An Academy Wedding
The long awaited wedding of Linda’s son Tigar had finally arrived! The Cyr family had planned a special weekend of events for all the guests.
On Friday, Linda and her husband Billy hosted a Welcome Dinner at Park Chalet, a restaurant at the western edge of Golden Gate Park. There were strong winds from the Pacific Ocean, but we were cozy and warm inside the historic building (a former U.S. Army headquarters). We enjoyed catching up with Linda’s four kids and met Tigar’s lovely bride, Christine.
The wedding took place at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Steve looked handsome in his new suit and Gustav Klimt tie. I think we cleaned up pretty well, don’t you? As guests arrived, we mingled beneath the T-rex skeleton in the Natural History Museum and strolled through the African Hall. It was fun watching the African penguins, as well-dressed as the wedding guests.
The wedding ceremony took place in the Planetarium. A cute video about the couple’s courtship played - they met during COVID via Microsoft Teams. Then the wedding party came out on stage, and the bride entered to the theme from Donkey Kong (a nod to Tigar’s favorite video game). With Tigar’s big sister Peppar officiating, the couple said their vows under a starry sky. It was short, and very sweet, and just right for this special couple.
After the ceremony, we walked through the Rainforest, which was inside a four-story geodesic dome. As the ramp gently spiraled upward, we were surrounded by lush plants and flowers. Birds sang and butterflies flitted around us. Exhibits held strange and wonderful creatures. At the top of the ramp, we took the elevator down to the Aquarium, where mocktails and hors d’oeuvres had been set up among the large tanks with exotic sea creatures. It was really fun!
The reception was held in the expansive piazza. The wedding favors were beautiful leather luggage tags stamped with the Chinese Double Happiness symbol - handmade with love by Linda. Dinner was abundant and delicious; I think more wedding receptions should be served family style. The highlight of the evening was the newlyweds’ first dance, a Dance Dance Revolution number that Tigar and Christine had choreographed themselves. It was brilliant, and a huge crowd-pleaser!
On Sunday morning, Linda and Billy hosted a Happily Ever After Brunch. It was at one of my favorite San Francisco restaurants, Yank Sing, where dim sum is still served on carts. We stuffed ourselves on delicious dumplings and tried several different desserts. It was a wonderful coda to a memorable weekend.
Postscript
Here are a couple of tongue-in-cheek photos from the wedding, courtesy of Tigar’s big brother Britt and AI.
