Newport Nuptials

How Sweet it is...

2009-11-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

Some of my earliest childhood memories include cookies. Every Christmas all the girls in the family (and Mr. Newport and BILN- they are great dough rollers) bake at least 15 dozen of about 10 types of cookies-no lie! My mom is known for her cookies. She makes every type imaginable, some of my favorites being classic chocolate chip, pumpkin with a maple glaze, chocolate with caramel and almonds, snowballs, and her famous sugar cookies.

Searching the web I have found so many great places with the cutest sugar cookies, the only real test is whether or not they tatse better than my moms. Ever since I found decorated sugar cookies on the web, I've been in love with the idea of a cookie favor at the wedding. I've been to a decent amount of weddings and my favorite favors always seem to be edible or picture frames.... or honestly, they tend to get thrown out. I love cookies and other edible favors because they are never wasted...at least with me. I've found so many sites with cute cookies, I thought I'd share some favorites.

Eleni's in New York is one of my hands down favorites. Every season there are new options that are cuter than before. I am especially in love with the Wedding collection below. It would be perfect for a "Breakfast at Tiffanys" themed shower. I also think it would be cute to send to a friend who just got engaged.

Casue Sweets seems to be the couture designer of cookies. How amazing are these shells? Perfect for a seaside wedding.
Casue Sweets has the most intricate designs, they'll even custom make cookies designed to match your wedding gown! How unbelievable are these: I love these starfish and shell sugar cookies from Ali's Sweet Treats. They fit perfect with our nautical theme. I think they would be a cute addition to our Out of Town Welcome bags. A Dozen Eggs, located in New England has so many cute options. My personal favorite is Penant Fever. My sister's fiance proposed to her at Fenway Park where they had their first date. So we threw them a Red Sox themed Engagement party and of course we bought a few of the Penant Fever Cookie Collections and they were a HUGE hit at the party!

At my god-daughter's baby shower, we used K-Delights. The cookies were delicious. I think the diamond ring sugar cookies would have been perfect for our engagement party. After a lot of price research on sugar cookies on the web, I think K-Delights was the cheapest option I found. Most cookies range around $5.00 up to much more, but they had options under $3.00.
I love these cookies from Meli and Angi. I like that they are personalized. I think they would be a cute favor tied up in a package with a ribbon.
One of my favorite cookies I've seen on the web is this clever "Crabcake" from Maine Cake and Cookies. It's perfect for a clambake wedding.

I found these monogrammed beauties at Rolling Pin Productions. They are perfect for a garden party or English tea themed shower.

Are you trying to incorporate a favorite family memory into your wedding?

Another Sneak Peak!

2009-11-02T19:57:00.002-05:00

Sister Newport's photos are in! It took us a few hours to look at them all, as there are over 1,600 photos! They came out amazing. I'm excited to do the re-caps, but will need to wait for the high quality proofs before any posts. But for now, here is a sneak peak at what's to come:

Photo collage from the amazing Michael and Laura of Michael Sparks Keegan photography.

Beginning to plan again!

2009-10-31T19:21:00.000-04:00

After a few months hiatus from planning my own wedding, things are starting to pick up again!

We went from no plans to all of the sudden, lots of planning going on in the Newport household. We are currently working on room blocks, transportation, asking our wedding party, dress appointments, save the dates, pre-cana etc. etc. etc.

We felt like a two year engagement gave us all the time in the world, but now that we hit the one year mark, we are starting to feel the clock ticking......mainly because our friends and family are constantly asking us when can they book a room. They have been asking since we got engaged in October of 08....two years out. We've had to tell them that hotels don't do blocks that far in advance....so they were good, but as soon as this October hit....we were asked again, when can we book a room?

It's definitely helping to keep us on the ball. I didn't think people would book so far in advance, but then again my family loves weddings. We got a famiyl reality check this month when my cousin who is getting married 2 months before us sent out their save the dates two weeks ago and within a few days of receiving them, specific types of rooms were already filled up. We had to go with our second choice for a wedding 10 months away! We were getting phone calls from aunts and cousins telling us to book our room asap before all of the best rooms are gone! I thought they were being dramatic until we called ourselves.

Did you have a long engagement? Did you take any planning breaks and later had to rev up again?

