The wedding in Heathsville, VA on Saturday was perfectly beautiful. The service was an Episcopalian service and included communion for those who wanted to partake. I did. The music selections were perfect and the choir was flawless. Of course these things were perfect. Mac has a Ph.D. in Choral Conducting from the University of Cincinnati. We arrived at their house and dropped off the favor boxes and then made our way to the church. We arrived at the church at 10:45 AM and the service started promptly at 11:00 AM. The church was air conditioned so it was very comfortable inside. By that I mean, they turned the air conditioning on and set it at a temperature which was sufficient enough to keep the air cooled and dehumidified in the nave so that we were not all sitting there sweltering as has been my experience in the past at other churches. I found a pew with an air conditioning supply vent at the end. That was the spot for me. The heat and humidity in Virginia/Maryland/DC in the late spring and summer months is horribly oppressive. I do not hold up well. I have lived here all my life, so you would think that I would be better equipped for the weather. I am not. So we all sat in air conditioned comfort and witnessed the marriage of Mac and Greg. Especially poignant was that their wedding day was on the actual anniversary of the day they met way back in 1990, twenty five years ago. I was there for that meeting so many years ago. It was nice to be invited to share this day with them. Below are some pictures of the day. Enjoy.
Yours truly, in the car, on the way to wedding. We were just leaving the house. It took two and a half hours to get to Heathsville, VA. We first headed south on Route 301, over the Governor Harry W. Nice Bridge which spans the Potomac River, and then we headed east toward the coastline.
I was awake at 3:30 AM on Saturday morning in anticipation of the day ahead. You would have thought I was getting married!!! I lay in bed until 5:00 AM. When I could no longer take it, I got up and started preparing for the trip. First thing - make sure we have the champagne and that the label is in place.
I loved how this label turned out. Just perfect.
Then it was time to start loading the car. Tiffany box with the Georgetown bowl - check. Round tray of favor boxes - Check. I wrapped the trays in cling wrap to keep things from moving around on the trip. It worked like a charm. All I had to do was unwrap them when we got them in place.
And here is the smaller, silver-leaf tray wrapped in cling wrap. I positioned this is a tight space on the floor of the car just as an additional step to keep it sturdy. If I had placed it on the seat, there was the chance that it could have slid off if we had to stop suddenly. I did not want that.
Inside the church, we took our seats toward the back. Pews up front were reserved for family, of course. Keep in mind I needed an a/c vent, and there was one right at the end of this short pew, so I was in heaven.
A short time later, madame arrived and took her seat - DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME!! This was basically what I saw of the rest of the wedding.
Fortunately, I was able to get this shot of Mac and Greg as they entered the church and made their way down the aisle. They wore morning attire and looked very dapper indeed. The interior of the church was unadorned. No sprays of flowers or bunting draped over anything that would stand still. All very nice and most tastefully done. I could not have done a better job myself.
This was our first time at their home, Laurel Cove. Just beautiful. The reception was held in the back on the deck and patio. You could make your way around the house on the left or walk through the house and directly to the stairs leading down to the reception area.
The garage was a convenient area for the catering trucks so that food and drink could be easily transported down to the party area.
Once in the back, we were met with this lovely multi-leveled deck and pool and patio area that was set up very nicely with food and drink. In the center of the picture was the bar. To the right was the hors d'oeuvre table for the cocktail hour. Later on, in the long white tent to the right, there was a sumptuous late lunch/early dinner meal placed for everyone to enjoy. That is Greg making his way around the table in the white shirt. A very handsome guy.
And speaking of handsome guys, here is the other half of At Home with John Newman, our very own Steven.
Greg making the rounds and getting closer to our table. Mac and Greg are dear friends and we are so happy for them.
Here is a shot of the beautiful, crystal clear water of the pool. It was very hot on Saturday. I believe in the low 90's and, unfortunately, the humidity levels increased substantially as the day wore on. There were many threats from the guests, myself included, to jump into the pool fully clothed. I wanted to, but decided I would not make a spectacle of myself. At least, not this time!! You can also see the tented area better in this shot where the lunch/dinner was served. This entire area was eventually filled with food. It was spectacular. What I did not get a picture of was the trio who provided the music for the cocktail hour. They were wonderful. The music was not too loud. Just what one needs in the background as everyone is enjoying their gin and tonics.
