"This is such a good idea"
Join us as we Celebrate the Marriage of
CORA & RYAN
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RSVP Form at the Bottom of this Page
If your invitation includes the address for the ceremony in Oakland as well as the reception in Castro Valley, you are invited to both ceremony and the celebration to follow. If your invitation has only the address for the celebration, then you are invited to the exciting reception only. The Friends-to-Lovers TropeChapter 1
Ryan and Cora were far from high school sweethearts in origin. They met by chance in a mutual friend's backyard over a decade ago. They spent the years appreciating each other's opinions and enjoying stimulating conversations of philosophy, politics and often contemplated the universe together, but always as friends. A mutual, unspoken, and respectful bond remained between them through the years as they lived their lives independent of one another, unaware of what lie before them. The two intelligent, sarcastic, lovely assholes never strayed from one another long. During some of the hardest times in Cora's life, she was able to find refuge in the form of her trusted friend's hospitality without hesitation. With Ryan, Cora found herself safe, supported, and most importantly; understood. Chapter 2 But all this time Ryan had a secret. He had become infatuated with Cora upon first meeting her in 2010. While they lived and loved separate lives as they bloomed into adulthood, there was always a tender piece of Ryan's heart reserved for Cora. When Cora moved back to California after living in Seattle, she pondered who was left in her hometown of Pleasanton that "did not piss her the fuck off." Cora decided Ryan was one of the select few. She reached out to him and was pleasantly surprised to find not the sweet, smart, lanky boy with which she shared a rich friendship, but a kind, attractive, intelligent, man. A gentleman. Their friendship quickly adopted a - ahem - physical component. Chapter 3 This led to an unavoidable ultimatum. In the little hours of July 15th, 2018, the pair sat upon Ryan's bed, exchanging thoughts and tears in gut-wrenching discourse of whether to fully become lovers and risk losing their fulfilling friendship, or stay friends and risk missing out on the love of a lifetime. Chapter 4 You are here because they chose the latter. They agreed on the terms of their relationship as they had both been mistreated and brokenhearted many times. Cora and Ryan agreed that these were the mandatory ingredients needed for real, true love: 1. Respect 2. Honesty 3. Communication 4. Kindness 5. Time 6. Independence Their first date was a 3-day long road trip down the coast of California, searching the best pinball bars, going to animal shelters, museums, and glamping. It was not long before the two long-time friends were confident that they would deeply love each other for the rest of their lives. This fact was so obvious to them, it was communicated openly & often, without trepidation, and was commonly joked about. Being only weeks into their romantic relationship, they agreed to take their time. Besides, they only had the rest of their lives. Chapter 5 But we all know Cora is impatient as a vampire in a blood bank. So exactly one year later, on July 15th, 2019 in Garden Grove, California, Cora proposed to Ryan on their private bed-and-breakfast veranda as the fireworks of Disneyland sounded in the background. Ryan gave an enthusiastic yes. They moved into their first place together during the height of the pandemic, and in no rush to plan a plague-wedding. They enjoyed being bunker-buddies and supported each other through adventures of the mind, enduring the isolation of the pandemic, self-care, and quitting addictions like alcohol and nicotine for good. Chapter 6 As time passed, they blossomed together. Ryan and Cora moved across the country to Washington DC in 2021 where they could both better map the trajectory of their lives as people and as a couple. In September of 2021, Ryan and Cora took a long-weekend vacation to New York City to visit a good friend that had also moved east recently. Ryan led Cora deep into Brooklyn, through adorable unkempt neighborhoods and seedy shops until finally they came upon the Greenwood Cemetery. Of course we know Cora's affinity for cemeteries, having grown up playing in one with her brother as their parents worked in the building next door. Cora and Ryan hiked up the green hill dotted with withered headstones and marble sepultures, to the top of the hill where the angels and obelisks live in silent wait. Chapter 7 Overlooking the Manhattan skyline, surrounded by trees and graves, Ryan bent to one knee and offered his life to his strange bride with a ring of 13 black diamonds. The happy couple returned to their DC home where they added two baby ratboys, Anton Ego & Gusteau Id, to their family. Ryan and Cora's daughters, Gracie Lou & Mothra Danger, did not mind their new brothers one bit, continuing to fail miserably at being cats. The six of them live together in a warm, safe, and loving home. Chapter 8 Two friends that had given up on love together found happily ever after. After 12 years of friendship and 4.5 years of romantic bliss together, Cora and Ryan are ecstatic to officiate their love before the eyes of their closest friends and family members in the sacred embrace of the wood. Chapter 9 Thank you for being part of this special chapter in the tome of Cora & Ryan. The rest of their story has yet to be written. |
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General Information
& RSVP Form
Venues
Ceremony Reinhardt Regional Park, 7867 Redwood Rd., Oakland, CA 94619 Celebration - LOCATION HAS CHANGED This will NOT change the reception time of 5:30PM, or the ceremony time and location. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks so much! NEW Reception Location: 9635 Dublin Canyon Road Castro Valley, CA 94552 |