Talented Friends and Family

2009-10-22T19:04:00.003-04:00

One of the things I love about Facebook, is the ability to instantly get access to photos after a big event. Within the few days after Sister Newport and Brother in law Newport's wedding, at least 6 albums have surfaced. My favorite being from Jarett Skeffington. He is a photographer(Jskeffphoto) from CA who has been doing photography on the side for a couple years.

He wasn't the actual photographer for Sister Newport's wedding, but he still got some amazing shots. It helps to have talented friends and family members. I want to give sneak peak at some of his shots, but don't want to give too much away before the re-caps!

I love the moment captured in this shot. Mr. Newport escorting two of the bridesmaids into the reception to "I've got a Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. The wedding was so much fun and I love that this picture captures thatThere were so many great options for the first dance and father daughter dance to choose from!

The details of the wedding were amazing.I love that this was captured. I'm so amazed at the quality of the photos seeing as I never even noticed Jarett taking these.

I was so nervous giving my speech and I like that I appear to be calm and collected in this one!
And of course, I had to throw some in of the flower girl, my adorable god-daughter.

I spoke to Jarett during the wedding and was excited to hear he's going to be updating his website. I've been excited to see more of his recent work, as most of the site is form 2006. He recently shot a wedding and I'm excited to see what he can do as the real photographer, because I think the shots as a guest were amazing. Jarett is a relative, so I've been following his work for as long as I've known about his business. It's been so cool to see his progress over the past couple years. I can't wait to see more!

Did you have any surprising talents at your wedding?

Teaser Pics!

2009-10-21T20:55:00.005-04:00

Sister Newport and Brother Newport's wedding was AMAZING, the only thing I didn't like was that they left for their honeymoon the next morning at 6:00 a.m., which left me no time to re-cap with my sister.

Honestly though, it was beyond perfect. I loved in so much that I'm starting to feel the pressure to make ours just as nice! I can't tell you how many comments I heard basically saying: Best Wedding Ever! The reception venue even wants to use their wedding photos for marketing materials and vendors have encouraged them to submit their wedding to magazines. So yeah, a little pressure for next year. Luckily when I was stressing, Mr. Newport reminded me that our wedding will be just as special because in the end we'll be married.

So without further adieu, here are a few teaser pics from Michael Sparks Keegan and Laura.

Hopefully I'll be back with more to re-cap soon!

Sister Newport's Rehearsal Dinner

2009-10-20T18:38:00.000-04:00

Sister Newport's rehearsal dinner was amazing. It was held at one of Mr. Newport and I's favorite restaraunts. The restaurant had a private room upstairs, which was the perfect size. The night was so perfect because it was so intimate and a great time to spend with Sister Newport and BILN's closest friends and family. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.

On top of the great time, the food was amazing. There were three appetizer options and three entree options. The restarunt printed off personalized menus with the bride and groom's photo of choice.
The meal was amazing, but the biggest hit of the night was the groom's cake. When people walked in, they literally poked at the cake and wanted to know what it was and were amazed when they realized it was cake. Everything on it was edible including the beer bottles. The cake was made by Laura Anes of Sweet Results. She is the same woman, who made Sister Newport's shower cake. I lvoed the shower cake, but this is now by far my favorite cake.As you can tell from the groom's cake, Brother-in-law-Newport likes beer. Within the past couple of years he has started to homebrew beer and is well known for his unique flavors. As part of his groomsmen's gifts, he gave each guy a six pack of his homebrewed beer with fun labels personalized for each guy.

Mr. Newport, got a six pack called "The Devil Made Me Do It" with a photo of him as a New Jersey Devil player (his favorite sports team). Along with the homebrews, each guy received a beer mug personalized with their name.
The bridesmaids each received a piece of jewelry. Mine was a necklace with my first initial engraved from Tiffany's.
Everything about the night was amazing. I had never been to rehearsal dinner and imagined it would be formal. This was so laid back and fun, it's definitely giving me ideas for our rehersal next year!

What did you do for your rehearsal dinner? Any tips on keeping the vibe fun and casual?

To my Sister, with Love

2009-10-17T18:30:00.001-04:00

Right now, I am off celebrating with Sister Newport and BILN, I have writen this in advance as I wanted to share my excitement as it's happening. I'm so excited for Sister Newport and BILN, they are two amazing people and I'm so happy they have found each other. Usually my feelings come easily, but the hardest part of this whole process was writing their speech.

