Home
Wedding
Honeymoon
Children
Events Visit
Our Home
25 September 2000 - Monday
Morning
We
were up early again this morning.
It was a 7:00am wakeup
call with breakfast an hour later with Allie and Mary at Gersberg
Alm. We sat outside on the patio. The tablecloths were white
with 
green, fresh flowers on the tables, warm coffee and a view of
Salzburg. I have my future husband at my side, surrounded by our
families and their shear physical beauty of the countryside was almost
too overwhelming. I felt that I was the luckiest person
alive. The morning was filled with peace and joy.
My parents, Mike and Marina were still "zonked" from the
travels the day before. We left them an itinerary as where to meet
us in downtown Salzburg, and suggested places of interest. Mary
and Allie drove into town with us. 
We sent them on their way with a
Salzburg card and told them a rendezvous point. Andy and I were on
many missions today and had to separate ourselves from the group in
order to accomplish all that needed to be done before the ceremony
tomorrow.
The four of us strolled through the gardens of the Mirabell Palace.
Afternoon
Andy & I went to the
magistrate office to meet with Fritz Jarau, who
is the magistrate that would perform our ceremony. We waited just a short
time outside his office. Once inside, he was jovial and professional and
greeted us like he had known us for a lifetime.
He reviewed our packet and concluded that all the proper documents
that were needed were in order. He stamped all of our papers with the official
"Austrian" notary. He then informed us that our fee had been
paid all ready. 
Well, Andy and I were totally dumbfounded as we had
specifically brought shillings just for this reason. He even produced a receipt
for the amount paid in full. There were definitely angels smiling on us
today. There were only two rationales for this to have happened . . . 1)
a true mistake or 2) our friends David and Lane Sacco who designed my
ring, and who were also wed at Mirabell Palace, paid this for us in
advance. We may never know to this date who paid, but we do know that it
was a small but grateful blessing.
After our visit to the Magistrate's office we were instructed to go
to the U.S. Embassy. We located this office, and arrived to apply for our
International Marriage Certificate. Again, they were very friendly and
efficient. We walked out of here with all proper documentation in order.
I know that I felt the weight lifted - and you could almost
physically see Andy stand up a little taller. This was REALLY going to
happen!!!! We had successfully figured out all the necessary procedures
to be wed in Austria... Our dream was going to come true.
We then walked north of the city to a bakery that had been 
referred
to us by the Gersberg Alm. The reception area was not bigger than a
20x20 room with pictures of the baker/artisan's work. His cakes truly
were a work of art. I showed him a picture of what I would like, picked
out the filling and paid for the cake. He promised that he would have it
ready by 1:00pm the following day.
We
purchased several bottles of Champagne
Jacquart for toasting our marriage during the carriage ride after
the ceremony tomorrow.
We noticed
the time and made our way to meet up with the rest of our family.
We decided to have lunch a top of Salzburg, at the Fortress that
overlooked the city. The day was warm and sunny. We all dined
overlooking the countryside of Salzburg. The afternoon haze was
cascading around the mountains down to a path leading from an old farm
house to journeys unknown.
After taking in the town's sights from here, we went back down and
toured the Residenz that housed Archbishops.
At this point, Dad, Mike and Marina decided to go back to the
room and get some rest before dinner. Andy, Mary, Allie and myself
continued to tour the city. The squares, or platz, were set up with
open air markets of fruits, flowers... I had decided that this is
where I would get my bridal bouquet and the centerpiece.
Andy had stopped to purchase
a box of Romeo y Julieta
Cuban cigars for the boys.
Mary and Allie helped me pick out my bouquet. 
It was two dozen beautiful
yellow roses with red berries. We had a ball deciding on which flowers
to choose.
With all our "errands" completed, we drove back to the Gersberg
Alm to refresh and get ready for dinner at the Schloss
Monchstein.
Andy and I were like two kids on Christmas Eve. Our hard work, hopes
and dreams had paid off and we were soon to see the fruits of our
labors... we were going to become Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Morris. We were
lighthearted and filled with hope 
and pride. Andy's eyes were luminescent
and a constant smile upon his face. Once back into our room, Andy placed
the champagne on the outside deck to stay cool over night and my flowers in water. He took care of
everything.
His caring nature and love for me were so evident that it just could
not help but be spilled over to the rest of our group. I am so fortunate
to be spending the rest of my life with him.
Evening
After the day in the city of major preparations for the BIG day, we
retired back to the Gersberg Alm. We had enough time to refresh,
regroup and get ready for the night ahead.
Andy and I had predetermined a restaurant that we had dined at during
our engagement trip in May. It was a five-star restaurant that sat
atop a mountain, overlooking the Salz river. At night the city of
Salzburg was radiant both in the distance and in the reflection on the
river from the Schloss
Monchstein.
The castle was also home to a exquisite hotel that was refurbished
with the Victorian era.
We arrived around 6:30pm upon a trip of hairpin turns to approached
the wrought iron gates of the compound. The sun was just setting,
as it cast long shadows over the emerald green lawn. The castle
was laden in ivy with many lights glowing, lighting our pathway to its
entrance.
We were first seated in the bar with toasts of champagne. We
then were moved to the dining room, that overlooked the river. The
dining room only seated 20 people. This lended to the quaint and
detailed service that we had experienced in our previous encounter at
Schloss Monchstein.
Andy and I had selected the menu while we were still back in
Atlanta. We had over 20 selections to choose from, but decided on
Beef Wellington as the entree of our five course dinner.
The food, the service, and the ambiance was second to nowhere else in
the world. The evening was filled with laughter and well wishes.
The chef even joined us in congratulations. We truly were treated
like royalty.
We adjourned back to the Gersberg Alm. The boys broke out the Cuban
cigars that Andy had purchased for them earlier in the day. The
"ladies" ended up retiring while the boys sat up in the bar,
drank their Scotch and smoked their cigars.
Dad had struck up a conversation with a lovely couple from Berlin
that also had been wed at the Mirabell Palace.
Before I place both this journal and my head down for the evening,
there are two facts that I want to be sure to have in writing. They
are...
One, that I love my father more than he will ever realize, this I am
sure of.
And two, I am so looking forward to tomorrow and becoming Mrs. Andrew
Morris. I love Andy for many reasons, but one that I want to write
tonight, on the eve of my wedding, is that he has made me realize what a
better person I want to become since he has entered my life.
Home
Wedding
Honeymoon
Children
Events Visit
Our Home
