Reception

When we think of our wedding reception a kaleidoscope of swirling, spinning, and dancing comes to mind because what we remember are all the children, friends, and family members whom we love having a great time on the dance floor.

Our reception started soon after our wedding ceremony on the Pinnacle Harbor Resort lawn overlooking the lake and the cliffs beyond. Luckily the day was beautiful after the previous night's thunderstorm, though a bit of wind coming off the lake would lift my veil over my face while we were reciting our vows! We had a big white tent set up near the ceremony area so in case of rain we had a Plan B, but Vermont was kind to us that day. Before walking out to the ceremony I remember looking at an almost unreal beautiful vista that reminded me of an impressionist painting.

Neither Drew nor I can remember much about the ceremony. We were both so nervous, so excited and so happy. We spoke our vows to each other, we kissed, and the sun shone on us.

The first hour of the reception was a cocktail party in the main hall at the Club, a cute little venue with a bar set up and a table of appetizers like bruschetta with crab and jumbo shrimp. We wanted people to get relaxed and in the mood for dancing later on. During the cocktail party, we had an Irish bagpiper walking around and playing traditional Irish music. Drew and I had a grand entrance into the cocktail room after the introductions of the wedding party and then waltzed around the center of the room to the tune of "Mari's Wedding."  My father put his arm around Drew's shoulder and said, “Son, I have always been happy with Caroline's decision to marry you, but the piper has sealed the deal.” He said this with tears in his eyes, or maybe it was my tears.

We moved to the big tent for dinner, where the servers brought out poached salmon, Nana's roasted lamb and vegetable lasagna, and delicious salads and sides. Most of the littler kids had already eaten and were in the carnival area with the nanny, and we could hear their shouts and laughter.

We had many friends and family giving toasts to our new life. My two favorites were from Uncle Owen Walsh and Aunt Beth Friedman.  Uncle Owen toasted, “You were always one of my favorite nieces, and I knew that you would one day become the light of someone’s life. When I see Drew's face, I see your blessed light shine.” He was a little drunk when he toasted us, but with four nieces, he still managed to be diplomatic.

Drew's Aunt Beth's simple sweet toast was, “There are many beginnings and endings in each person's life. Your marriage is a beginning that overshadows all others.”

Soon after dinner, our swing band started playing. The first song was a dance for the bride and bride's father, Daddy's favorite song, “Unchained Melody." During our dance, he whispered in my ear, "You have also been the light of my life, and I am so proud of you now that you are a strong and beautiful woman. I love you with all my heart.” I will never forget the love I saw in my father’s eyes.

Drew and I worked on a swing dance routine that our friend Finbar helped us with so that we could impress our friends at our wedding, and it was a memorable event! The dance came off without a hitch, so look for it on YouTube.

This memory brings me back to the swirling, spinning, and jumping. All around me were my family and friends having a great time, but what I hold dear were all the children in their best clothes. There is something so sweet when a child dances. They hold nothing back and have no insecurity. I loved watching all of them.

Our beautiful cake, made by Stinzer’s bakery, was wheeled out for the traditional cutting of the wedding cake. Ever since I was a child, we would visit the bakery after we spent the afternoon at the beach with my mother. She has known the Stinzer family for years.

When I was little, I told Paulo Stinzer that I wanted him to make my wedding cake. He smiled and gave me a handwritten receipt for the cake with a ten percent discount. I kept that receipt until the day that I finally walked into the bakery and gave it back to him. He surely outdid himself on our cake, as it was the most beautiful cake I had ever seen, four tiers high covered in delicious butter cream and flowers.

No, Drew and I did not shove the cake into each other’s mouth. We never liked that tradition and decided to be kind to each other at our wedding and throughout our lives. 

After several hours, the band wrapped up, and the D.J. we hired got the party dancing to all the party classics. By midnight it was just our best buddies left, still full of party energy. The D.J. started playing conga music, and we all formed a conga line.

I have never had so much fun with a conga line. It moved out onto the vast lawns, and in the moonlight and with the mist rising from the damp grass we all felt alive.

That special moment with all my friends went by too quickly. Drew and I know that we must remind ourselves that life is an accumulation of these singular moments and it is important to remember why we do these things in the first place. What we have found is that the good moments represent love, and we never want to forget that.