Things We Loved About Our Wedding

Steve and I attended a lovely wedding on Sunday for two of our friends, but during the meal we heard it: tink, tink, tink, tink.

It's that annoying tradition of people clinking their champagne or wine glasses with a knife, cuing the couple to kiss one another. And as it happened over and over again during the evening I whispered to Steve, "Thank GOD no one did that at our wedding."

This made us think of some things we loved about our day. For example...

*We got married at Larkin's, a contemporary soul food joint. The backyard looked rather tropical, so our color palette and leis looked wonderful. Our guests also loved being outside.
*Our food included such items as cheese burger sliders (made from beef, pork, and spicy sausage), classic fried chicken, and deep friend grilled cheese.

*Our red velvet wedding cake was a moist, delicious treat and our friend Matthew Breen took on the stress of delivering it to the restaurant.

*We had two grooms on our wedding cake. They were called, "Hispanic Grooms" because they had black hair. We thought this was funny.

*When guests arrived they could visit out vodka martini bar right away (we also had wine and all that, but you know the gays and their friends-- it's all about the vodka).

Below are our specialty martinis with recipes, courtesy of Miss Megan Graham, our mixologist and one of the most lovely women around.

Sex in the City - The classic cosmopolitan ... with a sweet surprise.
3 parts vodka
1.5 parts triple sec
1 part fresh lime juice
1 part cranberry juice
1 part fresh watermelon juice (taste to make sure it's enough)
Shake with ice & strain into a cocktail glass.

Xanadu - A tropical dream, kissed by a (roller-skating) Muse.
3 parts vodka
1 part blue curacao
2 parts pineapple juice
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Mean Girls - A lemony drink that's fetch enough for the Queen Bee.
Lemon Drop with Larkin's sweet house lemonade
3 parts vodka
2 parts lemonade
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

FYI - The Xanadu was our most popular beverage. Cheers!

The Honeymoon

Okay, I promise there are other things happening in our lives, so I'll do a quick wedding wrap up this week and get on to new business.

This was the cute little villa where we stayed during our two-day honeymoon at The Viceroy in Palm Springs. It was quiet, located between one of the pools and the Estrella Spa.

We knew the short trip would be great, but we had no idea that upon entering our villa we would find this on the dining room table.

Sparkling wine and chocolate dipped strawberries along with a lovely note from the Viceroy.






So, okay, they had no idea that it was a same-sex wedding-- but when we arrived at the hotel they congratulated us and didn't blink that there were two men.

Yes, I know, it's Palm Springs (which is affectionately called "The Gay 90s" because everyone there is either gay or 90) but it was still nice to have such a warm welcome.


If you've never seen the Viceroy, it was beautifully designed by Kelly Wearstler, who Steve and I love (and not just because she's fabulous on Bravo's Top Design). Her work here feels so clean, fresh, and sophisticated, and we were sure that if we'd run into her at the hotel she would have loved to share a glass of wine or champagne with us.

Our time was spent lounging by the pool, enjoying a facial at Estrella Spa, ordering room service, and dining at Citron, the lovely restaurant inside the Viceroy that draws in foodies from all over.

Even if you're not staying at The Viceroy stop by for a drink either in the bar or by the pool, or have dinner at Citron. The guests, staff, and whole experience are sensational; you'll feel absolutely fabulous.
Some secrets to enjoying a Palm Springs escape? Go on a Sunday through Wednesday. You won't have the crazy nightlife but you'll have the city to yourself and get to meet locals in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

It's also a great time to hit those outlet malls, because whenever Steve and I go on the weekends there's nothing but XL and XXL sizes. On our current trip, however, we scored with huge buys-- and as we walked out of stores holding shopping bags (and helping the economy) we felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, constantly chanting, "Big mistake... HUGE!"
A small amount of time was spent "working" in the sense that I have to write my upcoming restaurant columns for Metrosource, so Steve and I ate out a lot. Tough job, I know. But this means there will be a couple new entries in the Restaurant Bites section next issue, just in time for the wonderful winter in Palm Springs.

The only problem? Now that I've written this entry I'm seriously not in the mood to work. Mondays suck.

The Seven-Year Hitch: The Rings

The Seven-Year Hitch

Rick & Steve
Married - September 20, 2008
7 Years Together

The Seven Year Hitch: One Day Left!

