Happy Anniversary to us!

Three years ago this evening, my wonderful hubs and I were married. It was a Friday evening and the most perfect weather we ever could have dreamed of. Before I launch into a little wedding recap, I’ll zoom back to our engagement and the complete turn in wedding plans that our journey took.

We were engaged on November 19, 2005 in one of our favorite places in the world, on a beach in Ballyconeely Ireland. I knew right away that I wanted to get married in Ireland and even planned a trip back for May 2006 to tour and choose a venue. That plan stayed in place as we spent the next few months doing research and budgeting and talking about the type of wedding we wanted. One evening in May 2006, about a week before we were leaving for Ireland once again, we were walking around Castle Island in South Boston on a gorgeous sunset evening and saw some beautiful boats. I jokingly said, wouldn’t it be fun to get married on a boat. And we both stopped in our tracks.

We are both water signs, and just being near the sea with our condo windows opened makes us happy. We started seriously thinking about it, and I started researching the possibility. The hub’s parents were planning on visiting in August; would we be able to plan that quickly? All along I did not enjoy thinking that I might spend 2 years planning and paying for a wedding. In a complete whirlwind, we checked with our families, chose a date, and chartered a boat.

We still went to Ireland, and it was a very relaxing trip 🙂

When we returned we worked on our budget and the image of the wedding we wanted. Small, intimate, elegant yet casual, New England summer, comfortable, lots of time to really spend time with our guests.

We cut our guest list to close family and friends, about 45 people who were really truly part of our daily or weekly lives.

I bought the first dress I tried on. I loved it, it was inexpensive, and it fit the style that I wanted perfectly.

I put out bids for florists and decided on Colleen’s in Dorchester, MA. Her shop is small, and her prices were half that of others. She did an incredible job! Our flowers were all hydrangeas, cream for the tables and Victorian pink for my bouquet. While I loved them, the type of flower may have been the one thing I would change. They were actually flown in from Holland, something I feel badly about looking back and realizing I should have looked for something that was locally grown.

We chose a Justice of the Peace, Phyllis Blotner, who did a beautiful ceremony and totally made us feel comfortable.

The day came quickly! We had rooms at the Boston Harbor Hotel in Boston which was right next to where our yacht, the Majestic Princess, was docked.

My sister and I decorated the day of the ceremony with help from my mom, brother in law, and husband (to be). The decor was simple in chocolate brown and pink with candles and cream hydrangeas throughout the ceremony and reception areas.

We chose to see each other before the ceremony to maximize the time we had during the wedding to spend with our guests. We greeted everyone together, and waiters with trays passed out flutes of champagne with strawberries.

The ceremony was short, meaningful, and emotional. Then we were ready to have some fun!

Immediately after the ceremony, guests were given more champagne, and we set sail. As we pulled away from the dock, a cocktail hour area welcomed guests with a huge display of food, fruit, veggies, cheese, baguettes, crackers, and New England clam chowder. It was sooooo good!

Dinner was a New England lobster bake, complete with BBQ chicken, salad, potatoes, corn on the cob, rolls, and of course, lobster! Followed by blueberry cobbler and then our cupcake tower. My mom and sister brought the delicious cupcakes all the way from Haisch’s Bakery in South Plainfield, NJ.

The food was casual, bbq style, and SO good. And I ate a whole lobster without spilling on my white dress!

Our first dance followed. We danced to a song that most people have never heard of, You’re the one by Shane McGowan and Moya Brennan. It was featured in the  film  Circle of Friends, and it was very “us”.

The night flew by way too fast, but it was SO much fun. People are still talking about the evening, so much that we may do it again for our 5th anniversary.  I am so happy that we opted for a small wedding that allowed us to really be with all of our guests while also having savings left over to travel! Since we were married, we have been to Ireland six times, Holland twice, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Canada and many places in the US. Continuing to travel and not quite “settling down” was very important to us, and I was happy we did not go overboard on wedding expenses. As fun, beautiful, and special as it was, it was one day, and the past 3 years have gotten better with each day that has passed!

Are you married or planning a wedding? Did you have your dream wedding? If you aren’t married, do you have an idea of what type of wedding you would like?