Luna de Miel (Honeymoon)

Diving in Cabo Pulmo.

Jason and I honeymooned in beautiful Los Cabos, Mexico. "Los Cabos" references Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo (hence, two Cabos) and all of the beach areas in between. For those of you non-Spanish speakers, "cabo" means "Cape" in Spanish, which is fitting since Cabo is the Cape of Baja California. :) Also, continuing with our Spanish lesson, I learned that there's no perfect translation for honeymoon, so they say "luna de miel" (literally honey and moon - honey as in the sticky bee product!).

We chose Cabo because of the beautiful venue, the short flight from LA (two hours!) and the fact that we could have a tropical style honeymoon without the threat of a tropical storm! Plus, it was a great excuse for me to practice my Spanish.

Hanging out at Tabasco's beach club in Cabo San Lucas.

We stayed at the Hilton Los Cabos, located on the Coast in between the two cities. The hotel was stunning, the service was impeccable, and our room was perfect! Then, there's all of the activity that Baja has to offer. We figured out what days the Cruise Ships came into Cabo and dumped their passengers, and avoided town on those days (prices go up considerably). Rented a car, headed up to Todos Santos on the Pacific Coast - an artist community that houses the Hotel California (YES that one). We shopped, had lunch at the Hotel California, visited the local surf sites (so much empty beach as far as the eye could see) and headed back to Cabo. An awesome day!

On the beach in Todos Santos.

The following two days, we kept our rental car and drove up the coast on the Sea of Cortez to Cabo Pulmo for our PADI Scuba Diver Certifications. Cabo Pulmo is the location of Mexico's only living Reef, and is a protected area and Dive Park. Our visit to Cabo Pulmo was certainly the highlight of our trip, and we're already making plans to return to Cabo Pulmo and dive someday.

Other than our adventures, we spent an enormous amount of time relaxing, eating and just enjoying our honeymoon. It was marvelous, and we could not have asked for a better way to celebrate and begin our new marriage!

The harbor in Cabo San Lucas.

The infinity edge pool at the Hilton Los Cabos.

Wedding Wrap Up

Hi friends - it's been two weeks, but I'm back!

In the wrap up of our wedding and honeymoon, I've also celebrated by 28th birthday - and a birthday is certainly anti-climactic following two weeks on the heels of your wedding!

Our wedding was perfect (and perfect in its imperfections - as they all are!). I woke up to rain on the morning of our big day, and decided not to freak out about it - that I would believe the superstition that it's good luck to have rain on your day! The rain cleared to blue skies and heat, and by the time of our outdoor ceremony - 5pm - Marina del Rey was covered with a Marine layer (or kind of fog for those of you who do not live near the beach in LA). So my decision to abdicate stress about the weather was a good one given all of the changes.

I was a remarkably low stress bride on the day of - whatever happened would happen, and I was just blessed to be marrying Jason - I knew they couldn't start the wedding until I was ready, and everything other than the ceremony was icing on the cake, because our ceremony was what is was really about.

It got a little chilly, we started the ceremony late, my almost 2-year-old god-daughter/flower girl threw her basket and ran down the aisle, delighting all of our guests and embarassing her mother Solange. My sister/maid of honor tripped on her way down the aisle and laughed it off all the way up to the front. The groom, groomsmen, father of the bride and father of the groom all wore flourescent pink socks to match their boutennieres, and the expected number of people (7) were no-shows.

It was all okay. It was all exactly the way it should have been.

Gary performed a beautiful ceremony. My Aunt Patty (professional flutist) and cousin Elizabeth (soon to be professional harpist) provided the music for our ceremony. Stunning. Everything was so heartfelt and personal, so very us. Including the imperfections.

I married my love - and I have never been happier.

When asked, "do you feel any different?" we both say no. Jason and I are the same people we were before, our relationship is the same, but we have made a lifetime commitment to each other, we both have a new ring on our left hand, and life is more beautiful than it was before.

Right now our home looks like our suitcases and wedding gifts exploded in it. It's okay. It's perfect. I'll work on it this week. But for today - this beautiful, rainy Sunday in Redondo Beach- Jason and I ignored the mess and just relaxed, making stew a la Julia Child (oooh... delicious) and just being married. Just being us.

There will be many photo posts of our wedding and honeymoon in the next few weeks, but for now, I have these few shots for you (and they're all in reverse order) - all from my Uncle Mike's camera, and not yet from our photographer.

Love to you all!

The new Mr. and Mrs. Jason Speer!

My dad reads a passage from Scripture.

My new father-in-law, Bob, reads a passage from Scripture.

About to become Man and Wife. :)

Mom, Dad and I on the way down the aisle - I was caught mid-expression and am not sure what the look on my face is...

My beautiful bridesmaids, al in their individual dresses, waiting for me to come down the aisle. Sadly, Jen is cut out of this photo!

From L to R: Jen's shoulder, Nancy, Karenanna, Akiko, Steph, Solange, Kelli

Caitlin throws her basket and runs down the aisle, making everyone smile and laugh. Her poor Mother,

Solange, is in the back, stooping down to pick up the basket before she walks down the aisle.

The Men, Groomsmen and Pastor wait for the procession.

From L to R: Pastor Gary, Jason, Chad, Rob, Daniel, Jeff, John

Jen

I have no idea when or where this was taken, but I love it and wish we were more in focus!

Tomorrow is my wedding day, and I've come to my last post about my Bridesmaids. Now, Jen comes last in the list not because she is the least in any way, but because she was the last to come into my life!

When I moved back to the South Bay after college and working at a couple of theatre gigs, I came back to direct and choreograph a monster musical - SEUSSICAL - for Starlight. Jen was my stage manager on that show (through TWO productions of it), and not only did she save my bacon time and time again and keep me totally (or mostly!) sane, but she became my dear, dear friend.

That SEUSSICAL wrap party - July, 2007. L to R: Me, Nancy Gomez (in the front), Debbie Zaldivar (now Debbie Bowler), Nicole Anton (now Nicole Folger) and Jen.

At an age where most of my friends were already married or no longer in the area, I desperately needed a fun friend - someone I could go out with on a Friday or Saturday night and have a BLAST. A friend that wasn't just a "going out" friend, but someone who was in the same place as I was - dating in LA and trying to figure out all of the pieces of my life!

We've worked on so many shows and projects together since SEUSSICAL, and each one has been a blast because she was part of it. Jen has stood by me through some crazy times, and I've listened and been staunchly on her side through her own tough times.

Jen is sassy, sexy, hilarious, tells it like it is, is confident in her own skin and completely has my back. I have her back, too, but I don't know that I'd be any good in a fight!!!!! I'd try though, for her!

At Debbie's wedding, November 2009.

I have so many fun memories with Jen from the last few years, but two memories come to mind right away.

The first is from our Seussical wrap party - drinking margaritas, dancing and flirting with the camera - we absolutely had a blast!!!!!! The second is so recent - from my Bachelorette weekend, of spending hours at the Spa, just the two of us, talking a million miles an hour and realizing how far we've both come in the last few years! From dating crazy, bad-for-us men to finding the good ones - the men who stand by you and think you're gorgeous when you look (and smell!) like a dirtball.

Jen and I last year - November, 2009 I think - with Jason in the background!

Jen, I love you so much, my friend! THANK YOU for being a part of this adventure, and for welcoming me into your life at a time when I so badly needed a friend! I am so excited for you as you and Chris begin your journey together, building your first home together - and am thrilled to be sharing this special time with you! Here's to many more years of laughter, margaritas and Spa Days!!!!!!!