Tomorrow is wedding day, and believe it or not we basically have everything together. There's going to be some minor running around today-- delivering stuff to the wedding location, getting my hair cut, picking up Steve's mom at the airport, the wedding party dinner tonight-- but for the most part it feels chill.

In a surprise move, the people I work with chipped in for a very nice gift card to West Elm because my boss knew Steve and I were looking to buy a new bed there. It was a bit stunning and overwhelming, especially since I haven't always felt like I belonged there (though I'm sure that had more to do with my moving from freelance to an office job). Needless to say, it was very thoughtful and touching.

Steve and I are now going to take a hike in Runyon Canyon. It's become our weekend event, and normally we treat it as a fun work out. But now it just feels like a nice thing for the two of us to quietly do together before the insanity starts.

Tomorrow, I'm sure, will be a bit of a whirlwind but our hope is to post at least a couple photos before leaving for Palm Springs on Sunday.

Thank you all for the love and support, and for helping us keep marriage legal for everyone. We love you all. The next time you hear from us, we will be writing as husband & husband.

The Seven-Year Hitch: 3 Days & All's Good

Three days before the wedding and all is looking good.

*Weather for the weekend is still slated to be in the 80s and clear.

*Wedding cake toppers arrived.

*Purchased "Thank You" gifts for a couple people.

*Steve's dad arrives this evening and we haven't gotten any phone calls saying he's missed the flight, so that's also a good sign.

*Had a great trapeze class last night: tough workout, mastered a new trick, and DIDN'T land on my head!

But speaking of trapeze, if you happen to pick up the new issue of OUT Magazine, I wrote a story about aerial fitness. The focus is actually about taking aerial arts for a workout, rather than my personal experiences-- though I do mention CirqueSchoolLA in the piece.

THINGS LEFT TO DO:

*Came into work early because, of course, this ended up being a super busy week, and since I'm missing three days it's now a bit insane. But traffic on the freeway this morning made me get in at 8:30 instead of 7:30; so much for getting extra work done.

*And the newest wedding oddity? Our vacuum cleaner broke and we have people coming to the house Friday through the weekend. Trust me when I say, we needs to vacuum.

I guess it's time to visit Bed, Bath & Beyonce on my lunch break with one of those magical 20% off coupons...

The Seven Year Hitch: 5 Days & Counting...

When you're mere days away from your wedding, you make plans and lists so that you don't forget anything. Then reality sets in and burns those notes up. For example, this was our Saturday plan:

*Take a 90-minute hike (both Saturday & Sunday, because we refuse to be fat brides)
*Grocery shopping
*Buy fancy wedding shoes
*Buy white fabric for the outdoor overhang so that there are no harsh shadows during the ceremony (thus making for better pictures)
*Make our photo wish list
*Complete our music list and put on iPods
*Fix up the backyard because family who will be popping by
*Buy gifts (or as we like to call them, "distractions") for kids attending the wedding
*Buy frames for the menus
Then Steve woke up sick Saturday morning. It felt like hung over sick, and while we had a couple cocktails Friday night we had the same amount to drink, I was fine, and we didn't have nearly enough to be in bed hung over until 6pm. We suspect he'd been fighting something off and after the drinks on Friday it latched on and wouldn't let go. Whatever. Saturday was a bust.

Sunday we got most of our list done, with me losing patience and become a little Bridezilla on Steve after I'd cleaned up the backyard. Not sweet, but it's the truth. It's also the reality of being together 7 years: now and then you lose patience, say you're sorry, and move on.

We also watched the 1970s pseudo-doc, ABBA: The Movie. I think this added to Steve's ill feelings.

This week is rapid-fire, with tons of things happening until the big day. Meetings with the officiator tonight, Steve's dad arrives Wednesday, his mother on Friday, my family on Saturday morning.

Let's just hope I done break anything at trapeze class tomorrow. Stranger things have happened.

The Seven Year Hitch: Two Things I Hate

1. Having so much traffic yesterday that it takes me over 2 hours to get home. No accident. No reason. Just TONS of traffic.

What did that mean? Steve had to go to the cake shop and make the final wedding cake arrangements without me.

We both knew what cake we were getting, what size, the basic design, I was just really upset to miss the experience with him. We've done so much together and this is the first time it didn't happen.

Fortunately, his long-time friend Kim was there for love and support.

2. Getting a cold sore on my lip! Yep, stress brings them on and there it is. No nookie this weekend, obviously. The upside? If I was going to get one I suppose it's better to get it the week before the wedding.