There was so much I wanted to say and share. I have been working on it for almost a year and a half, since the month they got engaged in March of 08. I have written draft upon draft. Nothing seemed good enough, and to be honest, I'm still not completely happy, with my speech, since there was so much more I could say, but after a million revisions, I figured I needed to relax and say what's in my heart.
So after a bajillion drafts, here is what I'm probably saying at this moment to two of my best friends:

I’d like to thank everyone for being here on behalf of Sister Newport, BILN and their families. They have spent so much time planning out this day; it’s hard to believe it’s finally here.

I’m honored to be Sister Newport’s Maid of Honor. sister Newport has always taken care of me and I’ve been honored to return the favor this past year.

When I was in pre-school, I used to crawl into bed with Sister Newport because I was scared of monsters. We had watched Little Monsters, one too many times and I was deathly afraid they were coming to get me. For a while, she let me sleep with her every night because I thought my big sister could keep the monsters away.

When I was getting too old, or maybe she was just sick of sharing a bed, she told me, If I put a pillow over my head, the monster’s couldn’t get me. I believed everything she said was true. It’s now twenty years later, and I still have a habit of sleeping with a pillow in my head.

Sister Newport’s always been there for me, whether it be to keep monsters away and protect me, to cheer me on and support me, or to give advice and lend an ear.

I found a quote that represents my feelings towards Sister Newport. “Sometime’s in life, there really are bonds that can never be broken. Sometimes you really find that one person who will stand by you no matter, what. Maybe you’ll find it in a spouse and celebrate it with your dream wedding, but there is also the chance that the one person you can count on for a lifetime, the one person who knows you, sometimes, better than you know yourself, is the same person, whose been standing by you all along.”

I wrote that quote in my note asking Sister Newport to be my maid of honor. For many years she has been that person for me, and she still is. I feel lucky that we have both gone on to find the “ones”, but even luckier that we still have each other.

I’m happy to say that Sister Newport has found someone who will take care of her, protect her, cheer her on, and make her smile for the rest of her life. BILN is one of the most thoughtful people I know, he loves Sister Newport with his whole heart. He truly cares for her and her happiness. I couldn’t have asked for a better husband for my sister. Today, as Sister Newport gains a husband, I have gained a brother. Although, BILN has truly been a part of the family long before today.

BILN and Sister Newport, I love you both very much, you are two very dear friends to me. In the past couple years, I have seen you both grow as individuals and flourish as a couple. Separately, you both are very special, remarkable people, but together you are complete.

Here’s to BILN and Sister Newport, may every day be as sweet as today!

{Their wedding is on The Sweetest Day}

Did you find it hard to write a speech for a loved one? Extra points if you can name where that quote is from!

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan

The Bachelorette: Fun and Games part 2

2009-10-15T12:33:00.000-04:00

So after a fun night with the Newport girls, it was time to have more of a typical bachelorette party. No not what your thinking, just a fun night out with the girls. The night included a fancy Boston hotel, dinner at a fun restaraunt and dancing at a bar with a great band.

We stayed at one of my favortie Boston Hotels, the Intercontinental. Lucky for us, Sister Newport friend works there and got us an amazing discount! Above, is the view from our room.

When we first arrive, me and bridesmaid M did a little decorating.

We then went to the hotel bar, Rumba for drinks. A few of the other girls started to show up and we had some coktails and great "girl time". It was fun to just hang out and catch up.

Once everyone arrived, we headed back to the room to get Sister Newport dressed in her bridal gear.

A veil, some beads and a sash. We wanted classy, but still scream, I'm a Bride.

After we were ready, we headed to the Living Room. The food was delicious ( I so recommend the mac and cheese!) and the prices were super reasonable. It was a great place for a large group. I never realized it was a huge bachelorette spot though, we saw about three other bachelorette paries on our way out!

After dinner, we stopped back into the hotel and caught Sister Newport up on the rest of the nights activities. In came ....dun....dun....dun....the list. We gave her a lsit of things she must accomplish by the end of the night. Things like take a pisture with each of your bridesmaids, get someone to buy you a shot, take a picture with another bride....you know the G-rated version of the game.

