We planned to hold the marriage ceremony on the west lawn of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, beside the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC. We had the space reserved from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., so we could be somewhat flexible in case of temporarily inclement weather, but as those of you who attended know, the inclement weather was not temporary on the day of our wedding but rather torrential and unyielding.

After four months of drought, the heavens let lose on October 26th, 2007 pouring down enough rain to send most wedding parties indoors, but not us! We were not deterred by the fantastic storm. We simply moved from the west lawn of the Jefferson Memorial, which was submerged in water, to the steps.

Guests couldn't hear what was being said over the pounding rain, even I struggled hear my father in-law performing a reading, and he was standing just a few feet away from me.  It may not have been a picture perfect wedding, but it was one of the most dramatic and memorable weddings we have ever seen, and there will always be a special place in our hearts for the people who were willing to come out in a cold and driving rain to support us.

This picture was taken years ago, when Kyrie's hair was shorter and Darin's hair was longer. We were attending the Washington Cherry Blossom Festival, so Darin could see what all the fuss was about.

Though this picture is not flattering of either of us, we include it here because in the background is the site of our wedding--the Jefferson Memorial.