I'm trying to see all of these things in a glass-half-full perspective, ya see.

Plans are to finalize everything else this weekend. Cross your fingers...

The Seven Year Hitch: Things We Won't Say at the Wedding

As gifts come in (Did you know we're allowed to open them right away? We didn't. Such joy!) Steve and I have been thinking of all the things we shouldn't say at the wedding.

After the ceremony:
"Now I can finally lose my virginity!"

"Thank God we did this before the baby started showing..."

"Here's to love, happiness, and destroying the fabric of the American family!"

"We're now one step closer to enacting the gay agenda for world domination!" (insert sinister laughing)

While opening gifts:
"Not that we were checking the registry every day, but some of you really waited to the last minute to buy this stuff..."

"Okay, so I guess none of you fancy gays could afford the Calvin Klein bedding set, huh?"

"Wow. Considering how much we paid for your wedding (birthday, bar mitzvah, insert favorite holiday here) gift you certainly got off economically."

To our born-again relative in AA:
"You could use a cocktail right about now, huh?"

Share your favorite wedding lines below!

Remember, if you want to send us a wedding gift, make a donation to Equality California. Under the Make a Gift button, contribute any amount; we're listed as Rick & Steve Andreoli Thompson.

Steve's New Nightmare Before Christmas Designs!

It's that time of year again-- when Steve's Nightmare Before Christmas designs appear at The Disney Store.

This is a really big year, because the stores went back under Disney's control, and in the process some products were cut. The Nightmare line was saved, but fewer items were ordered, which means if you want any of these super cool things you better jump to the stores fast.

In fact, when I normally list Steve's products on the blog I link to where you can purchase them on the DisneyStore.com website, but only ONE of these items is being sold online. The others are only available in stores.

Anyway, enough of me talking (I have wedding stuff to work on), here are the highlights...

First up are these cool Jack & Sally busts. Slightly overexposed in this pic, the painting is actually very true to the film.
These beautiful candlestick holders offer a better representation of the painting, and the detail work is insane. So nice! We're putting them up on the kitchen table already.
The light-up Jack Skellington Big Fig is also amazing, and it's the only item available online. But beyond lighting up, you get three different heads to put on Jack. Fun!
However this last item has to be a highlight, the Mayor's car as bookends, featuring all the main character from the film. The headlights and back lights also light up, and it's visually amazing from every side.
In case you were wondering, these are the things he worked on during his last trip to China.

I'm so proud of my man. I think I'll marry him.

American Heiress in Bulgaria-- And a Request for HELP!

Guess what? My writing is being shown in Bulgaria! That's right, American Heiress is actually being shown in its entirety on BTV in Bulgaria.
Guess who didn't tell us? FOX. They supposedly don't keep very good records of these things.

So here's where I need help. If any of you American Heiress fans out there know where it's playing outside the US, please let me know. Fan message boards, networks, YouTube sites where people are posting clips, etc. We need everything we can get to prove to the WGA that the show was broadcast.

I'll come up with some wonderful "Thank You" gift to the most helpful. Perhaps a Steve drawing, perhaps a sealed DVD of Spice World, perhaps some gay porn-- who knows? But it's all very exciting, isn't it? Thanks!

The Seven Year Hitch: Want to Buy Us a Gift?

Steve and I love our blog readers. Some of you are family and friends who want to stay up on Steve's and my life, but most of you we've never met personally. You may have found us through Mondo Homo, though the TV Land special I was on, our episode of Urban Outsiders on HGTV, from another blog or any one of a hundred routes.

You all send lovely letters of support when crap hits, you offer cool insights that make us smile and laugh, and since we announced the wedding many of you have been really sweet with your love.

Readers have asked where we're registered, but Steve and I honestly feel a little strange about having e-friends buy us gifts. It's very nice but also unnecessary.
However, for those of you who really want to do something, here's a gift that will help us and the community at large. Please go to our wedding registry at Equality California, an organization that's trying to keep marriage legal. If we can keep marriage legal, that goodness can spread and help influence laws in other states. It's a gift that Steve and I would love because it means more to us than a Martha Stewart spatula (which someone already purchased for us anyway).

Simply follow the link to our registry, click the Make a Gift button, contribute whatever you want (any amount will help the cause), and in the Gift Information section at the bottom go to "Happy Couples N-R"; we're listed as Rick & Steve Andreoli Thompson.

Thank you all for your love and support.