Beach Wedding

This weekend, we went to California to attend my cousin's wedding. We were looking forward to seeing him exchange vows with his girlfriend of seven years, but we were also encouraged by a mini-holiday by the beach.

When we arrived in Laguna Beach on Friday, we weren't disappointed. Our hotel was a short walk to the beach (aka less than 40 steps). And, we were right by PCH so we could walk among the restaurants and shops in Laguna. The temperature was perfect for exploring. We ate dinner on Friday evening at Sapphire. It is a lovely restaurant that is inside an old pottery house from Laguna's artist colony history. Everything we had was delicious and the atmosphere was romantic. We shared a goat cheese and roasted tomato tart as well as a pasta dish with lemon cream, prawns and crab.

On Saturday, we drove along PCH taking in the beach sites. Then we headed to Fashion Island in Newport Beach to get my cousin's gift, a pair of heels, and to get something to eat. We found a lovely surprise while we were there...a Teuscher Chocolatiers. I remember seeing a Teuscher's in Zurich. We bought some things to take home and enjoy. So far my favorites are the dark chocolates shaped like bees with bits of crystallized honey inside. yum!

The wedding was gorgeous. It was held at a house on the beach. They exchanged their vows under an arch adorned with flowers and shells with the setting sun in the background. They both glowed with happiness; I had never seen Wayne so elated. And, I was so happy for him. From experience, there is nothing like finding your soulmate...the one person you were meant to be with. The smile on his face after he kissed her as his wife was evidence enough that she was the one for him. My sister and I are ecstatic because we have more than just a new cousin...we have a new sister.

Each table at the wedding was named after favorite bands and musicians. We sat at Willie Nelson. As the deejay called each table forward to get their food, I figured that the neighbors must be quite curious as to who was attending this wedding. We had such a beautiful time seeing family and friends that we hadn't seen in a very long time. The evening was filled with love for the couple. I was honored to be there.

The next day, we enjoyed breakfast at an old standard in Laguna called The Cottage. I had eaten there many times after early morning snorkeling in Laguna Beach when I was in college. The french toast there is divine. After breakfast, we headed to Oak Glen to admire the colorful leaves of fall and to spend some time with my family. We had a wonderful time eating caramel apples and looking at the scenery around us.

After a long weekend of fun and relaxation, we were back in reality at 10 p.m. on Sunday evening when we arrived back at our house in Arizona. We'll be back California. Believe me, we'll be back.