From ANN on NOLA Fiesta

Charlie and I arrived in NOLA (New Orleans, LA) on Thurs. and met Louise and Mal at the house they rented for the weekend. It appeared at that time that the plans were pretty haphazard. Brooke did not have her dress for the wedding, having decided that the seamstress was not doing a good job. Eliot was supposed to go spend some time scripting a wedding. The weather prediction indicated that we might have rain on Friday and almost surely on Saturday. Brooke wanted to have dinner Friday at their house which is small and is basically a construction site inside, with chairs for three people and a guest list of about thirty. The house is very nice but is still a work in progress. On Friday morning she asked Louise to provide roast lamb for the evening feast. Brooke's family would augment this and prepare the food. It was decided to have the dinner at the Brown family headquarters-- the rented house-- which had a large kitchen, plenty of chairs and tables inside and outside and a ping-pong table covered with a tablecloth to serve as the buffet table. This was obviously outfitted to be a party house. Friday evening confirmed that it was a great gathering place for the very congenial group of family and friends. Brooke and Eliot had their closest relatives and friends from various times and places. Friday night, while we slept, the cool front arrived with a rain shower and Saturday morning dawned with clear skies, sunshine and a very comfortable temperature in the 70's. It was a beautiful day!

The wedding party gathered at 4:00 PM by the "Tree of Life" in from Audubon Park, everyone in costume. (You must see the pictures to appreciate this.) Brooke and Eliot's family groups approached from two sides, accompanied by a trumpet fanfare, and met at The Tree. Brooke looked lovely in her white furry monkey dress and Eliot very stately in his brown outfit with horned hat. You really must see the photos!!! The ceremony itself was inspired. The declarations by Eliot and Brooke were very moving and told the story of how they found that they are soulmates, now dedicated to each other and their life together. We then celebrated their union with champagne.

The revelers all came back to the party house and friends set up another feast with a variety of dishes with New Orleans creativity. A full moon and party lights drew us outside for songs and anecdotes and good fellowship.

The young adults went to the French quarter for the late night parade of the Halloween throng. They were part of the scene and received many complements on their costumes. The Jellyfish received particular attention. Their lights became a center of attention and a moving meeting place in case friends got separated in the crowd.

Sunday the weather again was perfect for a sumptuous brunch in the back yard where we gathered for a last time before heading home. We were happy for Brooke and Eliot, for the blending of two families and for the chance to get to know very dear people who were together for this memorable wedding weekend. Cheers and best wishes to the newlyweds. We love you, Brooke and Eliot.