Over the Memorial Day weekend my gorgeous niece Claire and her delightfully charming Matt were married in Graham Chapel at Washington University. Claire's sister Molly was married in the same setting last June, so you could say that my sister and brother-in-law have got the wedding thing down. Out-of-town guests stayed at The Parkway Hotel on Forest Park & Euclid, which enabled them to explore the CWE when they weren't involved in wedding activities.
The reception was held in the grand Coronado Ballroom on Lindell at Spring. It's a beautiful venue, the food was really good, and the excellent staff makes a big production out of the food service, which added to the fun of the evening.
The bride is shown at the reception above with one of the sherbet-colored peonies from her bridal bouquet tucked in her hair. The stunning flowers were also used in the centerpieces which are visible on the tables. After the party was over, I was invited to take one of the centerpieces home. It was so huge that I took it apart and spread the flowers around the house, see below.
Late the next morning our California relatives came by for lunch before heading back to San Francisco. I fixed a favorite recipe of Tomato Bread Pudding, taken from the July '08 issue of the late Gourmet Magazine. If you'd like a copy of this delicious recipe, just email me. This sizzling weather isn't the right time to heat up the kitchen for this very rich dish, but you might want to have it on-hand nevertheless.
It was hard to say goodbye to those who came in from out-of-town, especially because we all realize that our family wedding days are nearing the end. These family occasions are to be cherished and remembered.