Travel
After a day of relaxing at the beach {and walking to an island}, it was time to get ready for the real reason we were on vacation…a wedding!
Getting 10 people showered and dressed all fancy in 30 minutes is no easy feat- but we managed to succeed. I am now an expert on folding pocket squares.
Though the ceremony had to be moved at the last minute, everything turned out a-okay. The wedding started with a beautiful outdoor ceremony with a scenic backdrop of the water.
The temperature had cooled off just enough to make it perfect wedding weather- warm enough to be comfortable, but not so warm the bride was dripping sweat. The groomsmen probably were though- they were head to to toe in black.
The groom and his best man. Can you tell from their faces which is which? 
The husband was one of the groomsmen. He’s a cheeseball.
And then came the bride and her dad.
That’s not the dress she showed me she was wearing when we visited them in CT a few months ago- but it was gorgeous.
After some singing, some blessings, and some readings…
…they were officially married!
They headed down to the beach for pictures and champagne toasts.
The rest of us headed over to the cocktail hour in the garden, where the ceremony was originally going to be held.
The groomsmen gifts were giant glass boots… DAS BOOT! {Beerfest, anyone?}
We entertained ourselves with a photo shoot while we waited for the reception to start.
The ceremony site may not have turned out as planned, but they’re still going to end up gorgeous photos from their wedding day- it was such a beautiful view.
Before long, it was time to move inside for the wedding reception.
The first dance:
Then dinner!
I had salmon with what looked like Israeli couscous and baby zucchini. Other options were lobster and filet mignon, or rack of lamb. Crazy fancy food choices!
I’m not too good at taking pictures in the dark with crazy strobe lights, so most of my reception pictures are pretty bad. This one cracks me up though- the guys catching the garter. Most of the time they stand still and hope it doesn’t land near them, but apparently these guys are tired of being single!
And with that, the wedding came to a close and it was time to head home from our mini beach vacation. And now I promise you don’t have to hear any more about a wedding you weren’t at for people you don’t know.
What’s your favorite part of a wedding?
Travel
Despite an unfortunate hiccup in the wedding plans, the weekend went on as scheduled. Up first on the agenda: beach time!
First up, a drink for the birthday girl, Ashley. Nothing like a glass of rum punch to make it feel like a tropical retreat.
I thought May in Connecticut would still be a little chilly…pleasant enough to sit on the beach, but not warm enough for bathing suits or swimming. I was wrong.
It was sunny and HOT!
The water, however, was freezing. But it was too hot not to jump in.
The hotel we’re staying in doesn’t have a gym, and with 5 people crammed in a tiny room, there wasn’t much space for fitting in any exercise. We were able to sneak it in anyway when we saw a little island in the distance…
When we thought we could see people on the island, we had to find out for ourselves how they got there. So we started walking…and walking…and walking… The water never got deeper than our waists before we made it to the island. My legs were completely numb from the freezing cold water, but it was a great way to sneak in some exercise without getting hot. 
Before we knew it, beach time was over and it was time to get ready for a seaside wedding…
Travel
How would you feel if you walked up to your wedding ceremony site the weekend of your wedding and instead of the luscious green grass and beautiful wooden gazebo with the calming background of the ocean you remembered now looked like this:
Devastated? Yeah, that’s what the bride felt.
But let me back up.
Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer– who knew we’d travel six states north to really get our first taste of summer. {Tip: buy new sunscreen every year. It definitely expires.}
For the last three years, the husband and I have spent Memorial Day weekend at a wedding. This year was no different, except that it landed us in a small town in Connecticut with not much more than a beachside resort, a rehab center, and two Dunkin Donuts.
After a full day of traveling, the husband, myself, and a group of friends finally made it to the site of the wedding.
What we found waiting for us was a beautiful resort backing up to the ocean. {Ok, technically it was a sound. But I prefer saying I spent Memorial Day weekend at the ocean. It makes me feel all high class and fancy-like. If you use your imagination and superhero-like vision, you can almost make out the Hamptons across the sound.}
While we found a nice summer retreat, we also found a dismayed bride {and a not-a-care-in-the-world groom}.The resort hadn’t even given them the slightest indication that since they last saw the ceremony site, the construction for a giant suite of seaside villas had begun.
With so many guests coming from out of town, some even there before the bride and groom, cancelling wasn’t an option, although 2 of the 4 brides of the weekend apparently did.
We did our best to distract and cheer up the bride by sitting outside on the resort patio listening to a band and catching up with each other before the big day.
As more and more guests started pouring into town the next morning, the thoughts of the no longer picture perfect gazebo went out the window. Mostly.
The wedding must go on!
How are you celebrating Memorial Day?
