Kathy's brother Kevin and his fiance Nerissa tied the knot at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas last Saturday. This picture shows the happy couple as they exited the chapel.
You'll want to check out the photos of the wedding at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel's website under the name Bugh and the July 9, 2011 date.
For those of you who want start-to-finish details of our Las Vegas trip, here goes:
Kathy's mother Dodie joined us in Fullerton around 10:00 on Saturday morning for the car trip to Las Vegas. The trip went smoothly and, after a two hour stop at the hotel to check in and change into our wedding duds, we arrived at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel at 5:00 to see Kevin and Nerissa and their friends Ted and Dana emerging from a white limousine.
The wedding party proceeded to the reception room of the wedding chapel, and Kevin and Nerissa began signing paperwork at the front desk while Kathy, Dodie and I made our acquantenances with Ted and Dana. Nerissa's mother Pauline, dad Ernie, and other relations arrived, and the introductions continued. Soon family members were taking out their cameras and snapping photos of each other and of the bride and groom.
After the paperwork was completed, the Viva Las Vegas staff ushered us into the wedding chapel, which was furnished with a small theatrical stage and a set of pews. The chapel was dimly lit, except for the stage which was flooded with light.
An Elvis impersonator, dressed in the trademark white sequined jumpsuit, escorted Nerissa to the base of the stage, where Kevin was standing, and bounded up the steps to the stage platform, where he conducted the wedding ceremony with a Las Vegas-style panache and, from time to time, burst into songs of Elvis' hit tunes.
After the ceremony, Kevin and Nerissa exited the chapel to have their picture taken below the chapel's marque-in-lights that said, "Nerissa and Kevin."
Kathy, Dodie and I took this as our cue to exit, and we piled into our car and headed to Pampas restaurant at the Miracle Mile shopping center for the Brazilian barbeque that Kevin and Nerissa were hosting in one of the rooms that Pampas restaurant reserves for dinner parties. We expected to arrive at the restaurant before Kevin and Nerissa, but they knew a shortcut and beat us there.
Our dinner at the Pampas Restaurant was excellent. We all enjoyed the tasty main courses and sides and the great conversation. The newly married couple were all smiles and served us slices of marbled wedding cake. Afterward, we said our goodbyes and began the walk back to our car.
The next morning, Kathy, Dodie and I checked out of the hotel at 8:00 and hit the road. Thankfully, we encountered little Sunday morning traffic and arrived home by noon. Now, that's what I call a good road trip!
Kevin and Nerissa stayed over in Las Vegas and booked a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon for Monday morning. We'll be sure to ask them how they liked riding in a helicopter the next time we see them. The views of the canyon must have been spectacular!
