Katie takes an intimate trip down memory lane.
The following is an excerpt from Katie’s memoir, Going There:
June 21st — the summer solstice, the longest day of the year (John figured there had to be some significance to that). I woke up, jumped in the Thunderbird, turned the radio on full blast, and sang along with the American Authors: “This is gonna be the best day of my life…” I felt like I was driving on air.
Later, we had a casual lunch in the backyard where John’s mother, Paula, met my mom for the first time. I had grown to love my soon-to-be mother-in-law so much, but my mom was my mom, and I was eager to share her. When I saw them sitting close, chatting over tea sandwiches and chilled pea soup, it filled my heart with joy.
The ceremony was at 6 p.m. Rows of white chairs had been set up in front of the pool and a white runner laid out on the lawn so I wouldn’t aerate the grass with my heels. A trio of guitar, violin, and cello played some of our favorites: lots of Beatles — “In My Life,” “Blackbird,” “Here, There and Everywhere” — interspersed with Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi. Our guests milled about, drinking champagne and admiring the garden, which was exploding with color and beauty and life (special shout-out to the dahlias).
When I came downstairs, John was there to greet me. He looked so dashing in his navy Zegna suit — no longer gaunt, just trim and handsome. He whispered in my ear, “I’m the luckiest guy on Amy’s Lane.”
I melted. Then he added, “Well, this side of Amy’s Lane.” And I burst out laughing.
“Okay,” I told him. “Let’s do this thing.”
We walked out together, holding hands. As a 57-year-old bride, I was a little self-conscious, but when I saw all our friends beaming at us, I just went with it. We strolled toward John Ellis, a friend of John’s and a cousin of George W. Bush, who’d gotten credentialed online as a Universal Life Church minister for the occasion. Imposing and patrician, he would make a great Reverend Hale in a summer-stock production of The Crucible. As we reached the brickwork surrounding the pool, I heard the crunch of sequins under the heels of my strappy silver sandals.
John and I had written our own vows and wanted them to be funny and sincere. Here’s one of mine: “I promise not to stay mad at you for more than 72 hours in the event you do something colossally stupid — such as take my car key with you 140 miles from our home on the Monday of Memorial Day weekend, while I have teenage girls and a flight in four hours to the West Coast for a BIG interview the next morning.”
Yes, that happened.
For his part, John said, “I promise to remember to hold the camera at ‘eye level’ (not lower) when taking photos of you and your fans.” He was learning!
Carrie sang the Beatles song “I Will.” What a blessing, I thought, remembering that upsetting afternoon nine months before when the girls had burst into tears after learning about my engagement. Time heals — they were totally on board now.
After John Ellis pronounced us husband and wife, we walked back down the aisle to the musicians’ rendition of Pharrell’s “Happy.” (Hey, it was 2014! And we were happy!). As we passed my mom, John reached down and squeezed her hand. She smiled approvingly. For me, it was one of the most beautiful moments of the whole ceremony.
Excerpted from GOING THERE by Katie Couric, copyright © 2021 by Katie Couric. Used by permission of Little, Brown, an imprint and division of Hachette Book Group. All rights reserved.
