The Great Escape

We had originally decided that we wouldn't go on a proper honeymoon since we wouldn't be able to afford much after the wedding.  We figured we'd just spend a few days at Hampton Beach and save up to do something for our first anniversary.  Then Rick suggested he drive down to Virginia and he'd spend a few days down here with me.  Then we decided to stop over for a night in Atlantic City, NJ on the way.  Then I suggested we stop for a night in Ocean City, MD and a plan came together.



We will start our honeymoon adventure in Hampton Beach and drive down to Atlantic City on Tuesday.  We'll play a few slots, check out Ripley's Believe It or Not, and see what else Atlantic City has to offer.  We've booked an ocean front room at the Showboat. 

Then on Wednesday morning we'll head down to Ocean City for a couple of days.  I can't wait to show Rick one of my favorite places.  We'll do the Haunted House, play some miniature golf, and check out Trimper's Rides and the Jolly Roger Amusement Park.  We were able to get a gorgeous suite at the Hilton that is also ocean front.  And we will have to have some Captain's pizza--the best beach pizza in the East. 

We'll start for Virginia on Friday morning and Rick will head back up to Massachusetts early on Saturday.  Now all I have to figure out is how to travel light.  I swear I just heard Rick snicker all the way from Massachusetts as I typed that. 

We only get married and have a honeymoon once, so we thought we should make it count.  I know we're both looking forward to being able to relax too. 

Less than two weeks to go!

The Perfect Storm

I tend to be a pretty laid-back kind of guy. Even when things are at their absolute messiest in any aspect of life, I make every effort not to panic and just concentrate on taking things one step at a time.

At this point, I have decided to make an exception to this, and briefly allow myself to absolutely freak out.



exploding head courtesy of Tom Tomorrow

For the first time in my life, I am pretty sure I had some kind of mild panic attack yesterday morning. I am starting to realize that planning this wedding was a piece of cake (no pun intended) until we started getting down to the last few weeks and all the floating details that still need to be addressed. Details like:

• Place cards (we already have the holders)
• Confirming the final details of the cake
• Checking in with the DJ to make sure he can handle our insanely specific requests
• Getting my suit and Andy's dress pressed
• Matting and framing of our "guestbook" (a display of some antique postcards of Hampton Beach)
• Finalizing the seating chart
• Writing my vows
• Confirming the specifics of the ceremony with our JOP
• Finishing up the remaining centerpieces
• ...And probably a lot more that escapes me at the moment.

On top of all this, I get the feeling that life beyond the wedding is conspiring to drive me crazy. Work is overwhelming, with several upcoming trade shows and  lengthy business trips, our office moving to an as yet unidentified new location in Massachusetts, and a flood of complex daily problems and annoyances.

As Andy mentioned in her previous post, we also had a hurricane to contend with on her last visit up here, which thankfully didn't rob us of any of our precious time together.





Oh, and let's not forget that Spooky, in a totally surreal incident, saw the plastic storage container full of brown sand (for the centerpieces) that I had stupidly left open on the floor of my office, and apparently assumed it was some kind of new litterbox.

Not wanting to subject our guests to centerpieces that smelled like cat pee for 5½ hours straight, I had to throw the entire 20 lbs of sand in the trash and order more. I certainly couldn't be mad at her though, she was just doing what cats do. A large, open container on the floor, full of sand, is where Spooky is programmed to do her cat "business".



It's business time.

It has definitely been an interesting and stressful few weeks for us, but none of it has made me any less excited for the wedding. Many people have told me that the day will go by so fast that I'll barely notice it, but I'm hoping that's not true. I know we are both looking forward to spending a wonderful day at the beach celebrating our union with our friends and family.

Goodnight Irene

    
     On my last weekend up I did the hair and makeup dry run with the Soho Salon and Spa in Rye, NH.  I had envisioned something completely different than what the stylist came up with, but I loved it.  A partial up do and very simple makeup.  I'm glad I decided to let a pro do my hair and makeup.  That will be one less thing to go wrong on the big day.

     The weekend did not come without surprises of course.  Hurricane Irene bore down on the East Coast and I couldn't get a flight out until Tuesday and I had planned to leave on Sunday.  Flights were so backlogged out of Logan that I ended up flying out of Bradley International in Connecticut.  I have never seen an airport so empty. 

Yes, it always looks this empty.

