Wedding Dinner at the Center for Wooden Boats

My stipulations for the evening of our wedding were simply the following:


1. Must be on or near water
2. Must be some activity where guests could actually interact with one another
3. Must have a program (I am a Hart, after all)


Enter the Center for Wooden Boats, a nonprofit floating museum on South Lake Union where guests could sail, eat, and enjoy an evening dedicated to us. As long as it didn't rain, we'd be in perfect shape.

And oh in shape we were.

We planned for rain, just in case, but I knew we wouldn't need the huge tent- I had been telling just about everyone I knew to pray for sunshine for our wedding day.  Hard to count on blue skies in Seattle in March, but God pulled through and we had one heckuva view.  Not warm, really; but that's not what I asked for.

Our arrival was a bit chaotic.  I made the stupid-in-hindsight call to spend barely any time at the temple taking pictures, meaning guests arrived at the CWB too early to enjoy free parking and while everything was still being set up.  Wasn't the worst thing in the universe to go wrong, considering the sunshine and good area for walking around (unless you're a kid, apparently.  The ever precocious Miles was all too curious about what was over the edge of the dock; at one point that I saw, he laid on his belly, sneaking backwards inch by inch towards the water, only to be caught again by his protective and frustrated dad, Brent), but it was a bit of a flurry to begin with.

But like I care.  It's my wedding day, you mofos can park around the corner.

The caterer set up a flaming grill and a few people took out boats.  I slipped on my canvas boat shoes and classy life jacket over my gown and we took a run around the lake.

 Porter's aunt Bytha did a PHENOMENAL job of set up and decoration.  Nan's flowers in patterned, wood containers, gold chargers (LOVE chargers. LOVE gold.  Best combo ever.) from my mom and friends, lovely displays of photos, and cherry blossoms everywhere.

Jeff was the MC and we traded off a I don't know how many course meal with five 'acts'.

First, the meal:

Our caterer, a half Italian-half Iranian mustachioed character from Pasta Freska gave us the taste test months prior.  My dad was sending him to Mexico, so we could get pretty much whatever we wanted (barter's the best for weddings, have I mentioned this?).  Mike was of the opinion that Americans eat dinner too quickly (true) and we'd need some 3 hours for the full meal (I think we ended on 2.5 or so).  He had a pretty clear idea of what was best to serve and didn't much care that neither of us like spaghetti ("I don't want to be a'vain, but! I make a'really a'good spaghetti").

Luckily, everything he made us on our taste test day and on game day was the best version of that thing I've ever eaten.  Small plates, course after course, that just kept on coming.  Greek salad, tiger prawns, salmon, halibut, chicken marsala, roasted zucchini, spaghetti bolegnese (he tricked us and threw it in. He even brought some gluten-free for me and a few other gluten freezers in the room!), and dessert to share: sour cream chocolate cake, almond cake, and my favorite dessert of all: creme brulee.

In short: Lots of food.  Lots of good food.  Wish I was hungrier so I could enjoy it!

The program:
1. Cari and Jack's puppet show and poem.  Cari and Porter were besties growing up (he unofficially officiated their wedding last summer) and the both Cari and Jack are clever and funny.  Their entire poem was written in limericks (not easy!) and our puppets look great (okay, I look a little angry, but with dangly arms I can't be anything but cute).

2. My brothers singing Love is a Triathlon. Should have seen this coming.  Earlier, Brent has pitched a little fit about not having the speakers (forgot to pack them from the night before, oops!), so I think one of my parents' friends ended up bringing them.  This is why.  Lots of references to spandex, a deep bass interlude by Jake, and lots of innuendo.

3. Maria singing Eyes on the Prize.  She walked up with a guitar after the boys with the remark 'this is so embarrassing, I had the same song prepared... I guess I'll just have to wing it!'  It's important that I tear up at least once in the program, and this was my moment.  Maria has one of those clear, perfect voices and the song, about being IN 100% was clear and perfect.

 4. Porter and Trish: on what it means to be a Bratten.  A stand-up routine of sorts advising me what to expect in joining the family.  Trish is a funny lady, and Porter too. These two spent 20+ years just the two of them, so they've got a parent-child dynamic that's pretty tough to beat. This is fun family to join.

5. My dad and I singing Tonight You Belong To Me with my Mom and Kelsie as helpers.  I always wanted to sing this song with my dad at my wedding and I got to.  I'm not so great at singing in front of people, but luckily I haven't seen any video of it and it was too much of a blur to remember how it went, so I can't be embarrassed with the turnout.

And toasts! Willie and Bob both gave great toasts to Porter.  Good men!

After all was sang and done, and thank yous and good byes were said, Porter and I were sent away with ribbon wands.  We boarded the seriously luxurious MV Katherine Jane, conveniently moored at the end of CWB's I don't know how long it is really but it's long enough to comfortably fit this 58'   dock


Best night ever.

More photos of festivities: