Have I mentioned that I love weddings? Probably a few hundreds times by now, right? Well, I do, and I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating our friends’ wedding weekend.
On Friday afternoon, Mal and I packed up to drive to the event.
We were only going away for two nights, but we had so much stuff!
How does that always happen?
Almost three hours later, we arrived at The Farm Bar & Grille for dinner with some friends. We originally planned to meet everyone at the retreat center where we were all staying for the weekend, but the drive took a lot longer than expected (it took us 2 hours and 45 minutes to drive 50 miles), so we went straight to the restaurant. Thankfully, good food and good friends totally made up for the long drive!
I was starving by the time we arrived, so I immediately dove into a piece of corn bread with butter. Maybe it was because I was so hungry, but it was some of the best corn bread I have eaten!
Our group split a bunch of appetizers among the table””they were also delicious!
And for my entrée, I ordered the pulled pork quesadilla, which was stuffed full of meat and cheese. Mmm!
After dinner, we drove to the Essex Conference Center & Retreat where the wedding was being held and where we stayed for the weekend. The rooms reminded me of a college dorm, and it was so fun staying with all of our friends in a large cabin/retreat center.
The property was really pretty, especially at this time of year.
There was a small pond and funky sculptures all over.
On Saturday morning, a bunch of us went to George’s of Gloucester for breakfast. The food and service were both excellent.
I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and homefries””delish!
The portion sizes at George’s are massive. Check out the size of the pancake that my friend Erin ordered.
She couldn’t eat the whole thing, so I helped her finish it off after I ate my breakfast.
Yup, I was stuffed after that.
After breakfast, Mal, Erin, Mike, and I went for a nature walk. We were all pretty full after breakfast, so it felt good to move around.
The walk was so beautiful!
Bromance.
I love fall!
We walked for about an hour before returning to the conference center.
A short while later, it was time for the wedding ceremony!
The ladies:
The gentlemen:
Erin and Mike!
Here comes the bride!
Kaitlyn looked so beautiful! Don’t you love her dress?!
I love these two.
The groom’s cousin officiated the ceremony and, before we knew it, he was telling him he could kiss the bride!
Immediately following the ceremony was a cocktail hour and reception.
It ended up being a little chilly inside the tent, so I rocked my new orange sweater from Stitch Fix for most of the evening (except when dancing, of course).
Dinner started with a spinach salad topped with goat cheese and spiced pecans.
For the main course, I had coconut-crusted chicken with honey mustard and roasted asparagus and fingerling potatoes on the side. Yum! I practically devoured this meal.
At the end of the night, I enjoyed a big piece of cake, but it was really dark inside the tent at that point in the evening, so I didn’t bother to snap a pic. The actual cake is a lot prettier anyway, right?
The rest of the evening involved ridiculous shenanigans on the dance floor.
And inside the photo booth.
If you’re looking for a photo booth for you next event, be sure to check out Port City Photo Booth. Dave (as in Dave and Marie) and his friend own it, and they were extremely professional, organized, and friendly during the reception.
The night concluded with s’mores by the fire and even more shenanigans.
I love weddings. The end.
P.S. Today is the FINAL day to get the deal on the Harvest Your Health Bundle!