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Saturday
afternoon: the reason for the trip. The wedding of John
Goldstone and Marin Hopper who were getting married at 4:30 in
the garden of Dawnridge, the exotically eclectic estate of the late
great set designer and interior designer Tony Duquette way
up in Beverly Hills, guests of Duquette's protégé and
heir Hutton Wilkinson and his wife Ruth.
It was a real Hollywood wedding. The late Mr. Duquette and
his wife Beegle were lifelong friends of the principals and
their forebears: Ms. Hopper is the daughter of Dennis Hopper
and Brooke Hayward Duchin — Mr. Hopper, the film star,
producer/director/ photographer and internationally famous contemporary
art collector, and Mrs. Duchin, a child of Hollywood herself, daughter
of the late film star of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, Margaret Sullavan
and agent/producer (Sound of Music, Gypsy, etc.) Leland
Hayward. An all Show Biz affair including stepfather-in-law orchestra
leader Peter Duchin, whose beginnings were immortalized on
screen years ago in a film about his mother and father, The Eddy
Duchin Story starring Tyrone Power and Kim Novak.
About a hundred friends and family congregated including Brooke's
sons by (her first husband) New York writer Michael Thomas, Jeffrey
Thomas, Willie Thomas and their families. Champagne and hors d'oeurves
were served while we waited for things to get underway. And then:
A Steinway grand, its shiny black case looking so elegant amidst the
flora and fauna and Duquette created background, had placed in the
garden and Peter Duchin played for his stepdaughter, while her father
walked her down the aisle (steps really and then across the brick
pavement) to the waiting groom. The ceremony was relievedly brief
and warm and personal along with the Will you; I do, I do,
ending in applause, more waiters with champagne. The bride and groom
were then joined by their curly and raven-haired little one, Violet
Goldstone, no more than a year old but full of the bright and
outgoing personality that distinguishes both sides of her family. |
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