I was told if I made her do anything crazy, payback would not be fun for mine, so we defintely went easy on her.

So off we headed to Ned Devines. One of my favorite places for a good band in Boston, although when we went for my birthday, which was the last time we were there, the band was horrible and I was so nervous the band at the bachelorette would be too.

Luckily a band called Split decision from Pennsylvania was playing and they were awesome!

While at Ned's, Sister Newport got right to her list. First up....take a picture with another bride. This one was easy since it seemed to be bachelorette weekend in Boston that night. We saw seven other bachelorette parties at Ned's that night!

Next on the list, find a man to propose to you. This was an easy one, bridesmaid c got the first guy she asked to agree to it.

And everyone's favorite of the night was find a guy that looks like Brother in-law Newport and get a photo together. We didn't think this one would happen, until we saw this guy. He looks so similar to BILN it's ridiculous! When this was posted on facebook, at first glance people thought it was her fiance, but that something seemed a little off.

After a few checks on the lsit, we abandoned the list and danced all night. The band was so good we forgot to continue. We all agree it was a successful night, even with out a completed checklist.

After the night ended we headed back to our room at the Intercontinental for some rest and woke up to an amazing breakfast at the hotel's restaurant Miel.

Did you end up having more than one bachelorette night out? What did you do?

The Bachelorette: Fun & Games

2009-10-14T22:55:00.000-04:00

When it came time to plan Sister Newport's bachelorette, she told me she wanted to include the "Newport Girls", which includes all the women on my mother's side of the family, with cousins ranging from middleschool to aunts ranging to well middle age? I had no idea how to include them in a bachelorette party. To be honest, I've only been to one, which was my cousin's now wife, a mere month before the date we set for Sister Newport's party. So what to do? Well, I took inspiration from Sister Newport herself.

Sister Newport is known for her "Newport Girls" Family Christmas get-together which always includes yummy food and drinks, Christmas themed trivia and charades. So I took my own spin on it and created a "Newport Girls" Family Bachelorette, which of course included yummy food and drinks, Bridal themed trivia and charades.

It was such a blast. Bridesaid M, a cousin of ours, had t-shirts made for the occassion. It was pretty funny, the youngest member of the party, cousin Mauretta (who is currently in middle school), was so confused by the whole thing. She told us all it was her first bachelorette party and totally not what she expected. We let her know it wasn't the typical, but didn't really get into what typical is.

Once people started arriving, the shirts were handed out. The food was served. Drinks were made and the fun began.

We started off with Trivia, since it's always the harder of the two games. It was played Bar Trivia style. In which there are four rounds. In each round, bids are made on questions 1-4, question 5 is a bonus and points vary. Prior to reading questions, at the beginning of each round, the questions categories are given, to help with the bidding process.

Here are the rules and the questions we used that night:

The Rules....Each team may consist of no more than 6 players. Players may not use any outside resources, (non team members, books, phones, etc.). Once submitted, all answers are final. When a question is asked, your team has until the end of the allotted time to answer. Most answers need to be given a point value or a bid. Use this score sheet to keep track of the categories, your answers, and your bids. If you have any questions....ask your hostess. Good luck!

Round 1. Categories: Fashion. Movies. Abbreviations. TV.
1. Fashion. Before marrying Donald Trump, Slovenia model Melania Knauss modeled her $100,000 Christian Dior wedding gown on the cover of which magazine?

2. Movies. What 1989 movie made the Southern tradition of the groom's cake more well known, when the groom's aunt created a red velvet gray iced armadillo cake?
3. Which stars of the MTV hit show the Hills were married in 2009?
4. Abbreviations. What does TTD stand for in the wedding world?
5. Name 5 national selling bridal magazines.

Round 2. Categories: Movies. Statistics. Traditions. Literature.
1. Traditions. Right before the ceremony, who is the last person to be seated?
a. FOB b. Parents of the groom c. The Mother of the Bride d. The bridal party
2. Literature. Which chick lit author wrote the books “Something Borrowed” and “Something Blue”?
3. Statistics. In 2002, which month was the most popular for proposals?
4. Movies. Julia Roberts has stared in two wedding themed movies. Name these two movies.
5. Music. Name 4 of the 7 “Group” and or dances on the Weddingbee “Do Not Playlist”.

