Getting Ready
It was 4:00 am the night before our wedding and Mark is still writing his vows. Dani was was also up all night. Neither of us could sleep… The boys got to Mark’s house to get ready. Justin was able to capture a great video of the bachelor party and the groomsmen getting ready.
At the same time, Dani and the girls were getting ready. Not only did the girls take care of their hair and makeup, they had taken care of all the decorations during the week before. They looked great.
Preparation
The winds were high this day, the setup crew didn’t arrive on time, and things were going crazy. Luckily, our amazing families and friends stepped in and made the event better than we could have even dreamed of. Because of them we all got to be inside, close and comfy. They met each other and worked together, which really made us feel amazing bringing everyone together. They were all able to put these amazing super nerdy themed tables together.
Game of Thrones (before Season 8) 
Dota 
Both families working together! 
Harry Potter 
DC 
Star Trek 
Princess Bride 
Jurrasic Park 
Star Wars 
Chess 
Settlers of Catan 
Disney 
Pokemon 
LOTR 
Avatar: The Last Airbender 
Marvel 
D&D 
Star Wars Corn hole made by Mike Gose! 
Dota! 
Wine Glasses! 
Guest Book! 
The TARDIS 
Cards! 
Guest Book! 
The Drinks! 
Height Advantage…
The Ceremony
In typical Mark and Dani fashion, we started the ceremony later than expected. But our guests stood strong through the cold winds, and hopefully enjoyed the beach view. Finally we got started. Marize, who is Mark’s sister and our officiant, walked our first. After her was the groom and his parents, the bridal party, and finally the beautiful bride and her parents. The ceremony was filled with nerdy references:
“Strangers from a distant land, friends of old…”
“Marriage, marriage is what brings us together today… “
“Bring forth the rings… “
“I am yours, and you are mine, from this day, until the end of our days”
The two readings were read by Alex and Russell, a poem by James Kavanagh and some Jack Johnson lyrics. The wine box ceremony sealed away a great red wine to have during their 5th anniversary or their biggest fight, whichever comes first. Finally, after the vows and the rings, it was done! Mark and Dani were now the Alphonso-Waters, AW.
Cocktails and Dinner
Cocktail hour got everyone inside away from the cold wind. It was a tight fit, but we were all friends right? Everyone found their seats and some went on a secret scavenger hunt adventure hidden inside the the wedding pamphlets. Dinner was Thai food from Siam I Am, local to Redondo Beach.
Toasts, Cake, Winners!
The Maid of Honor, Katrina.
The Male of Honor, Eric.
The Best Man, Justin.
Mother of the Groom, Maureen.
Father of the Bride, David.
These beautiful and well spoke people really gave us something to laugh about, cry about, and remind us how much we appreciate everyone in the room. Thank you!
John, Ron, and Will were the winners of that scavenger hunt, they came up and said a few words.
Marize continued to MC throughout the night. We cannot stop thanking our family and friends for everything they did for us at our wedding. From amazing toasts to moving furniture… they really did it all.
Dancing the night away
Mark and Dani’s first dance was from High School Musical. They waltzed with Dani’s parents and Jived with Mark’s. I guess they are all our parents at this point. The DJ was poppin’ the rest of the night.
