Mike and Allie

Last weekend we went down to Long Island to see our friends Mike and Allie get married. We opted to take the ferry, which broke up the trip nicely, and stayed with my brother Andy and his fiancée at their house in Shirley. The morning of the wedding Andy and I went out on an 11.5 mile run and he gave me a tour of the neighborhood, including some remains from Hurricane Sandy. Andy is a much better runner than I am, and I have a half marathon next week, so it was also good training. We ended at the beach about a 10 minute walk from the house where we met up with everyone else and walked along the water. After our return, we all got ready for the wedding, piled into the car, and took the hour long drive through the Hamptons to Duckwalk Vineyards on the tip of the island.

The vineyard was charming, and we had time to mingle and take in the scenery before the ceremony began. The alter was set on a stretch of lawn between the venue and the vineyards, offering a backdrop of grapevines for the vows. There were complementary blankets before we took our seats, which came in handy as the sun got lower in the sky and the temperature dropped, and heel guards to protect high heeled shoes from sinking into the lawn. I tried to refrain from taking too many pictures once the ceremony started, as I didn't want to be that jerk craning her neck with the camera and ruining the professional photos, though I did get a few setting shots. The sweetest being Pippin the dachshund sitting on grandma's lap after bearing the ring in his dog-tux.

A couple of poems chosen by the couple had everyone tearing up, and the sun was setting just as they kissed. It was short and sweet, and heartwarming to see my two friends who I'd met shortly after moving to Boston tie the knot amidst all their family and friends. The ceremony was followed by an assortment of delicious hors d'oeuvres on the patio, dinner and dancing in the main hall, and touching tributes from family members and friends. Other highlights included a s'mores bar, a feature made possible by the bride's insistence, and Allie and some younger family members coming out for final dances in their pajamas. The final song played, and then it was off to Disney World for the honeymoon while guests took home complementary bottles of wine. Overall it was a beautiful experience. Congratulations, Mike and Allie!

Oh, and I'm also including a shot of the drawing I made for the couple, of Pippin and his newly adopted friend Comet.