1. Real Weddings

Elisa & David: An Outdoor Wedding in Issaquah, WA

Guests who would not be able to attend the wedding of Elisa Griffiths and David Glenn most certainly did a double-take when they read the decline spot

Guests who would not be able to attend the wedding of Elisa Griffiths and David Glenn most certainly did a double-take when they read the decline spot on the reply card enclosed with the couple's invitations: No, I/we won't attend. The new phone book arrived and I haven't finished reading it yet. A dried sausage gift box will be arriving in the mail for you. So, how many boxes of dried sausages did they receive? You know, laments the groom, we thought we'd get at least a few. But we didn't get a single one -- go figure. THE BRIDE Elisa Griffiths THE GROOM David Glenn THE DATE August 25 The two became engaged after almost a year of dating. They had plans to travel together to Maui at Christmas when Elisa, who is a nursing student, would be on a break from classes. But David sensed that Elisa might be expecting a proposal during the trip, and so he decided to spare her the agony of waiting. The evening before Thanksgiving (chosen so that Elisa could show off her ring and share the good news with family the next day), David scattered a path of rose petals from the front door to the bedroom. Then he tied a gold ribbon to a single white rose, and attached the engagement ring (which he had designed himself) to the other end. He placed the rose next to a bowl filled with gardenias and hid the ring among the flowers. Elisa was delighted with the romantic mood when she arrived home, and when she picked up the rose to find the engagement ring dangling from one end, she was shocked. It was a few minutes before I got a real, audible yes out of her, says David.

Elisa wore a gown by designer Melissa Sweet.
As the party ended, guests left with river rocks from the table in hand. (A valiant attempt at making soaps for wedding favors ended sadly in frustration.) The couple departed for an evening at the W Hotel in Seattle, and then spent a week on Saltspring Island in Canada. The real honeymoon, a two-week trip to Maui, happened in December. Elisa and David spent the first week with a group of friends (including the Moores) and then stayed on after everyone else had departed. It was not their first trip to a warm island during the gray Seattle winter, and it will not be their last. We plan to make it a tradition to spend the holidays somewhere warm and tropical, says David.
The tables were decorated with centerpieces of moss orbs wrapped in copper wire, and river rocks, candles, twigs, and orchids.
On a beautiful late-summer day, 130 guests gathered at a spot along the creek for the wedding ceremony that was full of both laughter and tears. Elisa's 15-year-old sister Jenny read a poem she had written for the occasion. She wrote to the bride, You'll never know how much I love you and the joy you bring to my life every day. To the groom, she wrote, Dave, I'm glad it's you that took my sister's hand in marriage and said, 'I do.' Says David, I don't think there was a dry eye within miles after hearing her read that. When it was time for the bride and groom to exchange their vows, which they had written themselves, the best man flipped a coin to see who would go first (it was David).
The Ring Bearers
The Reception
The couple was married at the home of their friends George and Claudia Moore. David, who works in typography at Microsoft, has worked with George for over ten years, and when the couple offered their home, David and Elisa were delighted. It meant so much more to us to hold our special day at a place that means something to us, rather than in a rented space, says David. The Moore house is surround by horse pastures, a creek, and gardens full of flowers; across the street is a steep canyon wall that is often occupied by dozens of paragliders.
The tent poles were entwined with curly willow branches, and balls of flowers hung from the ceiling.
Elisa's bridesmaids wore dresses from Banana Republic.
The celebration that followed took place under the festive tent set up over the sport court. Guests feasted on appetizers and a catered dinner that was accented with dishes from the Indian restaurant Shamiana, where the bride once worked and where she and the groom first met. A topsy-turvy design wedding cake of marbled chocolate layers filled with frangelico cream topped off the meal. The bride and groom wowed the crowd with their first dance, a foxtrot to the band's rendition of The Way You Look Tonight. It must be noted that we took dancing lessons to make this happen. David has two left feet, but I insisted on a first dance, says Elisa.
The Guest Book