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Suddenly, it was time for the ceremony. Judge Debra Riva called Bob and Betty to the front. We guests stood in a circle, silent and rapt, as the judge read beautiful remarks. I caught myself mostly focusing on the way Betty kept looking at Bob, who had his arms wrapped tightly around her. Luckily, the ceremony was short enough to prevent a group cry. Instead, we all happily applauded in recognition of our dear friends' joy. As we took our seats, dinner followed — a magnificent display of culinary genius. I remember potato pancakes, chicken saté, stuffed mushrooms with zucchini, baby lamb chops and, especially — practically hiding in the corner of the room in its own special spot, the piece de resistance — a perfectly cooked beef tenderloin offered with salad and horse- radish sauce. How many glasses of Malbec did I have? I do not know and I do not care. I worked it off by dancing the Twist. As we savored the meal, it was hard to believe members of the cooking staff would be able to outdo themselves. When they wheeled in the desserts and set them among beauti- ful candles and glass plates on the tables, I felt I was having an out-of-body experience. Mini French fruit tarts and crème brulée were all I could consume. (I wonder if there were any leftovers.) Here is a final toast to our dear friends, Bob and Betty: Thanks for everything — and we cannot wait for your next wedding. % LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Sarasota News Leader wel- comes letters to the editor from its readers. Letters should be no more than 300 words in length, and include the name, street address and telephone num- ber of the writer. Letters should be emailed to Letters@SarasotaNewsLeader.com, with "Letter to the Editor" in the subject line. Let- ters actually printed will be selected based on space available, subject matter and other fac- tors. We reserve the right to edit any letters submitted for length, grammar, spelling, etc. All letters submitted become the property of The Sarasota News Leader. Don't have your own subscription to The Sarasota News Leader? Subscribe for FREE and receive a weekly notification when the latest issue is available online. FREE SUBSCRIPTION OPINION Sarasota News Leader May 16, 2014 Page 100