Steaks, Bargains, and Carefully Placed Leaves

 Italy!

  

After our picturesque wedding and most festive reception, there was one thing to do—patiently wait 207 days until our 10-hour flight to Rome, Italy. Rome was our first destination, but only for a few hours before we boarded a train to Florence for the first week of our two-week honeymoon.

   I had never been on a train before, unless you count the subways in various cities throughout the US. This was altogether a different experience: leather seats, a small snack, and an amazing view of the countryside. Best of all, there was not a scent of alcohol or urine to be had. We pulled our luggage behind us as we traversed from the station to our hotel. That night and the next day we shopped, walked, and ate meals that consisted of charcuterie boards, seafood risotto, wild boar pasta, gelato, and pizza.

Our next day was a tour of Florence, where we learned about the Duomo, the Medici family, and even got to see the Statue of David. Our dinner that night consisted of a Florentine steak the size of an infant, bread, vegetables, wine, and finally tiramisu. The meal was amazing; each course was better than the last. When the tiramisu came, I sliced into it and paused before I took a bite. Once again, I was…

   The rest of Florence passed in a blur of art, statues, history, and a little more shopping. We then took a day trip to Cinque Terre, a place where the rock cliffs crash into the ocean, the houses are bright and multicolored, and the restaurants serve seafood that tastes like it was just caught minutes before we ordered it. We ended the day with a visit to Pisa. Local legend has it, if not for all the tourists holding up the tower in their pictures, then surely it would fall to the ground.  

   The next day we boarded a train for our trip back to Rome, but this time we had business class with our own cabin! Once again, our luggage followed closely behind as we navigated hills and cobblestones in an endless journey to our hotel from Termini, the train station in Rome.

   In Rome, we saw all the sights. We visited the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and the awe-inspiring Trevi Fountain. Matty and I had decided that, in order to try as many Italian foods as possible, we would book a walking food tour. It consisted of four stops, and at each stop the sampling was paired with wine. On one of our last days in Rome, we booked a pasta class. It was similar to the class we had participated in while in Florence, but had a couple of marked differences—one being that it was held in a restaurant instead of a classroom, and the other that we also learned how to make tiramisu.

…finding myself with my favorite dessert and contemplating all before me. This time, instead of past tiramisus, I was thinking about our past adventures, our little family that we had brought together, our friends, our current adventure, and the many future adventures that we would embark on. In that moment, I had the perfect tiramisu with the only person who would always make it so.

Love Survives Even Bad Dancing

    

It took us 2,989 days to get to the wedding. But it only took us 30 minutes and one long kiss to get to the reception. The ride to Seven Maples meandered through the countryside, past mountain views, meadows, and the occasional cabin. Having used the energy of three days in a matter of hours, we both contemplated a quick nap. As luck would have it, we pulled up to the venue just in time to ward off Mr. Sandman.

Being slightly anxious and not wanting to hold up the festivities, I jumped out and opened the door for Matty. Then I had to impatiently wait for our cue. Suddenly, the voice of a WCW SuperBrawl announcer filled the air and announced us as a married couple. To my surprise, Matty’s new last name was pronounced correctly! We sauntered in to the joyous tunes of “I Do” by ABBA. I escorted my new bride to the front of the room and went to retrieve the microphone for my most nervous toast.

“We’ve all had those moments where we look across a store, a parking lot, or even just the dinner table and think, Yeah, that’s my person, that’s who I belong to. In that moment, those feelings of love and admiration bubble back to the surface, and suddenly you know you’re right where you belong.”

All it took was one look at Matty and I was back at our first glance, our first handhold, our first kiss, and so many other firsts that would become seconds, thirds, and infinities. One look and I knew—even though on the inside I was shaking like a leaf—I was exactly where I belonged.

“So tonight, let’s celebrate those moments with good food, laughter, and, if you’re watching me, some really bad dancing.”

Here’s the thing: no one really prepares you for how hungry you’ll be once you get to the reception! Boy, was I ecstatic when we got to eat first. Pulled pork, mac and cheese, rolls, and deviled eggs all ended up piled on my plate with very little room for more. Another thing no one prepares you for? How hard it is not to smash cake in your new wife’s face! In the end, I decided it was best not to ruin her makeup and hair that took hours, the dress that looked like the cosmos had designed it only for her, and—most importantly—I decided I wanted to be married to her for more than the next few minutes.

On to our first dance. I had promised everyone really bad dancing in the toast, and this was a small glimpse. Luckily, we had a song you could slow sway to. Think 8th-grade homecoming dance—but we didn’t have to leave room for Jesus.

“Because while the wedding was a celebration of our love for each other, this reception is a celebration of our love for you. And no good party just appears—although it would be a lot easier if it did—so let’s thank the staff of Seven Maples, Blue Ridge Events, WNC Weddings and Events, Class and Sound Entertainment, and the many others without whom tonight would not be possible.”

And celebrate, everyone did! Our vendors made it so easy for us to just let our hair down, kick off our shoes, and party. At one point, I was on the dance floor, fulfilling my promise of really bad dancing, when I felt hands on my hips and heard, “Conga line!” I looked back, and there were Gabbie and Elle laughing and encouraging me, so I led the most disjointed conga line ever. If you were seated and hadn’t been dancing, you now found yourself in a never-ending line of dancers.

“So let’s toast to good food, new friends, and one heck of a great time tonight!”

Reception Toast by Philip Qualls

At the end of the night, we left to Michael Franti and a bridge of LED wands that mimicked a rooftop view and lit our way to a car covered in shoe polish, cans, shoes, and a good many other things I can’t—or shouldn’t—mention. Thinking back, we really did have one heck of a great time!