Dallas, Ross, Matt :: Sharon, CT
Ross, Dallas, Zach :: Sharon, CT
After lunch, Matt, Dallas, Ross and I went back to the house we were staying at to rest a little and get ready for the wedding. The top photo is the boys putting the final touches on their ties. In case you don’t recognize it (I’m all too familiar), that’s Dallas’ “stop taking photos, we have to go!” face.
Matt and his mom, Luanne :: Sharon, CT
Matt and his parents, Luanne and Martin :: Sharon, CT
Matt’s family: Zach, Matt, Martin, Luanne, Adam :: Sharon, CT
Matt’s family (with the wives): Zach, Matt, Molly, Martin, Luanne, Adam, Sarah :: Sharon, CT
Matt, Molly :: Sharon, CT
Rachelle, Dallas :: Sharon, CT
Adam’s Sunglasses :: Sharon, CT
Don’t know how George got up there :: Sharon, CT
Backyard :: Sharon, CT
Front Yard :: Sharon, CT
On the day of Matt and Molly’s wedding some of the gusy… Dallas, of course… went golfing with Matt in the morning. Molly’s father George took them to a half course at Hotchkiss, the school Molly attended. I chose instead to just rest up because I knew it was going to be a long day and night. Matt & Molly’s wedding was to take place at 4:30 p.m. which meant that everyone needed to eat lunch then get ready for the wedding. One of Molly’s mom’s friends graciously invited everyone to her house for lunch. House… err. . Estate?
For days we’d been driving down the same small roads through Lakeville and Salisbury and Sharon and commenting on the architecture and how beautiful it was and the size of the yards and the enormity of some of the houses. There was one in particular that Ross was admiring every time we passed it and wouldn’t you know it. .. that’s the house we had lunch at. To call it a house, though, seems like an understatement. This was one of the biggest houses I’ve seen let alone been inside and the sweeping vistas and views in the backyard were breathtaking. Everyone just spontaneously started lining up and taking photos back there. Oh, and the big pool and hot tub and separate pool house? That’s where Matt & Molly were going to stay the night of the wedding. Later on I heard they were totally set up with candles and champagne and everything there. So nice.
Our hostess couldn’t have been more down to earth and kind. She walked around barefoot with a Corona Light in her hand making sure everyone was taken care of. We had an appetizer of endive leaves with smoked salmon and capers on them. For lunch we had a dilled cucumber salad, a lettuce salad with tomato aspic, and a pastry chicken bake. It was just enough to satisfy our appetites, but not make us too full for the rest of the day. A good way to relax before things started getting crazy!
Tags:adam·aspic·connecticut·cucumber·dallas·dill·endive·george·hotchkiss·luanne·martin·matt·molly·sarah·sharon·smoked salmon·zach
Rehearsal Dinner :: Sharon Country Club, Sharon, CT
Dallas & Zach accidentally both wore off-white suits with pink shirts and striped ties. They thought they were Crockett & Tubbs.
Bill, Matt, Dallas, Ross :: Boathouse, Lakeville, CT
Colleen & Rachelle :: Boathouse, Lakeville, CT
Maureen & Nancy :: Boathouse, Lakeville, CT
Marinella with George & his wife :: Boathouse, Lakeville, CT
Ross :: Boathouse, Lakeville, CT
Tommy & Matt :: Boathouse, Lakeville, CT
Matt & Molly’s wedding rehearsal dinner was held at the Sharon Country Club in Sharon, CT. It was lovely. We had cocktails before dinner then we were all seated. A big delicious crab cake occupied the salad for the first course (and you know about my crab cake obsession). For an entree we were to choose chicken or halibut. I chose the fish and it was delicious. Dessert was strawberry shortcake.
The seating at the wedding was non-traditional. .. or maybe very old-school traditional? I’m not sure, but I’d never seen it before. We were all shuffled up. I sat at a table with 7 people I’d never met before. I thought it would be awkward, but it was actually kind of nice because then in the following days they were friendly faces for you to talk to. At each place setting there was a gift of Hilliard’s Chocolates. In addition the groomsmen each got a snazzy tie for a gift and the bridesmaids all got beautiful emerald necklaces and earrings. Of course the ties and jewelry were for them all to wear the next day, but then to keep forever.
