This romance started in Belize, in 1990, when Charles went on an archeological field school, an event captured on film.

It has survived long distance, two additional graduate degrees, and other difficulties. As we mentioned last year, they announced their engagement in March, 2001, leaving plenty of time to plan the festivities.

Linda took up the gauntlet with gusto, renting the newly redecorated Santa Rita Room at UT for a January party where a couple hundred close friends had a chance to meet Amy and her charming mother, Marilyn.

Berkeley , CA , was the chosen venue for the festivities; July 26, a Friday, the appointed date. The weather cooperated beautifully with clear mild days and cool nights. The schedule provided for several parties where the two families became better acquainted.

The rehearsal dinner was in the Claremont Hotel, from which we could see practically all the way to downtown San Francisco . Jim had spent the months between January and July assembling a series of photos of the life of the two principals. Click here to see the presentation. If you aren't running Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, click here to see the photos taken from the presentation.

The wedding itself took place in a gorgeous setting in Tilden Regional Park in the hills east of Berkeley, with the reception in the Brazil Room, which was built for the World’s Fair in 1939 and moved to the park later. The highlight of the ceremony proved to be the two notes written by Charles and Amy telling why they chose each other. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after they read the pieces.

The reception provided Linda with an opportunity to dance without bothering Jim, as women crowded the floor unaccompanied by male companions. Another dance, for married couples only, ended with Marion and Jim as the champion for longest time married. Other highlights included delicious food, wonderful music, and a wedding cake in the shape of a Mayan temple and another in the shape of Texas.

After Linda had a chance to drink more champagne than was her wont — one glass, to be precise — she showed the effects by accepting Tim League’s challenge to drink from his shoe. Fortunately, this event was captured on film for the benefit of future generations.

The next day we attended another great party at Amy’s brother’s house before the happy couple left for Tahiti . A trivia contest with questions about Charles and Amy demonstrated how little parents really know about their children.

For months, we all tried to deal with the constant question, "Where are they going to live?" Finally, the word was in: Annapolis, MD. Charles and Amy stopped in Austin to pick up a few things, then continued to Houston for the big Anniversary Party.

Click on the photos below for a larger image.

Charles and Amy with Chris Parker and another friend, Belize, 1990	View of Tilden Park from the Brazil Room	The Mayan Temple Wedding Cake	Texas Cake	Amy and Charles Take the Floor for the First Dance	Linda Drinking Champagne From Tim's Shoe.
Charles and Amy with Both Sets of Parents	The Wedding Party	Jim and Marilyn Cheat on Trivia Quiz, but to No Avail	Reading the Answers to the Trivia Quiz	Charles Tries to Smile after Loading Truck in Austin	Charles posing on the Front Steps of House in Annapolis.