Wedding Day

Saturday 15 August 2015

Today, the main event is the wedding we have come all this way for. Christie and Tucker met here in Alaska when Christie was at school during her Dads posting to Elmendorf Air Force Base. I've know Andy and Mitch since 1987 and Lynn has known the family since 2001 when we were all in San Antonio, Texas.

We started the day on a domestic note! After breakfast, we went to the local laundrette to do some washing. It was the largest laundrette I've ever been to. I don't know how many washing machines there were, but I did count 24 tumble driers. Whilst the washing was being done, I had a wander around the commercial heart of Wasilla and took a few photos of some of the older buildings.

Loaded with freshly washed and dried clothes, we returned to our B&B complete with a salad each from Subway! We did a few other chores and then ate lunch in the small kitchen next to our room. Suitably fortified, we then put our best clothes on and headed down to Eagle a River for the wedding.

The marriage service was held in St Andrews Catholic Church in Eagle River. The church was very modern and huge. The service was not too long and the only singing was performed by a lady soloist. We discovered that it was the first time that the Priest had carried a marriage service, he certainly sounded a bit nervous!

Sadly, the weather wasn't being too kind and it was a bit drizzly, so the photos were all taken inside the church. Whilst the main wedding party went off to another location for more photos, we went into Eagle River for a coffee at Jitters.

After a whilst, we decided to head up to the reception at Arctic Valley Ski Lodge way up in the mountains above Elmendorf Air Force Base. We'd had a run up here on Thursday, so we knew our way! We drove up through the clouds and from the top Anchorage was hidden from view.

Drinks were served first whilst the food was cooking on a BBQ. We sat at a table with lots of Americans we'd never met, but they made us most welcome. We had local salmon cooked on a cedar plank in the BBQ and also some beef, it was all very tasty.

After the meal, we went to the function room upstairs where a local band was playing for dancing. I briefly went outside and found dozens of ground squirrels running around in the car park.

By the time we left it was nearly dark and the journey down the mountain was a little slow but we got back to the B&B by 2330.

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