Our rehearsal dinner was Friday, May 6, 1983 at the China Star Restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia. The restaurant was near Fred and Louise’s house in Oakton and our home in a Fairfax townhouse. The restaurant was not really a family favorite, but it was close and large enough to give us a sizeable room for our party. I don’t remember much about the meal but there were a lot of toasts. I’m sure there was shrimp and probably Kung Pao chicken.
We had a walk-through of the ceremony at the church earlier in the day with immediate family and gathered at the restaurant around 6pm or so. It was a unique occasion to have a gathering of so many family and friends from far and near, and it was only at the dinner that we got to see most of them. Most of them drove or flew in that day, we saw them at the dinner and even more briefly at the reception, then they were gone again. In retrospect, we should have taken the opportunity to spend more time with folks at the dinner and let them spend more time with each other (if they wanted, as at least some did). As it ended, I remember kind of shoo-ing people out the door so the restaurant staff could clean up, and it seemed like we all had things to do to get ready for the next day.
The guest list is lost to history for the time being, but included many aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends from both sides. Ones I can remember (partly from the photos) include:
- Bill’s and Barb’s Moms and Dads: Howard and Sara, Fred and Lousie
- Betsy and Joe (Maid of Honor and Best Man, respectively) who had gotten married the year before
- Laurie with her husband (at the time) David (who we think took most of these photos) and daughter Maggie who was our ringbearer
- I think Bill’s sister Len was there. I can’t remember if sister Sue was able to come.
- Uncle Fen and Haya Babcock, Fisher family friends from Taiwan days
- David and Mary Dean, Fisher family friends from Taiwan days
- Can’t remember for sure if the O’Neills and Irelands were there, but probably so.
- Jamie and Frances (Sister) Carroll, Bill’s aunt and uncle from Valdosta, GA
- Leecy Goodloe, cousin to Bill’s Dad from Greeneville, SC
- Mr. (Reed) and Mrs. Reynolds, Bill’s family friends from NJ and Baton Rouge
- The Brinsko family who were Fisher friends from Greenbelt, MD and sang as a group at the wedding, along with two of their friends, Mrs. (Celie), Tim, Martha,
- The Kestenbaum family, Mr. (Marty), Mrs. (Marge), Julie and Terry, who were Fisher friends from Fairfax (and Annandale?)
- Bill Englehart, a schoolmate of the Fisher girls in Dusseldorf and Bill’s at Georgetown, and Bill’s roommate his junior and senior years. Bill was an usher at the ceremony. Evidently Bill went to Georgetown Law school in 1981, which I don’t even remember. Where is he now?
- Ray Carey and his wife (Sally), usher at ceremony and a workmate of Bill’s at Bei Jing-Washington. They were wonderfully nice people who we lost track of soon after. They gave us a lovely Japanese print (Toshi Yoshida’s “Plum Tree and Blue Magpie”) as a wedding present that is still a favorite (and is maybe worth a little something).
The happy, and nervous, couple. 
Happier now we’ve been fed.
Hugs for Mom. 
Fred, perhaps considering his upcoming toast. 
Fred makes his toast.
Bill’s Uncle Joe Barnett makes his toast, and reads Helen’s poem. Auntie Haya Babcock is hiding on the left. Do we know the woman on the right? 
Aunt Helen’s poem to us — nothing if not original. 
Then Uncle Fen Babcock took a turn. No poem from him — how could you follow Helen’s? To the right is the closest we have to a picture of Bill’s Dad. Lower left is the back of Mrs. Reynold’s head. 
And then there was Bill’s Uncle Jamie Carroll, who told the longest shaggy dog story ever and enjoyed himself thoroughly, and a good bit of wine before he got started.
Fred and Louise share a moment.
Louise with guests, Martha Brinsko, a singer friend, and Marty Kestenbaum? Betsy would know. 
Bill’s Uncle Jamie Carroll (Sister’s husband) with Mrs. Reynolds (NJ and Baton Rouge Exxon friend). 
Bill Englehart, Bill’s roommate and Fisher friend from Dusseldorf, along with Betsy 
Betsy being pensive.
Bert being glarey. He was not invited to the dinner and did not appreciate having his own meal delayed.
Our registry, just in case you still want to get us something. Just don’t try finding things at Hechts or Woodies.
The wedding registry reminds me that ours was probably the first wedding I actually attended, other than maybe Sue’s wedding in the Keys which was not a useful template. I had missed Betsy and Joe’s and also Patti and Lee’s in the previous year or so. All of these niceties like invitations, rehearsal dinner, registry and thank you notes were new to me.
I really didn’t know the protocol of things like the wedding gift registry. I remember that a few years before, while I was in college, I got notice that my cousin, Bill Barnett was getting married in North Carolina. I knew I couldn’t attend but Mom nudged me that I should send a wedding gift. She not very helpfully suggested I get them something useful for the kitchen. So I went to a department store thinking of what items I found most useful in my nascent kitchen. I ended up selecting a set of glass mixing bowls and some wooden spoons, spending maybe $15 on the whole collection. I boxed them up and sent them off with a little card. I honestly had no idea how inappropriate a gift that made. I was never very close to my cousin Bill, but certainly that gift didn’t put me in any better graces with him or his new wife, Paige. We received a whole bunch of much nicer wedding gifts, many of which still get pulled out for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners.
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