ON TO THE RECEPTION

The reception took place immediately following the ceremony. Well, as immediately as driving from West Seattle to downtown Seattle and finding parking can make it. In Seattle, where event venues come at a premium, Hallie and Nick happened to meet the manager of the MOD Pizza Parlor who was delighted to work with them in planning a fun-based reception. She and her staff were wonderful -- handling all the set-up and decorating to Hallie's specifications and baking individual pizzas to order. We had so much fun, and they did, too.

Such a fun cake! Rich chocolate mousse with a fudge-like fondant frosting. Very rich. Done in the wedding colors -- brown, turquoise, pink, a touch of white and some polka dots. The topper reflects the bride's sense of humor.

Hallie visits with her cousin, Chris (who, by the way, will be a grandmother any day). Aunt Joanne and Uncle Chuck sit in the foreground. Dubbed "Hallie's elders" on the program, my half-brother, Chuck, and his wife were the only representatives of the eldest tier of our family, serving as "stand-in" grandparents. Good choice -- they know a lot about being grandparents and great-grandparents.



This is one of my favorite photos. Hallie's nephew, Douglas (Murray's son), Uncle Chuck, and half-brother Murray taking last-minute photos of the cake before the cutting.



Hallie and Nick enjoy a taste of their wedding cake. We have no regrets about the cake -- we all really enjoyed it, but I mentioned to Hallie that I thought I'd go with a more traditional cake for our local reception later this month. I was surprised by her immediate "no kidding! -- and let's have the buttercream frosting." I brought the topper home with me for that next cake. KW