Before and during dinner there were many speeches and well-wishes and toasts by the parents and wedding party. Dallas was asked to make one and I was worried that he would stand up from his seat and say congrats and sit back down. I didn’t know what to expect, but he actually did a really great job up in front of everyone. He thanked Matt’s family for their kindness and hospitality. When Dallas lived in Boston he was far from his family and friends and Matt’s parents and brothers were somewhat of an adopted family for him where he could hang out and spend holidays. Seriously, though, Martin and Luanne are the nicest ever. At the end of Dallas’ speech he spoke about his Hawaiian upbringing and his Japanese heritage and had everyone do a Kanpai toast. People were coming up to him all weekend telling him how great his toast was, which made me really proud. There was also a beautiful slide show set to music of Molly & Matt’s lives and how they’ve come together. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room after that aired.
After dinner we went to the Boathouse in Lakeville, CT where we met up with more friends who were getting into town and had some drinks with them for a few hours.
Tags:bill·boathouse·colleen·connecticut·crab cakes·dallas·george·halibut·hilliards·lakeville·marinella·matt·maureen·molly·nancy·rehearsal·ross·sharon·sharon country club·tommy·wedding·zach
Molly, Matt & Wedding Officiant Rosina :: Sharon, CT
Dallas, Ross, Chris, Zach, Adam, Rosina :: Sharon, CT
Tommy, Liz, Adam, Rosina, Molly :: Sharon, CT
Parents & Grandparents – Front – Irene, George, Shirley, Louise – Back – Martin, Betsy, Luanne :: Sharon, CT
Adam & Liz :: Sharon, CT
Buddy & Bella with Canine Coordinator George :: Sharon, CT
Wedding Party :: Sharon, CT
Emily :: Sharon, CT
Catlin, Molly, George :: Sharon, CT
George :: Sharon, CT
Molly, Rosina, Matt :: Sharon, CT
Molly & Matt :: Sharon, CT
Rachelle & Dallas :: Sharon, CT
Matt & Molly got married in Molly’s mom’s backyard and that’s where they rehearsed the wedding ceremony the night before the event was to take place. The yard is so green and plush and beautiful. Too bad that the sun was so severe and some of the photos are kind of strange. Luckily the next day was a big more cloudy, even if it was just as hot. Everyone’s dressed up for the rehearsal because immediately afterwards we went out for rehearsal dinner at the country club which required a jacket and tie for the guys and dresses for the ladies.
Tags:adam·Animals·bella·betsy·buddy·catlin·cello·chris·connecticut·dallas·dog·emily·george·irene·liz·louise·luanne·martin·matt·molly·rehearsal·rosina·ross·sharon·shirley·tommy·wedding·zach
Molly’s Mom’s House, Sharon, CT
Molly and Matt’s wedding was to take place at Molly’s mom’s house in Sharon, CT. Sharon, along with all of the surrounding towns, is very small. There aren’t even any hotels, only inns and bed and breakfast type places. Originally we were going to stay at an inn, but Molly’s mom and her friends were all nice enough to invite everyone in the wedding party into their homes. Dallas, Ross and I (and Matt the night before the wedding) stayed in the guest rooms of a really nice couple only a few minutes up the road from Molly’s mom. Their home was a really beautiful red barn that was converted into a three-story house. They had a nice garden and a koi pond with a big deck. We couldn’t have asked for better hosts. It was so relaxing to drink coffee with them out on the deck in the mornings with their little dachshund Daisy and their cat Puss Puss.
Anne by the Pool, Sharon, CT
Sharon, CT
Through the backyards we could get to a guest house where some of the other wedding party were staying. This place had a really neat pool and hot tub that we laid next to on some sunny mornings. Can you see the big tree that is down next to the pool? Only a couple days before the wedding a certified tornado went through town and blew everything over. Molly’s mom and Matt and some landscapers did some major clean up work on the days before we arrived. By the time we got there her yard was back to gorgeous. The entire time we were visiting there were workers out all over the area cleaning up downed branches and trees.
Tags:anne·connecticut·dallas·matt·molly·pool·ross·sharon·tornado·Weather