     Everything was closed in Leominster on Sunday.  Luckily we didn't lose power and we managed to find one Chinese restaurant open.  Clearly we have more experience with hurricanes down South and don't tend to freak out and close everything when there's a little wind and rain.



 I'll be back up this weekend to work out the seating chart and visit one last time before the big day.  Don't forget to let one of us know where you're staying and if you will be attending the post wedding breakfast on Sunday.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Another adventurous and busy weekend in lovely Massachusetts! This was a quick one day/night trip for me to help Rick with a few wedding details. A massive storm system caused flights to be cancelled and delayed from Canada to Florida. My return flight was delayed 2 hours (does not include time sitting on the tarmac at Logan and Dulles). Nothing anyone can do about the weather though.

 I don't handle delays well, but at least this was weather and not a baggage handler bumping into and breaking off a pitot tube.

If you plan to stay overnight, which we encourage, and have not made reservations at a local hotel yet, check out the "Where You Can Stay" section of the blog. There are some nice hotels within walking distance of the Ashworth. The Ashworth has a block of rooms for our guests as well.


For those of you that have already made reservations, please send me or Rick the name of the hotel, address, and name that your room is booked under.

Also, we have decided to host a post wedding breakfast.  Would love to have you join us if you can.  We do need a headcount, so let us know if you plan to attend.

 They should add "karaoke" to the sign.

I brought my dress, shoes, and accessories up this weekend. This is the new dress. I have added an aqua-ish sash around the waist and have decided that my shoes should match the sash. This is a lousy picture:



 Awkward dress posing.

The bodice has very pretty beading that gives the dress some sparkle without being overly fussy. It was a bit long on me, so Rick is taking it to a local tailor to have it hemmed.

I will be up again this coming weekend to do the hair and makeup run through with the Soho Salon in Rye. We also plan to drop off my shoes to have them dyed while we're there.

We still need to find a barber for Rick. Anybody know of a place near Hampton Beach where a guy can get an old fashioned shave? That's going to be a tough one. There is a place in Concord, MA, but that's not practical.


I think we're both feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. It's amazing how all these little details add up to so much to do. I can't believe we're just a little over a month away from the big day either.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact either one of us if you have any questions and be sure to let one of us know the details on where you're staying.

EDIT:  Anybody else feel that earthquake today?  The epicenter was about 60 miles away from where I live.  Made my afternoon meeting far more interesting.

The Big List for the Big Day

You're going to love the way you look.

We're down to the last 2 months before the big day! We're looking forward to sharing this special day with all of you. We sincerely appreciate you taking time out of your busy lives to come celebrate with us. A special thank you to those that are coming in from out of town.

We're working hard to check off the last few boxes on the list: photographer, Rick's suit, hair and makeup, seating charts, playlist for the DJ, finishing the centerpieces, writing our vows, making decisions about the actual ceremony, etc. The list has never seemed longer.

Rick wanted a linen suit. When he first brought it up all I could picture was Ricardo Montalban from Fantasy Island. He found the perfect linen suit at Men's Warehouse and we had a lot of fun picking out the tie and shirt in our wedding colors. The alterations were done in a week and Rick picked it up Friday night. I think most of you have seen the photo he posted on Facebook.

A close friend of Rick's family has generously given us the wonderful gift of being our officiate. We really wanted our ceremony and reception to be personal and reflect who we are and this makes it extra special.

We have completed our playlist for the DJ. Probably one of the most eclectic lists I've ever seen. We split it up into two categories: cocktail hour/dinner music and music for dancing. This was really hard because we started off with a lot of songs we just love, but had to cut them because you just can't dance to them.

I found a place in Rye that does wedding hair and makeup. I will be up the last weekend of August and hope to have a dry run with the salon.

When my Dads were here from Hawaii I wanted to show them the necklace I chose to go with my dress. I had chosen pearls in our wedding colors, but was disappointed to find that the length wasn't what I expected and that it couldn't be altered. Dad 2 has a fabulous eye and spotted an aqua chalcedony necklace at Na Hoku that was perfect. They were able to custom order the length I wanted and they had earrings to match. The picture doesn't do this lovely set justice.

On that note, with all the boxes we've checked off and planning we've done, we wouldn't be maintaining our sanity without help from our friends and family. Thank you.

Under Pressure

Wow folks, it has been a busy few weeks, wedding-wise.