Round 3. Categories: Movies. Music. Cultural. Statistics.
1. What 1989 movie made the Southern tradition of the groom's cake more well known, when the groom's aunt created a red velvet gray iced armadillo cake?
2. The mehendi ceremony before an Indian bride’s wedding involves decorating with what?
3.Music. What song are these lyrics form?
But of all these friends and loversThere is no one compares with youAnd these memories lose their meaningWhen i think of love as something new
4. Statistics. In 2007, what was the most popular month to wed?
5. Name 5 blockbuster movies with the word wedding in the title.

Round 4. Categories: Statistics. Movies. Tradition. TV.
1. In 2007, what was the average size of an engagement diamond?
a. 1 carat b. 1.4 carats c. 1.8 carats d. 2 carats
2. TV. During Phyllis' wedding on the Office, which female co-worker showed up wearing white?
3. Which Beatle's Song plays during the Bride and Groom's exit in the romantic Comedy, Love Actually?
4. Tradition. What does the wedding cake represent?
a. Health b. fertility c. wealth d. hunger
5. Which song was listed as the number one first dance song on the Knot's list of 50 Classic first dance songs?

I created 3 versions, in case we wanted to play more, but unless your a bride to be, these aren't so obvious, despite me thinking this was too easy! Guess you can tell your a bride when you get a good score on it! So of course, Sister Newport's team one despite having the least amount of players. Luckily, we also played "Bridal Charades", which is a bit easier on the non-brides.

Did you have an untraditional bachelorette? What did you do?

Breakfast is Served: Success!

2009-10-13T19:50:00.001-04:00

The past couple months I spent, as some would consider, far too much time obsessing over shades of blue, stringing pearls, finding the perfect wording for invitations, gathering props, sending a million e-mails coordinating with the other bridesmaids, choosing menus, embossing envelopes, thank yous, invites and escort cards, etc. etc. Why do it? It may just be a shower to some, but for me, it was more than that.

I spent the last few months obsessing over "trivial" things because I love my sister. I wanted to make a special day even more special.

I wanted to surprise her....
To honor her...
To make her feel like a princess for the day..
To make her laugh...
To make her smile...
To show her how much she is loved, by so many people...

......and that all of those people who love her want to celebrate her love with Future Brother in-law Newport.
And most of all, to show her how much I love her.
I did it in my own way. I did it by obsessing over the minute details others overlook just to see a smile, even for a split second on the face of one of the people who means so much to me. I did it because she is my sister and I want her to feel as happy as she has made me over the years.

What do you do to show others your love? Is it something noticeable or is it more in the details?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan

Proposal Adventures

2009-10-12T06:43:00.003-04:00

After Mr. Newport proposed, the real fun began- the pictures!

I happen to love pictures. I take way too many photos, I'm known for my quick facebook photo updates- as in they are up the next morning- before you are. I scrapbook. I stalk photo blogs. I'm pretty obsessed. I thinks it's my obsession with capturing a memory of a second of time that you can never get back. With a photo you get to hold on to that moment forever. Some people are content with their memory, I on the other hand am much more visual.

Surprisingly, after our proposal Mr. Newport was the one to initiate "the photo shoot". I was so caught up in my happiness that I didn't really think to take pictures- so not like me, I never forget to take pictures.

After some time basking in our newly fiancee'd status, the camera started clicking.

First came some photos of the ring..
Then some photos of us.....
Then a facebook special, in which Mr. Newport tagged all of our coupled friends (O yes he did!)...
After the photo fun, came the mandatory calls. We actually didn't do too many right away, just our parents and siblings. My family saw it coming, but his were a little surprised. Which shocked me because the diamond he proposed with was the same diamond his father proposed to his mother with 3o years ago! He said they gave him the diamond, and he just never told them when he was officially doing it. So needless to say, my future mother in-law had the best reaction---she was speechless. I would be too! I would have assumed he'd tell her, but he said he only told my father prior to doing so to ask for his permission.
After the calls to family, we headed to our alma mater, Salve Regina University, to reminisce. We walked through campus stopping at all the places that hold special meaning to us, including Hunt Hall, which was our freshman dorm where we met.
Later in the evening, we had celebratory drinks on the deck at Bannister's Wharf and made the rest of the calls. The woman at Bannister's saw us sitting on the deck and told us we were about to miss a beautiful sunset and recommended we move to the deck on the other side. Gladly we did. We saw the most beautiful sunset while calling all our closest family and friends to tell them the happy news.
After the beautiful sunset and making quite a few calls, we headed to dinner at our favorite Newport restarunt, Sardella's (favorite because in college you can't beat the 2 dinners for $12.00, $20.00 if you include a bottle of wine special every Mon-Wed in the winter, we went at least once a week and it is absolutely delicious!). It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Then....the next day was more Newport fun and of course, photo taking. We headed to an apple orchard in nearby Middletown, went for a ride on Ocean Drive and spent a little more time on the beach and at Salve. Perfect Fall activities.

