When Adventure Racers Say “I Do”

Boating, scooter rides, yoga, a spirited adventure race, 3 par golf and a morning bike ride, all in the rain. While this might sound like the entrance test for a national fitness program, it was the pre-game warm up for family and friends of adventure racers gathered together in the name of holy matrimony.

For those who appreciate the time and planning required to pull off an event like this, I’ll share a few details and photos of the weekend which culminated in a truly spectacular reception.

After an unlikely crew of adventure race winners were announced (complete with medals), we climbed aboard a school bus destined for the rehearsal dinner. It was clear we were in for a unique experience when the dinner program, touted as Blues & Brews, included hilarious family skits, poems, and songs, all carefully re-worded to capture the life and travels of the future bride and groom. (Our family recruited a guitar player to assist in our serenade and rescue us from complete embarrassment.) Fortunately the hired blues band was far superior to our enthusiastic, yet lame, musical attempts and the jitterbug ensued.

Following the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds were surprised at the church by the arrival of a terrific old ice cream truck that chauffeured them over the bay bridge and around the small town streets leading back to the reception tents. Upon arrival, a Mexican fiesta band greeted guests outside (the couple currently lives in Mexico) as we entered the pre-reception space. A string of lantern lights and a colorful pinata hung from the ceiling as guests mingled and checked the framed seating chart penned in calligraphy.  Each table was labeled with one of the couples’ prior travel destinations in the U.S. and abroad.

Once guests were permitted through the white netting of the main reception entrance, we were treated to an enormous room filled with white lights, candles, sofas and comfortable chairs encouraging casual chatter and candid photos.  (Later this room became the serving area for make-your-own-sundaes!)  The main reception space was covered with hard wood flooring, which dispensed of the grass and mud caused by the rain, and set us up for a long night of dancing (more on that in a minute). Beyond the lounging area, the dining and dancing venue was filled with gorgeous flowers of orange, red and yellow. Lights encircled the interior columns from floor to ceiling, draped in beautiful netting. A variety of centerpieces, including dozens of roses, candles, and arrangements blooming five feet above the tables, decorated the linens.

Following a few traditional reception rituals, the phenomenal eight member band, Eye2Eye, rocked the house for the remainder of the evening. Ties were tossed, jackets were thrown, and the ladies’ hair went up, all in a matter of minutes. Eye2Eye packed the dance floor the entire evening receiving an encore for “one more song” at the close of the reception.

For future celebrations, I’ve decided to rent this crowd of friends who give adventure racing a good name. Although I am related to adventure racers, I relegate my activities to the sidelines taking photos and cheering. These racing buddies, normally fierce competitors, were flexible, friendly and enthusiastic. Their idea of “normal” involves biking on trails in desert-like conditions, orienteering in the dark-of-night across lakes, and carrying kayaks over mountaintops – for fun. A little rain during a wedding celebration wasn’t about to dampen their good time.

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