Just Married

First we had a small ceremony upstairs officiated by my very dear friend Scott. It was just my family, my best friend from Indiana, the photographer, Gail, (also a friend) and her family.

My parents brought all the flowers, including these beautiful orchids, from Colombia. They flew in Thursday night, bringing those, chocolate bars for favors, and my beautiful ring.

Something old and blue- my Grandmother's necklace and bracelet, a wedding gift from her husband. These are now my mother's, so I borrowed them from her. The new? My dress and shoes.

After taking pictures, Habib and I made an entrance into the room where our friends had gathered. Scott led a blessing, with my sister reading from The Prophet, my friend Julie reading a prayer, and my father pronouncing a blessing. Then we talked and ate.

We made all the food ourselves- lamb/beef meatballs, hummus, chicken salad sandwiches, mini quiche, and wonderful tomatoe relish and goat cheese in phyllo cups. There was a cheese platter with crackers, pita bread, and luscious strawberries. I planned the menu, but my friends and sister really pulled it all together.

Not only was this cake beautiful, it was so delicious that just thinking about it makes my mouth water- almond cake with raspberry filling My friend Ginger made it, and decorated it with some of the flowers brought from Colombia.

I made the brown sweets with a Tunisian friend. They are made from semolina, with a date filling, deep fried and then soaked in sweet syrup. She and her daughter made the green sweets with crushed almond and rose water, rolled in colored sugar.

This is the closest we got to dancing.