At the end of day two of our proposal adventure, we headed back home and were greeted by decorations, friends and family. Absolutely perfect.

Was your proposal more than a one day affair? How did you celebrate?

The Venue Search...or lack thereof

2009-10-09T07:16:00.000-04:00

Exactly one year ago today, we decided on our venue.

Mr. Newport and I knew pretty early on that we had found "the one", and I'm not talking about the venue at this point, I'm talking about each other. We met our freshman year and fell in love, not quite so easily, but when it hit, it hit hard. I just knew he was it.

Mr. Newport was the first boy I ever went on a date with, my first boyfriend, my first everything. Some people need to search further and know for sure that something is right, but when I truly love something or someone, I just know.

When we seriously started planning our wedding, I knew our alma mater had to be involved. I was devastated when I heard our college chapel held a maximum of 150 guests (which funny enough, they recently started building a new chapel, set to open fall 2010 that will fit our guest list). That's when I decided to be creative in including our alma mater. If we can't get married there, at least we'll be viewing it from afar.
The day after Mr. Newport proposed, we went to the Atlantic Beach Club. It was our first and only venue visit. We had frequented the ABC many times during our four years in college, having lived on the same road our junior year (our first apartment together!). I had always been fond of the location, but never dreamt of how beautiful the ballroom would be. The entire upstairs is a large ballroom over looking the ocean and our alma mater. I came in hoping it would be decent enough to consider as an option for our venue, but as soon as we walked in that ballroom overlooking the campus where we met and fell in love, we both just knew. That was it. The first place we looked was our last.

How many places did you have to view before finding "the one"?

Time flies...

2009-10-08T06:52:00.000-04:00

It's been exactly one year since Mr. Newport asked me to marry him, and about a year to go until we say "I do"! This past year flew by and I know the time is just going to seem to go even faster until the actual wedding. Some people were amazed at the length of our engagement, just about two years, but I'm really enjoying this time together.

So how did he propose? Well....

Mr. Newport proposed almost exactly five years from the day we met. To be honest, neither of us remember the date we met, but it was in October of 2003 at Salve Regina in Newport, RI. (I'll get to that story later) Five years after our first introduction, Mr. Newport took me back to the very place we met.

He planned the whole thing out perfectly. When we arrived in Newport, the weather was perfect. It was a beautiful fall day. It's my favorite time of year and my favorite kind of weather.

I kept thinking it was the perfect time to propose. Newport is my favorite place, it was five years from the date we met (seems like a good time to propose to me), it was my favorite season, and I had been bugging Mr. Newport for awhile. I told my mom, my sister and a few of my closest friends that I thought he was going to propose. It just seemed so perfect. I had thought quite a few times ( a couple different trips to Disney, other trips to Newport, a trip to NH on our four year anniversary, Christmas, etc. etc.) before that he was going to propose, so telling my friends and family I thought this wasn't anything new. Even though I told them, part of me still wasn't sure because I had felt so sure the other times, too.

The one thing that made me a little more sure this time was the fact that Mr. Newport told me his parent's were giving him the diamond his father proposed to his mother with. Up until a couple weeks before the trip, I thought there was no way he would propose because he and his parents hadn't seen each other in months and there was no way to get the diamond. Then I saw a message on his cousin's myspace page about going to Jersey. That's when I became about 75% sure it would happen. His cousin lives in MA, so do we. She was taking a trip with her family that Mr. Newport never mentioned, he usually tells me when his aunt and cousins visit in Jersey. I thought they must be getting the diamond. Then, Mr. Newport never went to visit them, or so I thought. I went back and forth on whether it would happen. I searched for more clues. I know, I'm terrible. I hate surprises. I find more joy in figuring things out before they happen than actually getting surprised. Poor Mr. Newport, he tried really hard!

