Day 2 in Marfa

Day Two, Feb. 29
WEDDING DAY and LEAP DAY!
Waken to a blazing bright morning, and join the night-before couples at Conchita’s for ridiculously yummy and cheap breakfast burritos. I decide I’m eating bacon at least once daily on this trip. Kate and Willy are amazingly calm for their wedding day – the notion that all their family members are ambling their way to this tiny town doesn’t stress them out one bit. That’s why we lurvel them.

A walk back to the hotel, a little washing up, a little marveling at how clean the air smells. Kate and Willy go for a stroll with Pat and Claire (how many couples go for random strolls on their wedding day? Again, lurvel!). Then Kate and I make our way back to Alpine to pick up her wedding flowers at Flowers @ 6th Street. The owner (Sherri, think?) is lovely and delighted to meet Kate, after all their phone conversations. The flowers are real purdy. Then Kate and I pop into like five nail salons to see if we can score a mani/pedi, to no avail. But it was fun looking, even just so I could announce to a bunch of strangers that Kate was getting married that day! Pulling back into Marfa we stop at the Brown Recluse for an iced latte, and speak to the nice owner, who moved to Marfa from South Africa (would love to know more of that story!). Kate tells me when returning here for breakfast tomorrow. She finally seems to be getting a little nervous.

Back to the hotel. I score cheap nail polish at the dollar store and do a really crappy pedicure on myself by the pool (with a Shiner, of course!). Family members start to arrive, most having flown to Midland and then driving three hours from there, and staying at the Hotel Paisano. Kate’s transformation from cutie pie to Amazing Hot Stuff Pinup Girl begins. She has the most amazing green dress with big hoopy thing, and ‘40s style hair and makeup. For a while we’re not sure of the whereabouts of the groom, but my husband is also missing so we assume they’re doing…something. They finally arrive, and it turns out they were wandering the county trying to find the wedding cake, which was baked by “Josie, a lady who works at the bank” who happens to live even further out in the middle of nowhere. But they did have time for falafel and hummus at the Food Shark.

We drive the lovely bride to meet her court at the Hotel Paisano, and much camera-snapping by the outdoor fountain ensues. It's also a reunion of sorts. I've known the bride and her family since I was six years old (!!!) and haven't seen any of them in far too long...I love that we are seeing each other again at such a special event in such a faraway place! So after the shutters stopped clicking, we walk around the corner to the Presidio County Courthouse and ascended its many steps to the cupola. What a great setting!

You can see the edge of Marfa in all directions, then the vast expanse beyond. The Justice of the Peace arrives, and what is her name? JUDGE CINDERELA of course!! She is Judge Cinderela Rice Guevara, and she's the loveliest little judge you ever did see. The vows that she read were so perfect for our dynamic couple, and brought us all to tears. It was so fantastic!

Back down the stairs we go, much more camera-clicking ensues all the way down the stairs, out the door and down the street to dinner. We forced the newlyweds to stand in the middle of the street to get some lovely shots of them in front of the courthouse. Then we make our way into Maiya's Restaurant and partake in margaritas (I like to call them Marfa-ritas) and another fantastic meal. Life is good (there's Eric and me, enjoying our 'ritas)! And here are my kooky friends, Scott, Sarah, Kate-the-bride, and Patti, the one who brought us all together back in the beginning!

After dinner, we're back at the Hotel Paisano, and stumble on an art opening at one of the hotel's galleries, the Greasewood Gallery. Lovely huge landscape photographs of the region by Richard Finker, and the artist and gallery manager so nice and completely cool about a whole wedding party filling their room and drinking their champagne. The Hotel Paisano takes great pride in its role in the classic film "Giant," and there are photos of Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson and the ever-gorgeous James Dean proudly hung. The whole town is quite proud of the setting of this and many other films, including the recent "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men."

So, back to the hotel for some outfit-changing (ready for sweaters and boots!), back to the T-lounge for another drink, then off we go again to the Marfa Lights Viewing Station, where the weird green and red lights entertained us while sipped Sofia Coppola champagne and devoured the yummy pecan/chocolate cake made by the nice lady who works at the bank and lives out in the boonies. I'd say it was one spectacular wedding day!