"Mother- Son Dance"

 The Mother of the Groom/Groom Dance is a tradition - lovely one.  You can look at the top picture and see the love and lifetime filled with devotion in both their faces.  The song they danced to was, "In My Life" by the Beetles.

And I can't leave Bob out... (Rob's Dad).  He is a prince among men.  To the left, Debbie and Bob and below, Bob and Rob.

And Debbie... I LOVED your dress.  If you're wiling to share, I'd like a reco on where you located your dress... KK's wedding date is July 3, 2015...and although I said I was wearing my blue dress to all four girls' weddings...I may not...   :-)

And once again, thank you Patty Cloherty for the beautiful pics.

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"Their First Dance"

So it's finally time for Rob and Maggie's first dance as a married couple.  There was a wooden dance floor inside the mansion, in the central room in-between the two dining rooms. We chose to set up the dancing on the patio, however,  - complete with the DJ and one of the bars on site.  Had the weather been perfect, there would have been no need for the tent to cover the patio, and all could have danced under the stars... But a wedding is just like life - all can not be perfect.  And as I will show in future pictures, I don't think it interfered with any one's joy and good time!

The song of their first dance? - John Legend's "All of Me"

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"More Candids!"

So...dinner is finished, the DJ is gearing up, guests are relaxing with a cocktail before the dancing begins.  This gave us a nice opportunity for some candid photos.  The top picture shows Maggie, Christina and Robert in the Tent we ordered last minute (the one specially designed for the Wadsworth Mansion patio by Connecticut Rentals - a wonderful company to work with, by the way...).

The DJ had a nice light show - to be as subtle or as bold as desired - hence, the pink hue in the top photo - for a brief timeframe.

The second two pictures are candids.  I hope you'll notice the grounds behind the friends in the lower two pictures.  It really was beautifully landscaped, and I'm glad we some rain-free time...

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"The Young Crowd!"

The top two pictures show some of Rob's friends at the wedding.  Good men, all.  Yes, the sun did come out for select moments so we could get some outside shots.  To the right, is a photo of Rob's great friend, room-mate and groomsman, Wil with the beautiful Christina.

Part of what makes a wedding fun for all, I think, is the energy of the youthful weddings guests.  I'm not saying they have to be young for that energy, (Rob's Grandma Jackie, for example, has the energy of the young…), but it helps. Please enjoy the picture below of the lovely Jackie, dancing in the center of a group of girls.  She's the one with her hand in the air!

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"Socializing Part II"

Top photo is of my dear cousin, Kim.  Always there when I need her - from CA to New England.
Next up is Kim, Mary, Kenny and the Maid of Honor at OUR wedding, Annie!  All the way from California as well.

Last but not least, Kim, Mary and Annie again.  I was very fortunate to have three of the six bridesmaids from OUR wedding!  I'm trying to find a photo of my lovely sister-in-law, Teresa.  She was in our wedding too, of course.  Her husband, Bill, as well as my father-in-law also made the long trip.

Annie and Kim have hardly changed through the years.  But I see Kim regularly.  Annie, I have not seen in 14 years.  She came once to visit when we lived in Chicago. Julia as a few weeks old.

The morning of the wedding, we were taking pictures in the Hilton lobby, due to the terrible rainstorm, and this woman kept eyeing me.  'She must love weddings,'  I thought.  And then, she wouldn't LEAVE!

Finally, it clicked.  It was Annie!  I was not the calm mother of the bride I have tried to portray myself… I was frazzled, and didn't immediately recognize my best friend since I was 14… She forgave me, though, and I got the biggest hug!  :-)

Tomorrow, the "Young Set!"
http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

"Socializing!"

 During dinner, we had a little time to socialize.  This post is the first of a few to recognize those who traveled from afar to celebrate the wedding with Maggie and Rob. Forgive me if I couldn't get everyone.  Most of the pictures were from others, but a few I had snapped from my iPhone.  Not enough, not enough!

The top picture is of my parents with me.  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for making the great journey from California to Connecticut.  I know it's a long trip.  Since I've already spilled the beans in previous FB posts, I will tell you that Dad will be 96 this year!  Mom is much, much younger..

 The second picture is, (from left to right), my cousin Janet's husband Mike, cousin Janet, yours truly, and my cousin Kim's husband, Dan, also from California.

And the last picture is of Maggie's godparents, (all the way from Texas!), Tom and Cheryl, along with Kenny and me.

Tomorrow, I have a few pictures of my dear cousin, Kim, Dan's wife - who is the sister I never had…or maybe I do...

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best

The above link is to the cozy mystery by Mary P. Karnes, "Simply the Best" about a wedding planner in sunny Santa Barbara, CA - available in e-book format from amazon, Barnes and Noble and Apple iBooks.

"The Dinner Hour!"

The Dinner Menu!

"Mixed Field Greens with Slice Strawberries, Gorgonzola Cheese & Toasted Almonds with Balsamic in Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Baskets of French Bread and Rolls - butter

Choice of:

Breast of Chicken Piccata, Grilled Filet of Salmon with Mango Salsa, or Grilled Vegetables (for the Vegetarians)
All entrees served with: Risotto and Grilled Seasonal Vegetables: Asparagus, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Red & Green Peppers, Mushrooms & Cherry Tomatoes

Coffee, Tea and Decaf - set up as a station after dinner"

A couple of months before the wedding, Kenny had a brainstorm.  "Let's create the exact wedding menu," (EACH entree!), "and choose several wines to see which goes best with them."  Well…to be perfectly honest, it sounded like an awful lot of work to me.  But we did it…he more than I… and we had the BEST time and choose some terrific wine to go with dinner.  It was the best date night…

Please enjoy a few pictures:

1) Debbie with two of her nieces, those lovely ladies of the guest book…

2) Two of Maggie beautiful friends, Jill and Annie

3) My Maggie and my Robert

http://my.bookbaby.com/book/simply-the-best