vinny honeymooned – very briefly – at the Turtle Bay Hilton, returning yesterday afternoon for a big backyard BBQ. And, yes, it rained again, but not much. Sara, Danny and Meg left for Kona this morning, and Abbe went home also. Everyone is exhausted, but feeling that we have been part of a wonderfully loving event.

With Love,

Tony and Joan