Back inside, I noticed that everyone was placing their gift boxes and bags on the same counter with the wedding favor boxes. So I brought in our wine tote with the Veuve Clicquot and the Tiffany box with the Georgetown bowl. Greg sent an email the next day and said the favor boxes were a big hit with everyone. I was glad to hear that. I was very pleased with how they turned out. A classic look for a classic wedding.
This was an extraordinary wedding, done most tastefully, the way a wedding should be done. It reminded me of the wedding we attended last August of Steven's brother Bob and his now wife Bette. That was a most tasteful wedding. Both couples kept the service and the decoration to a minimum. There is a lot to be said for that. These over-the-top weddings that we see on television are unnecessary. I find them garish and vulgar. Bob and Bette and Mac and Greg all had very refined weddings and that is what you want. A refined wedding. Not a carnival act.
Yours truly, in the car, on the way to wedding. We were just leaving the house. It took two and a half hours to get to Heathsville, VA. We first headed south on Route 301, over the Governor Harry W. Nice Bridge which spans the Potomac River, and then we headed east toward the coastline.
I was awake at 3:30 AM on Saturday morning in anticipation of the day ahead. You would have thought I was getting married!!! I lay in bed until 5:00 AM. When I could no longer take it, I got up and started preparing for the trip. First thing - make sure we have the champagne and that the label is in place.
I loved how this label turned out. Just perfect.
Then it was time to start loading the car. Tiffany box with the Georgetown bowl - check. Round tray of favor boxes - Check. I wrapped the trays in cling wrap to keep things from moving around on the trip. It worked like a charm. All I had to do was unwrap them when we got them in place.
And here is the smaller, silver-leaf tray wrapped in cling wrap. I positioned this is a tight space on the floor of the car just as an additional step to keep it sturdy. If I had placed it on the seat, there was the chance that it could have slid off if we had to stop suddenly. I did not want that.
Finally, we arrived at the house. Everybody had left for the church, so the caterers let us in. I set up the boxes where I thought would be an appropriate spot on this pass-through counter-top. This worked just perfectly. Once we were done here, it was time to get to the church.
We followed Google Maps on my iPhone to the church address and we arrived at the most adorable little church I have ever seen. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. It was the perfect venue.
Inside the church, we took our seats toward the back. Pews up front were reserved for family, of course. Keep in mind I needed an a/c vent, and there was one right at the end of this short pew, so I was in heaven.
A short time later, madame arrived and took her seat - DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME!! This was basically what I saw of the rest of the wedding.
Fortunately, I was able to get this shot of Mac and Greg as they entered the church and made their way down the aisle. They wore morning attire and looked very dapper indeed. The interior of the church was unadorned. No sprays of flowers or bunting draped over anything that would stand still. All very nice and most tastefully done. I could not have done a better job myself.
Once in the back, we were met with this lovely multi-leveled deck and pool and patio area that was set up very nicely with food and drink. In the center of the picture was the bar. To the right was the hors d'oeuvre table for the cocktail hour. Later on, in the long white tent to the right, there was a sumptuous late lunch/early dinner meal placed for everyone to enjoy. That is Greg making his way around the table in the white shirt. A very handsome guy.
And speaking of handsome guys, here is the other half of At Home with John Newman, our very own Steven.
Greg making the rounds and getting closer to our table. Mac and Greg are dear friends and we are so happy for them.
Here is a shot of the beautiful, crystal clear water of the pool. It was very hot on Saturday. I believe in the low 90's and, unfortunately, the humidity levels increased substantially as the day wore on. There were many threats from the guests, myself included, to jump into the pool fully clothed. I wanted to, but decided I would not make a spectacle of myself. At least, not this time!! You can also see the tented area better in this shot where the lunch/dinner was served. This entire area was eventually filled with food. It was spectacular. What I did not get a picture of was the trio who provided the music for the cocktail hour. They were wonderful. The music was not too loud. Just what one needs in the background as everyone is enjoying their gin and tonics.
Back inside, I noticed that everyone was placing their gift boxes and bags on the same counter with the wedding favor boxes. So I brought in our wine tote with the Veuve Clicquot and the Tiffany box with the Georgetown bowl. Greg sent an email the next day and said the favor boxes were a big hit with everyone. I was glad to hear that. I was very pleased with how they turned out. A classic look for a classic wedding.
 |
| A beautiful arrangement of lilies on the dining room table at Laurel Cove |
No comments
Post a Comment