Bay Area Wedding Part 2 (Sangeet/Wedding)

This took WAAAAAAY too long to finish because I'm a horrible procrastinator, but please enjoy all the same.

June 22 (Friday)

Awaking too early for the amount of booze consumed the night before, our groom refused breakfast before downing a glass of water and heading back to his bed. We decided to make breakfast anyway, so while my traveling companion got up from the air mattress we thankfully brought along, I rose from the groom's couch, where I had spent the night comfortably. Rooting around the kitchen for supplies, we found some eggs, cheese, a few assorted vegetables and not much else so I volunteered to walk to the Whole Foods 4 blocks up the street. The 60 degree, overcast, average San Fran morning helped me to shake off the hangover on my way to and from the store.  Among the items I picked up were bread, bacon and fresh fruit, yet in my fuzzy minded state I forgot to get milk, the main item we needed in the first place! Luckily the groom was mobile a half hour later when I returned and he pointed out that there was some milk in the door! (Hooray, I'm not in the doghouse!) Anyway my fellow groomsman made a delicious frittata with eggs, veggies and cheese, served alongside bacon, toast, and fresh fruit that was exactly what we all needed at that moment (Sorry, no pictures! I was not in the mood...).  And of course there was some help from lots of delicious coffee.

Sangeet. The bridesmaids and groom's mother are dancing.

We did have time to recover as the only event planned that day was in the evening, so we spent a few hours watching Euro Cup before cleaning ourselves up and heading back to the groom's parents' house. This house is pretty much made for a garden party, with a broad porch balcony overlooking the sunken backyard and swimming pool.  There they hosted the Sangeet, a traditional Indian bridesmaids' party which served as rehearsal dinner in the Indian-American fusion wedding theme. (In the modern way, men were invited as well.) This also would have been a beautiful dinner party even if it did not have the ceremonial proceedings, featuring lights strung from trees and balconies and delicious catered food and wine.  It didn't end there though, for the entertainment consisted of bridesmaids dancing to traditional music and singing songs praising the groom's superior car, wealth, and occupation. We were also introduced to much of the bride's wonderfully sweet family who immediately made us feel like we were very dear cousins who had traveled from afar for the event.  The festivities lasted through nightfall as we got to better know the family and friends.

June 23 (Saturday)

Falafel's Drive-In. Falafel pictured at bottom.

This was essentially a “rest day” before the wedding.  Once again we were allowed to sleep in and indulge in late breakfast and today we were even up for a quick workout in the hotel gym.  Whilst scooping the groom at his parents' house, he informed us that he was supposed to eat vegetarian meals only before the wedding.  So we went where his father suggested, Falafel's Drive-In, which has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  I have never been a falafel fan, and I'm sorry to report that this roadside stand with ample parking and a large number of covered outdoor picnic tables for dining in did not change my opinion of it.  Not to say it was bad or anything, maybe I just don’t like that food.  The dolmas, or seasoned rice-stuffed grape leaves, were very good.  I sampled my friend’s gyro, and it was also very tasty, having a squishier texture than most I've tried, though it maintained a greasy, fresh, meaty flavor.  The crowning achievement of this popular roadside eatery has to be the banana shake, which tasted super-fresh and had flavor just like eating a sweetened, extra-delicious banana.  I would return just for that.

Our manly henna tattoos.

Next I went to pick up a friend who was flying in, then went directly to the bride’s parents’ house to get  incredibly detailed freehand henna tattoos.  Our friend happily stuffed his face with some homemade Indian cuisine there and the Indian matriarchs stared in awe before gleefully pushing more upon him.  We weren't hungry as we were still full of falafel.  The henna tattoos are an Indian wedding tradition for the women, and supposedly the darker the bride's tattoos, the stronger the marriage will be.  Thus she basically wore bandages over them for the 2 days before the wedding.  The night ended with some beers and some board games with close friends at the groom's parents' house.

June 24 (Sunday - The Wedding!)

We woke up early to get ready for the big day, donning our groomsmen tuxedos right after breakfast.  On the way home the previous night, my car tire pressure sensor claimed one of the tires was low so I got ready quickly and drove over to the nearest gas station, where I filled my tire up while wearing a tuxedo.  I laughed a little at how crazy that was and wondered how often he gets that.  Disaster was averted - no leaks occurred for the rest of the trip.  We drove to the wedding site in Fremont, Palmdale Estates, a gorgeous old convent with lots of trees and pristine grassy areas.  It is clear why it is a popular wedding locale.  Chairs were lined up on the grass in a clearing under the shadows of giant hundred-year old trees.  The groom arrived separately, driven by his best man/brother, and looked sharp in his best sherwani, a cream-colored fabric with intricate branch-like weaving.

And... the horse he rode in on.

The modern Indian wedding is symbolic of ancient times where a prince would enter a village and impress the townsfolk and the bride's family with his wealth and power.  If he did so suitably the family would give the daughter's hand in marriage to the prince.  To emulate this, the groom was to ride in on a horse!  Too bad the horse was stuck in traffic-- the wedding began about 45 minutes late because the horse had not yet arrived!  When it did get there they dressed it in beautiful garments and the groom mounted the horse with his young cousin in tow as well (another tradition). Then the groomsmen (myself included) led a dance-filled procession of the groom's side of the wedding ahead of the horse, around the grounds. Drummers kept a beat for us to dance to and we led the dance-procession to the ceremony clearing, where the bride's family joined in!

I realize I'm getting long-winded here and this is supposed to be a food blog so I'll try to finish quickly.  The rest of the ceremony was a beautiful, meaningful, traditional format, with most of the close family members playing the part by wearing traditional Indian clothes.  The bride looked radiant and her wardrobe choices throughout the night were stunning, from a traditional sari at the ceremony to a more modern Indian garb for the first half of the reception, to a sleek silvery number for the dancing portion of the reception.

We were well stocked

A few food-related items on the reception:  The BEST lamb vindaloo I have ever eaten, not that I've tried many, but man was it incredible.  I tasted scotch that was old enough to buy its own scotch, which was better than I could have imagined.  And there was a truck with an oven onsite cooking the Indian bread naan fresh for us and kept it coming... wait for it... NAAN STOP!  (It was a bad joke then too.)  The reception perfectly celebrated these two wonderful families with heartfelt speeches and toasts and dancing through the night.  I'm grateful to be able to call these people friends.

June 25 (Monday)
We got a late start back on the road to LA as it was a late night. I wanted to drive down Pacific Coast Highway (CA 1) for the miles and miles of incredible vistas, and the weather could not have been more amazing for it. A considerable amount of construction is in progress and it delayed us a bit. I didn't mind though because we were surrounded by beautiful ocean views for miles and miles on our way to the next stop: Hearst Castle, perched on a hilltop ranch in San Simeon, CA.

The facade at Hearst Castle

The outdoor pool at Hearst Castle

The indoor pool at Hearst Castle

William Randolph Hearst was an extremely wealthy man who built a humongous mansion (and several giant guest houses) a 4-hour drive north of Los Angeles.  He was an avid art collector and after his death the mansion was donated to the state as a museum of vast proportions.  A few photos follow.  Definitely worth seeing if you happen to find yourself in the Paso Robles vicinity.

Linn's Olallieberry pie

For dinner we stopped in the nearby town of Cambria, CA.  We found a hearty dinner with a local feel at Sow’s Ear.  (They have an expansive wine list.) Finally we wandered across the street to Linn's for some GREAT Olallieberry pie.  This mix of blackberry and raspberry pie sure was a winner, served warm with that scoop of vanilla on top.  I'm amazed we were able to get home without falling asleep at the wheel after that!