Today I accomplished what seemed like an impossible task: securing the services of a top-quality DJ who was not only free for October 1st, but who also provides karaoke services. Andy and I are both very relieved to scratch this one off the to-do list, but we still have a lot to do, and not a lot of time left before the big day.

On her last visit here, Andy perfected her vision of our DIY centerpieces, and I paid close attention so that when the gigantic boxes of flowers, sand, seashells, and other assorted supplies finally stop arriving at my apartment, I will be able to assemble the rest and give her a much-needed break from wedding stuff. Here's a picture of the prototype, I think it came out looking amazing. I'm only sorry the photo is not of better quality (I took it in dark lighting so it would be more obvious that they were illuminated from within by LED lights):

I have ordered my wedding band, and have received my wedding shoes this week as well. I am very excited that things are coming together, but there are still a lot of little, tiny details that we are going to have to deal with. One thing at a time, I guess...

Red, White, & Lobstah

Happy 4th of July!

Rick and I attended Craig and Leah's absolutely beautiful wedding last weekend and I was convinced that we should have a karaoke machine at our wedding. I initially put my foot down, but Lura convinced me it would be fun. And fun is what we want to have, so there will be karaoke.

Rick has gone by the Ashworth recently and tells me that the renovation of the boardwalk area in front of the hotel is close to complete. The view is beautiful, so I really hope that is all done by October.

For those of you coming from out of town, be sure to check out our page on places to stay in Hampton Beach. Of course, the Ashworth has a block of rooms available for our guests too. It's a lovely and historic hotel and worth the splurge.

Don't hesitate to contact me or Rick if you have any questions.

More Details

Here's the menu (there will be a selection of Hors D'Oeuvres as well):

Fresh Fruit Cup with Sherbet

Iceburg lettuce wedge with bacon, bleu cheese, tomato confetti, and balsamic vinaigrette

Baked stuffed haddock with seafood stuffing and lobster sauce

Sole Florentine with spinach and seafood stuffing

Stuffed breast of chicken with supreme sauce

Bow tie pasta with shrimp, tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese

Roast prime ribs of beef au jus and horseradish cream

Seasonal vegetable

Rice pilaf

Herb roasted potatoes

The menu is subject to change, but this should be close. We chose something with a lot of variety so there would be something for everyone.

Unfortunately, I can't get the dress I ordered. That's the danger of having a small outfit make a dress. If just one seamstress quits, all bets are off. After a close call of becoming a panic stricken bride, I was able to find another one. First (and I'm sure it won't be the last) disaster averted.

Rick has ordered his special wedding shoes and has chosen a wedding band. Now he just has to decide what he's going to wear. He's looking to match our wedding colors, but is steering clear of the whole tuxedo thing. I'm sure whatever he chooses, he'll be a very handsome groom.

We still have to find a DJ and photographer. I also need to find a place close to Hampton Beach that can do wedding hair and makeup. If anyone has any recommendations, please let us know.

Favors, Menus, and Playlist. Oh My!

It's a busy wedding week for us. I'm working on favors and centerpieces and Rick is working on the invitations. We're both trying hard to come up with songs for our playlist, making final decisions on the reception menu, and choosing our rings. All of these little details put the pressure on and I am approaching panic mode. Thankfully Rick is the calm to my frantic. As usual, we make a great team. My advice to anybody planning a wedding is to approach the tremendous task at hand as a TEAM. Seriously, it's a sanity saver.

Rick and I just took a nice break from all of this over Memorial Day weekend. We spent a day in Boston shopping. Rick thought that a relaxing weekend being pampered at a hotel would do us both some good. He surprised me with making reservations for us to have a river view room at the Hotel Marlowe. We had a fabulous time.

Last call for those that would like to suggest songs for the playlist! Watch those mailboxes, we'll be sending the invitations out this week

Piece of Cake

After a few months with no real progress on our wedding plans, we have become productive once again. This past weekend, we were lucky enough to have picked an incredible bakery at which to schedule a cake-tasting and consultation, Frederick's Pastries in Amherst NH.



Having long known of the buzz and local prestige of the establishment, I was nervous that our meeting would result in disappointment-- a cake we couldn't afford, unreasonable terms, whatever. I simply assumed that although we were aiming high, we would eventually decide that we had to settle for a second-rate cake from a second-rate bakery.



However, our meeting went smoothly, quickly, and successfully. Our original idea of a two-tiered cake was thrown out the window, along with a few other details that we had envisioned, but for good reason: These guys are the best at what they do, and they know what they're talking about. Every suggestion made perfect sense to us.

