With happy smiles on their faces Jenn and Cornelius danced to the tunes of  How sweet it is to be loved by you. Whenever they will hear this music, they will be reminded of their beautiful wedding at the Country Cub of  Virginia in Richmond. They will reminisce about this nuptial with family and friends, who came from all over the world to celebrate with them. As the couple swept over the dance floor with their turns and walks of the triple swing, Jenn's dream had come true: dancing with her tall, handsome husband at her beautiful wedding.

Her parents assisted to make Jenn's fantasies become reality. She wore the lovely gown with the beaded bodice, which Cornelius hadn't been allowed to see before her father led her down the isle. Her eyes had welled up with tears during the ceremony. She was so happy that she did not even feel the cold in the cable car that took the bridal party to the beautiful, white antebellum mansion. Its elegant ambiance was enhanced by gorgeous flower decorations of calla lilies and rubrum lilies, perfectly in tune with the striped silk tablecloths. The roses in the small silver vases surrounding the candelabras matched the colors of the bridesmaids' raspberry dresses.

Choosing the club had been a wise decision; nobody could have assisted more with the planning process than Susan, the club's special event coordinator, and Kaitlyn, who made sure the event ran smoothly. The multi-course dinner was wonderful and the cake certainly looked great at the corner of the dance floor. How sweet Jenn's father's toast had been, making the King women teary-eyed. Only a few more tunes to dance with Cornelius, then she will dance with her father. The rehearsal of the fox-trot with a double swing had been just perfect this morning in the King's living room, and Jenn hoped it will again be perfect tonight. she knows how much it means to her father to show off his oldest daughter who had became so lovely and so successful.

She is grateful that most of their relatives and friends are here tonight, including her friends from college and work, Cornelius's uncle from Bonn, Germany, and his MBA friends from Lausanne, now working all over the world. There is still much time left of this evening will before she and Cornelius will make their exit to the antique Rolls Royce past the guests waving sparklers.

What Jenn could not imagine was that with the beginning of the band's second set, the bridesmaids and groomsmen surprised the everyone with a song parody about Jenn and Cornelius to the tune of Build Me Up, Buttercup, written by my editor Sari. Another surprise, at least for us parents, was Cornelius and Ashley's performance of the wrap song Ice, Ice, Baby to the band's smashing tunes.

The wedding weekend in Richmond began on Friday morning. Most of the guests from abroad had already arrived. One of Cornelius friends told me, "We now live so far apart that we take the opportunity to combine each wedding with a mini reunion." While the men of the wedding party headed for the tuxedo shop, the women attended the bridal luncheon at another smaller mansion owned by the same club. Jenn is a perfectionist, and I had worried that she wouldn't let go, remembering the sizable wedding folder that she shared with us during the Thanksgiving visit. My worries were unfounded. Just before handing out the bridesmaids gifts, she made her decision. "We worked so hard to perfect the celebration, now I better start enjoying my own wedding."

The Pomegranate Euro Bistro was a good choice for the rehearsal dinner. We booked the entire restaurant and invited close family and friends for the evening. I had spoken several times with Kevin, the chef and owner, about the food and wine selection. Jenn's parents Sue and Davey graciously offered their help in organizing and transporting the floral decoration to the Bistro. In addition to the multi-choice, three-course meal, appetizers and sweets were prepared for Cornelius and Jenn's friends who joined them later for a drink.

A brunch at the Valentines Museum, organized by Cornelius's godmother, Pencie, ended the three-day wedding weekend. Pencie's maternal ancestors were from Richmond and belonged to the same country club as Jenn's parents. Was there predestination in picking a Richmond girl? Due to inclement weather the museum's beautiful garden was not usable. Luckily, the inside hall was large enough and, due to Sue's tireless help, the many wedding flowers from the club, transported in her station wagon, provided us with a garden-like ambiance. Many friends and family members attended the brunch. A few who couldn't attend the wedding took the opportunity to meet the newlyweds. A family-only farewell early dinner concluded the weekend.

Epilogue:
Now both of our sons are married. The Kaestner family is finally balanced, as Olaf noted during his toast at the rehearsal dinner. We are three males and three females. We feel happy that our sons selected nice, intelligent, and beautiful daughters, and that we three sets of parents have become good friends, too. The Wangs flew from Palo Alto to join us in the celebration. Now we have family on the East Coast, too. We all plan to get together in Palo Alto soon to continue our cross-country, extended family relationship.

Event Prosessionals:
The Country Club of Virginia
Flowers: Linda Proffitt
Video: United Wedding Productions
Photography: Robert Harris
Band: Trademark Band
Rehearsal: PomegranateEuro Bistro
Sunday Brunch: Valentine Museum