Travel, tango and each other!

Valerie and Robert have traveled throughout the world during their years together, and decided to incorporate their love of travel into their intimate wedding celebration recently at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.

During a trip to South America several years ago, Valerie and Robert developed a passion for the Tango, and have been taking dance lessons for months to surprise their guests with their first dance....of course, a Tango!




We all were enthralled as the couple entered the dance floor with a flourish, faced each other with a dramatic look, and began a complex set of twists, twirls, kicks, and ended with Robert sweeping Valerie off her feet in a choreographed dip and hug....Bravo!!



Another tribute to the couple's international flair was the surprise Groom's cake, created by Susan Morgan of Elegant Cheesecakes, in the shape of a much loved suitcase, sporting labels of a few of the countries they have visited.....this was almost too beautiful to eat, but after lots of photos, the guests were happy to enjoy the taste of the cake inside...a four layer mocha/hazelnut delight!

After dinner Valerie and Robert, accompanied by their photographer
Lisa Leigh, her videographer, and myself, took a sunset stroll towards the amazingly beautiful cliffs below the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. We happened to go out just as the bagpiper, who plays on weekend nights at the Ritz Carlton, was beginning his walk to the lawn to play for the guests.

Valerie and Robert were so much fun to work with, because their enjoyment of each other was obvious and infectious...I captured one example of that joy as they stopped for a spontaneous hug during our sunset walk.




The weather that day was beyond incredible, especially for those of us who work often at the RCHMB...it is very, very seldom warm enough to fully enjoy being outside and relaxed, that close to the ocean...during the warm months, when it is hot inland, the coast can be covered with dense and moist fog...but as you see from my photo of the ceremony, the day was picture perfect!

One of the special items I packed up for Valerie and Robert at the end of the evening was this framed print, one of several we used to decorate the area where dancing took place...I can see why they wanted to hold on to this reminder of their first dance, and their travel/tango themed wedding celebration!