Guests were ushered outside to witness these three rituals. The sunlight at a perfect pitch, catching and radiating the bits of mock rain from Skip Arnold's poetic conversion of the rice throwing act. As we all walked out there, after signing the enlarged marriage certificate on the wall as witness' we were met with the sound of rain.

Guests in line to sign

photo by Tyler Hubby

It was as if Skip caught two slices of a downfall and set it in the midst of a perfect sunny day, positioning it so the couple would penetrate the first slice, or wall of rain (aided by a clear umbrella). The rain, came down on them like rice would, and the umbrella kept them safe and dry from the barrage.

"It was meant as a moment of solitude, the first moment to themselves. There is something about falling water, it’s refreshing."
~Skip

photo by Tyler Hubby

photo by Terri Phillips

They entered in on a quiet calm corridor for a short private walk where they convened and strolled slowly to the other wall of water, penetrating it and out into the sun, into the waiting throng of friends and family.

photo by Tyler Hubby

Ruben then hoisted Bec up onto the hood of the decorated car, to shimmy the garter, made by George Stoll, down her leg and off. Always a strange and somewhat lewd public act, simulating the intimacy the couple would now share. George pumped up that metaphor with his pink satiny version of the garter, seemingly normal at first, as normal as the ritual is to begin with, which was elasticized and whose puckered silks were adorned with a small pink pearl.

photo by Tyler Hubby

Ruben held it up for the crowd to see as he unzipped it slowly to the eye-locked crowd, to reveal and open a shiny vermillion flower of fabric unfolding out of the zipper, revealing its glory. Its not a shy metaphor. He threw it out over the crowd and down and in, and one lucky fellow was its happy victor and captor.

As if that was not enough stimuli, the car, their own decal adorned volvo, had been transformed by Joshua Callaghan into a simulation of an ice cream truck, replete with the goods, as well as a boom box on the roof with a blaring raucous soundtrack.

"I wanted to make their car into an ice cream truck. I think it is a romantic idea to run away in an ice cream truck. In some way too the ice cream truck is a small family business very typical of Los Angeles that relates to this new family enterprise. Lastly, everyone likes ice cream too, so I thought it would be a nice element to introduce to the event."
~Joshua

The audience were drawn into the cooler of treats and gathered around the 'truck' eating ice cream well before dinner, which was funny. Bec and Ruben were driven around by the best man, Ronnie Diaz, and maid of honor, Sara Cross, while the guests made there way back inside.

photos by Tyler Hubby