The end result was our choice of a cake in the "Innocence" design (see picture), using blue frosting with brown ribbon.



Here's an example of an "Innocence" cake that Frederick's lists in their gallery.
It fit right in with our vision of smooth, relatively unfettered simplicity.



Our cake will also feature a decorative smattering of white chocolate seashells, and blue chocolate lobsters, with crushed graham cracker "sand" sprinkled along the cakeboard and the topper. Andy had the brilliant idea of adding some blue seaglass to the decoration, which Frederick's assured us would be no problem at all.

The tasting went incredibly well too. Although we were originally set on red velvet, we tasted their chocolate, golden vanilla, and almond cakes, with a variety of fruit and nut fillings. Our final decision was that each tier (starting with our anniversary top tier) will alternate between vanilla with strawberry filling, and chocolate with raspberry filling.

I am very excited and pleased at how well things went, and the price turned out to be considerably less than we had budgeted for. As you will notice, we were so taken with this bakery, Andy added Frederick's to our links list here at the blog.

I'm no big connoisseur of cakes or desserts, but this bakery and the whole experience just blew me away. Now I'm not sure I can wait 5 months to have dessert!

THE Dress

CANCELLED, , , ,

Not a setback I was preparded for, but the seamstress can't make my dress. So, I'm back to shopping for another one. I can just feel my bloodpressure rising. I was able to get the shoes and I am picky about shoes so that is a positive.

And THE shoes. . . .

Champagne swatch.

Bye bye. . .

Wedding Salute to Regretsy.com Part 5

Once again taking "til death do us part" too seriously. This is a ring bearer's box.

Elton John would be proud of any bride brave enough to wear these.

A bat groom that defies explanation. Unless you're Batman this shouldn't be part of your wedding decor.

Wedding Salute to Regretsy.com Part 4

Paint can champagne chiller. Really?


Here comes the. . .oh my god!

Another offering from the bizarre cake topper category. A twinkie and a bear? How is that supposed to work?

Bacon heart sculpture. Another item that you will not find on our registry. Rick would just eat it anyway (if The Boys didn't get to it first). Mmmm, bacony goodness.

Wedding Salute to Regretsy.com Part 3

Even without the paint splatter this is one ugly wedding dress. Who would BUY this? And pay for the artsy ummm. . . paint job? I could buy a thrift store dress and enlist the help of local pre-schoolers if I wanted artsy. Pass.

I just find these weird. The seller suggested this as a wedding gift or cake topper. Yummy. . .yarn in the cake. Plus, these are kind of creepy.

And speaking of creepy. . .Ken and Barbie looking as if they are drowning or their heads are being boiled in a pot is just not my idea of a charming necklace.

Happy New Year!

Wow, a new year already. When I think back on the last 2½ years, I both enjoy it and don't. I enjoy the feeling that every minute Andy and I spend together seems to become an adventure. I don't enjoy the feeling that 2½ years seems to have gone by in an instant, but I know I'm not alone in feeling like time goes faster and faster with every passing year.

This past weekend served as both our first Christmas and our first New Year's together, and it was as much an adventure as any other visit. I flew to the DC area on New Year's Eve, and we spent the weekend relaxing at the Westin on a sort of mini winter vacation. We exchanged gifts, and I was very pleased (but not surprised) at how thoughtful and practical Andy's gifts to me were. I got some great video games, some really nice shaving accessories, and a few lobster-related items, among other things.


I think this print is my favorite of Andy's gifts this year.

Our New Year's celebration was pretty tame. We had a few drinks at the bar, and were delighted to see that a familiar face was working that night: The bartender who had concocted Andy's challenge of a Caramel Martini during our last visit to the Westin. She (the bartender) informed us this time around that the Caramel Martini was a huge success at the bar, and was now the hotel's "signature drink".

During our stay, we got some minor shopping and major eating accomplished too. We also had a series of our typically excellent conversations concerning our fascination with the human condition, and the endangered species known as "etiquette", having made many first-hand observations of rudeness that was so blatant as to be completely inexplicable.

2010 was a great year, but 2011 promises to be even better. Now that the holidays are over and the year is off to a wonderful start with the wedding less than 9 months away, Andy and I have made our own joint resolution to get back to work researching vendors and ironing out the details of our reception.

Happy New Year to all of you, from myself, Andy, Ducky, Spooky, and Oscar!