The Incident
a.k.a. my wedding
Not to be gross, but I knew I wanted to marry Jeff the first time I saw his grumpy face at The Page back in 2018. A lot has gone down between that first meeting and our nuptials in August (it’s been so fun), but I’ll save those stories for another day. Today I want to tell you about “The Incident.”
Since there was no planning involved in this wedding, we had to break the news to our family and friends after the fact (sorry if this is how you’re finding out!). We would debrief after a phone call and say, “just told so and so about the incident.” Telling all the people in the right order ended up being the most stressful part of the whole thing. Here’s how it all went down.
We drove to Reno after work one hot Thursday night in August. The next day we were both meant to work from our motel room, but I forgot my computer in Oakland so I guess it was a gift from the universe to have my wedding day off.
At noon, we went to the Washoe County clerks to get our marriage license. There was nothing romantic or fun about it except that the woman who administrated the license looked exactly like her golden retriever. They both had the most beautiful long copper fur.
But, even the best dogs in the world couldn’t calm our nerves, so we went for a burrito bowl. Things got better when we told our server about the evening plans and she proceeded to tell us all about her fresh relationship and fantasy wedding in detail. It was helpful to think about someone else’s nuptials for a couple hours instead of our own. I still think they should go all out and invite his extended family, even though it has only been a couple months.
After lunch, there were many hours till our chapel appointment, which was great because I needed to find a pair of gloves. You see, before I knew we were ever going to do this thing, I decided to burn a small wart off my hand which left a dark blister in its place. Lucky for me, I had enough time to find gloves to cover my disgusting blemish, pick up flowers, and find rings. It really was the perfect day.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, I found a stunning pair of 80’s 501s as I was strolling back to the motel. I popped into a little shop to get Jeff a card and my eyes spied a pair of denim in the corner. The Levi’s fit just like my new gloves and suddenly I knew I was ready to be married to my current love in my first love — denim.
Finally, it was time to close the laptop and get ready. We popped the sparkling rosé, turned on the hard rock, and gussied up. I put on my favorite vintage tee and Levi’s, Jeff did the same, and we hit the pavement to our appointment at the Antique Angel.
The one thing I really wanted before we left for Reno was a veil. I bought one off Poshmark on Monday and it miraculously arrived on Thursday before we left. Thank god, because it was the most important accessory of the night.
Without it, we would have just been two schmoes wandering the strip in a daze. That little piece of fabric on my head indicated we were on a crazy, wild, special, important, adventure together (crying now!!!). With the veil we got hype from all around —cars honking, strangers hootin’ and hollerin’ — it was awesome, and we needed it more than we realized.
We arrived late to our appointment, and Miss Beverly tried not to act annoyed. She lead us downstairs to “The Garden,” our requested room for the ceremony. We had a few minutes to get ready, so I went to the bathroom and wiped off my sweatstache, plus the lipstick from all four of my front teeth, then proceeded to the alter.
Bev whizzed through the ceremony as if she’d been doing it for 100 years, because that’s how long she’s been running this biz. I don’t remember anything she said, all I know is that she couldn’t remember my name (or just couldn’t say it correctly). I still thought it was perfect, and I do hope Jeffrey and Caitlin will be very happy together.
We hung around The Garden for a bit and snapped our own photos until Bev came down and posed us like a couple of homesteaders. After photos, we emerged onto the Reno strip, giddy like two newlyweds with no family around for hundreds of miles.
Dinner and drinks were in order and, just like our wedding, we had nothing planned after the ceremony. We walked along the river for a bit, breathed in the hot August air, and let the wind blow us to Louis’ Basque Corner. The dinner options were either the traditional 7 course menu or a seat at the bar, so the bar it was!
I can hardly remember what we ate or drank, only that it was the perfect spot filled with all the local Reno color I could ever hope for. The food was warm, the people were funny, and the drinks were free. We laughed and everyone made us feel special and excited. After dinner, we stumbled home hand in hand, walking on cloud nine.
The next day I was more hung-over than I wished, but my excitement exceeded my pain. One of the best things about getting married in Reno is that Tahoe is nearby. We spent the whole weekend hiking around the lake and enjoying nature. The heavens shone on me once again with a crazy summer rainstorm that locked us in a cozy bar and delivered me my hair of the dog.
There were so many more details I could add, but I’ll wrap it up with the last gift of perfect Chinese takeout from Kwok’s Bistro. If you’re in Reno, that’s my one recommendation. My second is to get married at the Antique Angel. It’s by far the best thing I have done in my life so far. I loved that day so much. I loved that I got to do it with Jeff — the only person with whom it made sense to do such things.
Was there a proposal?
I proposed we go to Reno and get married. Jeff said, “that’s not a bad idea.” So I guess I proposed.
Why Reno?
So many reasons. It’s close to Oakland. It’s close to where I grew up. It feels like home to me in some ways, but also, so far away. Reno is cool.
Where did you stay?
What did you wear?
Vintage tee from @j_nastyboi, Levis from badapplevntg, old Isabel Marant boots, earings by Bangla Begum, vintage gloves from Midtown Antiques, Ofrenda Studio Element Veil, Elisa Johnson sunglasses.
What did Jeff wear?
My button-up, vintage Levi’s from Slash, vintage mod boots.
Do you have rings?
Jeff had an old mood ring he grabbed before we left, so I went to a crystal shop before the ceremony and got a matching one, and those are our rings!
Are you going to have a bigger party?
Maybe?
Thanks for joining me on this very special wedding edition of Best Friends, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
XO - Kellyn (a.k.a. Best Friends) 🎲
I’m from Connecticut so of course my mother hired a wedding planner named “Boo” who pretty much took control of my whole wedding. I don’t remember any of it. Long story short; we’ve been married 29 years. If we do it again, I’d do it like yours. It sounds perfect! Best wishes, kids.
Didn’t expect to tear up and here I am