Seth Frear has been married less than two hours, and already he's forgotten his wedding date.
"First, I wrote June 16th on the wedding license, then I wrote down June 14th," he says sheepishly, hugging his new wife, Ya-Fen "Annie" Frear.
"Finally, I got it right: June 15th." He smiles and shrugs. "I guess you could say I was nervous. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
As long as her husband remembers their first anniversary next year, that's all that matters, says Annie, who, like Seth, was up all night contemplating the biggest day of her life.
"We have a lot to learn, but so much to be happy about," she says, resplendent in flowing white satin adorned with tiny pearls. "I want to always remember how I feel on this day."
Annie, 31, and Seth, 25, wanted to tell their story over a Free Lunch of chicken cordon bleu and apple pie at the Lion House Pantry, a short stroll from the Salt Lake Temple, where they were married. I joined them and six family members in a dining room upstairs, elegantly furnished with red velvet chairs, lace curtains and antique oak sideboards.
The newlyweds' one-bedroom apartment doesn't look anything like this, says Seth, taking care not to wrinkle his tuxedo as he settles into one of the cushy chairs.
"We bought most of our furniture at the D.I. (Deseret Industries)," he says. "After lunch today, we have to go haul it all to our new place. Romantic, huh?"
Just as romantic is the way he proposed to Annie two months ago: over the phone. But there is a good reason Seth popped the question long-distance. He was in China teaching English, while Annie, a college student from Taiwan, was temporarily living with his parents, Joe and Linda Frear, in Sandy.
The couple met three years ago at a party, but it wasn't until they were separated by a few thousand miles that they realized how much they meant to each other.
"I decided she was the nicest, most loving person I'd ever met," says Seth, who proposed in Chinese. When Annie said yes, then started to cry, he told her not to worry. "My mom will take care of everything."
Because Annie's parents live in Taiwan, Linda Frear cleared off her dining room table and planned the entire wedding and reception. With no time for Annie to special-order a wedding dress, Seth's sister, Jana, donated her gown, worn four years ago. When Seth returned to Utah a few days before the big event, the first thing he did was go shopping for a wedding ring.
"I thought I'd better not bring back a diamond that said, 'Made in China,' " he says. Instead, he brought Annie a beautiful red Chinese jacket, which she changed into at the Lion House before sitting down for chicken and pie.
"I don't feel any different yet," she says, three hours into the marriage, "but I know that will happen. It will take time for us to get used to each other." She anticipates relinquishing the television remote control, while Seth is prepared to give up his share of the closet.
"Annie has a lot of clothes," he says, "and I have lots of books, but we'll work it out. Everybody tells us the first year is the hardest."
Although the newlyweds say they'll be content with a simple life, they dream of owning a home someday and perhaps raising a family.
"How many kids do you want?" Seth asks Annie over dessert. "Seven? Eight?"
Annie gasps and everybody laughs. Just kidding, says Seth with a grin. One or two would be just fine.
Have a story? Let's hear it over lunch. E-mail your name, phone number and what's on your mind to freelunch@desnews.com or send a fax to 466-2851. You can also write me at the Deseret News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.