I suppose I’ll start at the beginning. Last month, Kaylee and I had a health scare that made us re-evaluate our priorities. We realized how temporary life can be, and decided that waiting to get married until October next year just wasn't going to cut it for us. We had an appointment to make our wedding bands at With These Rings on July 16th, which led to an idea: get married that night and give our freshly-made rings to each other as simply and beautifully as we could. The idea sounded so good that we had our marriage application and paperwork going within the next following days.
When the day finally came, we arrived in town about half an hour late (typical), but excited as all hell to begin our special day. Once parked and where we needed to be, we ascended the stairs to the shop and admired the age and beauty of the Victorian-inspired historic building. We were greeted with smiles and good vibes, and began our ring-making endeavor. The process was actually very simple and user-friendly, and I think pretty much anyone with two hands can do it. Within a few steps and a couple hours, we were armed with our wedding bands. It was time to prepare.
Rather than getting right to prep, we spontaneously decided to nap for the next hour and a half in our room at the Palace Hotel. Straight through our friends Charlie and Jason getting into town and hitting us up. Post-nap, we got to preparing. Prep was typical of two folks about to wed. We awkwardly gathered our things and split up to respective rooms, nervous but excited for the moments to come. I went with my buddy Jason to his room, while Charlie stayed with Kaylee in ours to help out. Jason and I assumed we wouldn’t need as much time to prep as the ladies would, so we went across the street to a basement bar for a quick drink. At this point I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how I should feel, I didn’t know how much time getting ready would take. I didn’t know what I was doing. But I “didn’t know” in the best possible ways. In fact, my lack of knowing felt incredibly serene. In the bar, I was calm. The night before, I was calm. That day and the days leading up, people would comment on how calm Kaylee and I were about our wedding coming up. I love that we were able to share in that together. The calm stayed with me that afternoon until after I showered, dressed, brushed my teeth and combed my hair. I was sitting on the couch thinking about the moment I’d be able to see Kaylee in her dress, and reflected on our relationship and all we’ve been through together leading up to our marriage. As I told Jason that I was starting to feel nervous, my feelings started compounding. All of a sudden I felt light-headed, high in a surreal kind of way. Next thing I knew, my sister was at the door and Kaylee was ready. It was time to go upstairs and see my bride.
Upstairs, Kaylee hadn’t yet emerged so I was left to wait in anticipation. As I heard the door to our room open around the corner, I decided to turn around. Most couples we encounter skip the first look. It took me until that moment to decide that I wanted a first look. I heard her approach behind me, and then a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see her and couldn’t help but smile and laugh in nervous excitement. Before I knew it I was tearing up and had to give that beautiful woman a kiss. As beautiful as ever, there she was; my soon-to-be wife.
We carpooled up to Fort Worden, all five of us in Jason’s truck. I can honestly say I can’t remember the ride. In my memory it’s a blur, surely from the rush of emotion and nerves, but I do recall my sister sitting between Kaylee and I in the backseat to maintain some sense of separative tradition. A few minutes later, we were in Fort Worden parked by the huge Madrona tree we had chosen the weekend before to be married beneath. We posted our cameras and friends, and my sister took her place under the tree to marry us. Kaylee and I took each other hand in hand, eye to eye, took a deep breath and approached the tree. The next few minutes are also a blur. My sister said some beautiful words, we were given our rings to exchange, and then: BOOM. We were having our first kiss as husband and wife. It was an instant feeling of excitement, but also relief. It felt to me like we were finally officially in the roles we were meant to be in.
We popped some celebratory champagne to quick-chug a couple glasses, and were on our way to dinner. Weeks before, we were recommended Finistère by our neighbor, who grew up in and still frequents Port Townsend. The vibe there was perfect for a wedding dinner, and the food and wines were top notch. My brother-in-law David joined us slightly late at the restaurant and was welcomed with open arms by all. The only regrettable part of the whole night was him not being able to join earlier! Jason was amazing and paid for everyone’s dinner, and an anonymous patron bought us all a round of dessert wine. After desserts, we crossed the street to Uptown Pub for our dive bar night cap. We had discovered this bar the same day we chose our Madrona tree, and HAD to take photos in their old school photo booth. After the photos and a beer, I was pretty buzzed up and ready to call it a night. Jason took us back to the hotel, and he and Charlie retired to their room while Jessie and David joined us in ours for a little pre-bedtime hangout. After about a half hour of relaxing, Jessie and David went back to their AirBnB and Kaylee and I hit the sack. All in all it was an absolutely beautiful wedding day.
