August 5th, 2008

Claire and I were in Las Vegas this day last year. It was a Tuesday, and we were up early to make the most of a special day. Today, we were getting married.

We started by going to the State registrars office to register and get the official documents. There was a long line of happy couples ahead of us, and while we filled out the forms, we heard a multitude of languages and accents, including a few Irish voices here and there.

Arriving at the chapel early, we made sure everything was cool for the ceremony, confirmed our time and then, knowing we had a few hours to waste, headed across the street to Starbucks. Claire enjoyed a tea and muffin, while I was barely able to drink a juice and pick at a snack. The excitement was making me jumpy.

Ours was the first wedding of the afternoon. It lasted a blissful seven whole minutes, which we have on DVD, and ended with Claire jumping me, much to the amusement of the Reverend. We got a bunch of photos taken in and around the chapel and then took a drive around before heading back to our hotel, the Hilton.

We had our wedding day dinner aboard the Federation space station Deep Space Nine, in Quarks Bar. We enjoyed a wonderful, filling meal, with odd juice drinks and weird deserts. A quick dip in the outdoor pool located on the roof was the final touch to a perfect day.

The perfect start to a perfect year. And many, many more to come.