The guests started arriving at the historic farm outside Etna, California at about 2:30 on Saturday. Pockets of people spread out in the shade behind the main house on a beautiful day (it was windy and cold the day before).
That's Deena, Kathy, Weston and Mike comparing notes, above, with Nina and Rick who also have a baby. Note the suits all the way back to the main house in the background.
The wedding started a little after three. Here we see bridesmaid Deena, being escorted by two groomsmen. The bride, Maki Sato, came last and was escorted by her brother Kai:
The ceremony took place on a wide meadow between the barn and house, looking out on vast fields where horses grazed.
Lots of cowboy hats and even overalls in the crowd.
While this was going on we had a master-ball-cap-bar-b-que-er doing tri tip along the side of the barn:
The historic barn was built in the 1860s and the groom, Christian, worked three days in Chico (he's a physical therapist) then drove out to Etna and worked on the barn for three days, for several months, each day stretching far into the night. The local boys often stopped by to help him, as is the custom in farm communities.
For one thing, his bride-to-be is allergic to hay! So , he had all of the hay taken out and gravel put down. Christian also told me an original beam in the barn is eighty-feet long and comes from one tree, beveled by hand. The reason the barn has lasted this long is because they used no nails, so no rust could deteriorate the wood. Amazing. The old ways rock! Of course, the inside of the barn was decorated with some class:
A plywood dance floor was created at the east end of the barn and I wondered what kind of fiddle music would be played. Well, EDM has reached the outlands, folks. These cowboys can get down. After dinner, the tables were empty and the dancefloor packed with kids and adults:
The DJ played some Country, but lots of rock ("Honkytonk Women" by the Stones) and EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and even, well, check this out:
Barn Dance Bugaloo
"She blew my nose and then she blew my mind."
—Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones