Wedding Celebration in Charlottesville Virginia

As my sister Eileen remarked to me several months ago, "Families tend to get together for funerals and weddings. I much prefer the latter."  This was her prelude, which ultimately led to her planning of the wedding celebration of her son Stephen, and his beloved betrothed, Alison, in Charlottesville, Virginia.  

Stephen and Alison exchanged their vows on April 15, 2017.

"I do."  "I do."

It was a small affair, with only the immediate family in attendance.  After the brief ceremony,  the couple went to the nearby mountains on this glorious day.

Mr and Mrs Stephen Gomez. 

Time for a family photo of the groom's family.

Laura, (sister of the groom), Jose, (father of the groom) Alison, Stephen, and Eileen (mother of the groom)

My sister Eileen and Alison's mother Chris decided to throw a wedding celebration party for the happily married couple. They selected the evening of June 24th.  I was definitely "in" and booked my flight to DC. Gerry decided to join me. My mother was also "in", as were my sister Anne, her husband Jason and daughter Nell (Colorado) and my brother Paul (Anchorage, AK.)  We gathered from far and wide to spend time together with the Gomez clan in Charlottesville.

We stayed at Eileen and Jose's house.  They were gracious hosts, and kept us very well fed.

Jason, Anne and Eileen relaxing in the back yard.  It is so lush and green here!

A trip to Charlottesville isn't complete without a visit to the University of Virginia.   Eileen and Jose are both alumni of the University, and acted as our guides when we toured the beautiful campus on Thursday morning.

A view of the main campus lawn.

One of the several red brick buildings of the University.

What better way to spend the hot and muggy Thursday afternoon than tubing along the Rivanna River!  We kicked back and relaxed on this 1.75 mile stretch of the river.  It was pretty, calm, and so refreshing.

Friday we drove roughly an hour to Richmond, VA.  We visited Jose's sister and her husband who were very gracious and served us lunch in their lovely home, a waterfront property along the James River.  Afterwards, we visited the Virginia Historical Society museum  in downtown.   The museum (free to the public) provides a fascinating look into the history of Virginia.

We are welcomed upon entering the building.

One of several large paintings, that tell the story of the Civil War.

Saturday we visited the IX Art Park in Charlottesville, described as a public, non-commercial, interactive space for spontaneous dreaming.  Definitely, worth the visit.

The immature 58-year-old that I am, appreciated the butt wall.
 

My brother Paul Button at the Butt.

My mother, a former librarian, found her ideal display at the IX.

Mom is happy as can be, amidst all the books.

Nell and Anne are content just to swing.

As are Jose and Mom. 

And Paul, too.

Eileen needed a little more action.

Giddy up!

We left the IX and headed to Carter Mountain Orchard on the outskirts of Charlottesville, which offered spectacular vistas of both the countryside and the city below.

Gerry, on the balcony near the Bold Rock Tap Room.

Love this view of the "city."

The highlight of our Charlottesville trip was the wonderful wedding celebration Saturday evening at the Doubletree Inn in Charlottesville.  We arrived at 5:30 pm for family photos.  The party started at 6:00 pm.  Nearly 100 of us joined the betrothed on this memorable evening.  We enjoyed the conversations, our dinner, and the dancing that followed.

An unofficial photo in front of Eileen and Jose's house before we leave for the party.

The mother and father of the groom:  Eileen and Jose.

Seeing Stephen and Alison together is precious.  They are so very much in love and we are happy for them.

They take the floor for the first dance.

We stayed up way past our bedtime Saturday night.  We arrived back at the Gomez residence shortly after 11:00 pm.  But, it was nearly 1:00 am when Gerry and I bid my siblings goodnight and exited their living room to go to bed.

Our flight back to L.A. wasn't until the evening, so we had a final opportunity to see more of Charlottesville.  We drove to the old town, and walked down the main street which was lined with cafes and shops.

Pedestrian friendly old-town Charlottesville.

I can not overstate how gracious Eileen and Jose were as our hosts.   Nor can I overstate how much it means to me to have been there with family.