Let’s have bizarre celebrations!

A snazzy gift is in store for you if you can name the song that line is from.  It has a lot to do with this post.  This post will hopefully transport you here for a  wonderful, joyous celebration – my boss’s wedding!

February 19, 2013

This past Saturday, February 16, 2013, I attended a wedding in Antarctica.  Not only did I attend, I photographed it.  And it wasn’t just any wedding.  It was my boss’s wedding.  No pressure, right?  Weddings in Antarctica are not legally binding unions, however, the chaplain did require that the bride and groom attend a few pre-marital counseling sessions with him, as a church may do in the states.

The ceremony took place at 7pm in the Chapel of the Snows, followed by a reception at Southern Exposure, one of the local bars.  The weather was amazing.  Clear skies, light breezes and temperatures on the plus side of zero.

The bride wore an ivory lace gown complimented with a birdcage veil adorned with various feathers.  She carried a bouquet of hot pink and black gerber daisies.  She was escorted down the aisle by long time friend, Moose.  The brides’ attendants each carried a single flower made of various pages of popular novels. The groom wore a black suit, complimented by a light pink button down shirt and diagonally striped pink and black tie.  The grooms’ attendants wore complementing shirts, olive green and navy blue in color, with boutonnières that matched the bridesmaids single flower bouquet.  The flowers were made of book pages and sprayed with hot pink paint.

The wedding ceremony was officiated by the chaplain, Captain Rose as well as Antarcic Fire Department Captain, Neel Pahl.  There were readings from the Song of Solomon during the ceremony and a Buddhist prayer was recited as well.  Captain Pahl gave a tearjerking speech recalling having the groom, Tim, as his first supervisor in Antarctica and recalling that there had not been a season that he (Captain Pahl) was not working with Lori.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom were escorted around town in one of the new fire engines with the lights flashing and the siren sounded once or twice.

Southern Exposure, the site of the reception, was decorated in different shades of pink, black and grey.  The food was made by our winter over chef and was positively delightful.  There were shish kebabs, teriyaki chicken skewers, cocktail shrimp, bacon wrapped scallops, and other delightful snacks.  The cake was a three tier cake, comprising of chocolate, vanilla and marbled chocolate/vanilla layers.  The frosting was white with hot pink and black decorative markings.  The cake topper was a black penguin with a top hat and a white penguin with a veil.

There were many guests, and a comment was made by the sister of the groom that she had never seen many of the attendees in clothing other than Carhartt coveralls.  I had to agree.  Everyone cleaned up quite nicely.  All in all, it was a beautiful ceremony and a wonderful party.

Congratulations Lori and Tim!