I'd never heard of a "surprise" wedding until I met with Tricia and Joe. They are such laid-back people, when I heard about their idea to invite all of their friends and family to a "BBQ" then actually get married, I was so impressed! What a cool idea, and they certainly pulled it off. The only folks who knew it was a wedding were the immediate family members and a couple of friends. The venue (seemingly perfect for a BBQ) was the Blue RIbbon Cooking Center on Lake Union and the decor was very sweet. Each place setting had a wooden spoon. They hung colorful paper lanterns from the ceiling, and Tricia looked amazing in her fun and informal peacock dress.
Patricia from A Heavenly Ceremony (who also married Jody and I), was the celebrant. The couple did a wine ceremony in lieu of a unity candle or sand ceremony. We'd never seen a wine ceremony before. Very unique, very "them." Tricia had the cabernet and Joe had the merlot. They mixed the two together to form their own blend.
It was also the biggest cake-smashing episode I've ever seen! Sometimes Jody and I place bets on which couples will smash....neither of us expect them!
-Jen (and Jody)
