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Thursday, September 18, 2003
This was a day set aside for rest and relaxation, but only after we (a) finished editing our vows, and (b) dealt with a wedding glitch (our original ceremony programs did not reflect the actual order of events we settled on – so we reprinted them on the hotel's computer).

Our families rendezvoused in our apartment late afternoon for a brief run-through of the ceremony to take place the next day. Although we eschewed an official wedding party with bridesmaids and groomsmen, we did ask our families to play a part in the ceremony. Before the rehearsal, Shah and Mahshid presented Kim with a gift traditionally given to the bride by the groom's family in the Persian culture – a dramatic jewelry ensemble. As it is Italian tradition for the bride to wear green the day before the wedding for good luck, it was very fitting for Kim to wear the emerald and diamond earrings from the ensemble later that evening.

After the rehearsal, we joined our guests on the terrace for a private soiree – champagne, wine, and an enticing buffet surrounded by sunset views of the Tuscan hills and Italian music in the background. (If you would like a copy of the music CD we think captures the tenor of our wedding celebration, just drop us a note and we'll send one to you!)

Of course, those who know Shar know a party is not complete unless there are games! We had prepared a trivia game – 30 Questions about Shar and Kim. Players could share answers if they wanted, but the person with the highest score got a special prize – a bottle of 1997 Brunello (a very good year!). Try it out yourself... how much do you know about Shar and Kim?

The questions were hard but everyone had fun with it, and of course, we enjoyed watching everyone play. After much horse-trading, eavesdropping, a few hints, and a lightning round, we had a tie for the highest score between Shar's mom Judy and Stacie's boyfriend David. Although David had met us only a couple of times he had explored our wedding website in depth and knew many of the answers! So in the end we rewarded him with the prize bottle (because, you know, it's all about the website traffic… and Judy doesn't drink wine much anyhow).

And those of you who know Shar's family know it's not a party until there's live music, so after the game came the musical entertainment. Shar's stepfather Jimmy, an accomplished songwriter and musician, performed a few of his songs including one of our favorites, I Think I'll Go Down to the Ocean. Judy sang a Jim Croche song (from her wedding to Jimmy), and everyone joined in an impromptu tribute to Shar's birthplace, West Virginia, with John Denver's song Country Roads. Then there are those moments we couldn't plan if we tried… Judy sang a Persian song she learned years ago in Iran, an ode to a girl with beautiful eyes, and Shah, Shar's dad, joined in for a particularly touching duet. We topped off the party with a 'Persian Dance Lesson' set to Iranian music, as Shah and his wife Mahshid demonstrated how to get down and boogie Persian-style, and invited other guests to join in. Quite an eclectic evening to say the least! And one that we will always cherish.

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