Weddingbee

Our ceremony was held in the courtyard of the Foundry, which is really quite lovely as it is covered in ivy and beautiful green things. The ceremony was short-about 20 minutes and was performed by a humanist minister.

The Quartet of Michael Lee

Michael Lee was one of the kindest and laid back vendors we had. His quartet was talented, polite and a joy to have at the wedding. They played a very nice selection of classical music for the ceremony and cocktail hour and received quite a few compliments from the guests. I cannot recommend him enough. Email me if you would like his email address. The Quartet of Michael Lee: A

Guests arriving

Ushers, ushering. Or maybe just standing?

One last hug from my Mom before the ceremony.

Groomsmen, Jeff and Dennis.

Hey, it’s the groom!

Patiently waiting

Melissa makes her entrance.

Finally, a picture of Meghan smiling! Every other picture we have of her she is squinting because of the sun, or talking.

Julie, all the way from Ohio.

Marisa is a natural. She has probably made this walk now fewer than 15 times for other weddings.

Caitlin, my niece.

Patric, my nephew, hates being a ring bearer. Doesn’t he look like a mini Ryan Atwood from the O.C.?

My sister and her youngest son, Ryan. Ryan is usually the happiest kid ever, but two minutes before the ceremony he found the cupcake table and went nuts over it. When we told him he could have a cupcake AFTER the ceremony, he protested and his Mom had to carry him down the aisle.

Waiting for our music

Heading down the aisle.

The ceremony begins

Minister Mary Beaty

We found Mary, where else, but on the internet! At first I was not interested in having a female officiant because I didn’t want the ceremony to seem new-agey (I know that’s terrible). However, when Mr. Grasshopper showed me Mary’s site, I agreed to meet with her. She met with us one night at a neighborhood cafƒ� and we both agreed she was great. Not only did she fulfill the qualities we wanted in an officiant (kind, curious, articulate and thoughtful), but she turned out to be a foodie-techy nerd, which was a perfect match for us.

Mary was very organized (she is a librarian by day). She gave us a large packet of sample weddings and readings she had performed, as well as an outline of what a ceremony could entail. Her organization made it so easy for us to sit down and decide what details and readings we wanted to include in our ceremony.

I would recommend Mary to anyone looking for an officiant who will allow you to create your own ceremony. Officiant, Mary Beaty: A

My Uncle Craig reading a piece from The Velveteen Rabbit

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”"

The view from groom’s side

So many hands

I look weepy, but I swear I wasn’t!

Settle down, kids!

Mr. and Mrs. Grasshopper!

• All My Pretty Maids in a ...
• Our Cakes