Then no clues came, Mr. Newport was being really sneaky. I didn't want to get my hopes up since I had so many times before. Then a couple days before our trip, Sister Newport kept insisting that she and FBILN meet up with us for dinner the first night we go down. That's when I started asking her for clues, but I got nothing other than the fact that she said she wanted to be there if he did propose. Which led me to believe that it was going to happen. At this point I became 85% it was going to happen.

Then came the morning we were to leave for Newport. I knew we were going to have a picnic on the beach. I figured I'd wear something comfy, since it tends to be windy and a little cool in October on the water. I asked Mr. Newport if sweatpants were ok, he said I should wear something a little nicer. Note: Mr. Newport fell in love with the girl in sweatpants and tells me I look beautiful in them all the time, so I was surprised. Then I saw what he was wearing- a nice button down shirt and jeans- a little fancy for a picnic on the beach. At this point, I was 90% sure it was going to happen that day.

So after a long drive with much anticipation, we arrived in Newport. We stopped at our hotel to check in, then headed off to grab some sandwiches from our favorite cafe for our picnic. We got our usual of two griddled English cheddar sandwiches. We drove to the next town over to our favorite picnic spot.

As we got out of the car, Mr. Newport told me he had to get something and to go ahead. I was 95% sure at this point that he was getting the ring and about to propose. Yet, I still tried to block it out of my mind, as I had been so sure many times before.

We walked down to the beach, which was nearly secluded (one other person on the far end) and Mr. Newport laid out a blanket. We ate our sandwiches and reminisced about some of our favorite times in Newport. After our lunch was finished we were rambling on about our childish fight that we've had for 5 years- who love's who more (yes we are that couple, and yes we say it everytime we hang up the phone....I love you more...no I love you more...click)), Mr. Newport at this point said I love you more and I'll prove it.

Mr. Newport knelt down on two knees....at this point I was 100% sure it was about to happen. At this point the story gets fuzzy. I know he gave a little speech and I remember it being sweet and being utterly happy. Yet, I have no recollection of any of his words other than his first of proving he loves me more...and his last..."Will you marry me?"

At which point, I told him your only supposed to get down on one knee. Blah, yeah I said it. And yeah, my family made fun of me. Then we laughed. He got down on one knee, and.......the phone rang.

One of my bridesmaids called at 10:00 on a Wednesday morning. She just had to ask me something, aka she wanted to know if he had done it already.

We ignored the call and I said yes.

We spent awhile on the beach savoring the moment. It sounds cheesy, but it really was the most amazing day of my life so far.

Even though I was X% sure it was going to happen leading up to the proposal, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I had originally wanted him to do it sooner, or in other places, but if he had I wouldn't have gotten my dream proposal, the dream proposal I hadn't known I wanted all along. So many times I told him I don't care how it's done, I just want to be your wife. But, once I had the amazing proposal in a place that meant so much, I am happy he waited and did it perfectly. The poor guy just had to deal with a lot of nagging and disappointment along the way.

Did you know when your fiance was going to propose? Did you have to go through some disappointments before getting your dream proposal?

Breakfast is Served: You Look Fabulous!

2009-10-07T19:17:00.000-04:00

Sister Newport's favorite part of her shower was the "photobooth". Michael Sparks Keegan and Laura were amazing with the photo area. They helped direct people on where to sit and got some really fun photos.

To create the "photobooth" we used a background already available at the Langham. The back wall has hanging drapes that are really pretty, so we didn't need to set anything up. Lauara had requested we ask the Langham for a chair and a little side table, which they provided. Then there had to be props.

We gathered miscellaneous props related to the movie including:
2 pairs of big black sunglasses

sleep mask

2 smoke sticks

2 sets of long white gloves

1 set of long black gloves

multiple pearl necklaces and earrings

1 boa

Plus, so many guests dressed the part, they didn't even need to use props, although many did just for fun anyways! Of course this included me and Sister Newport. Here we are checking out the props for our photos.
I set up a website through Shutterfly (encouraged by the Keegans, since Sister Newport owns full rights to photos), where I posted the photos for guests to view and purchase. I'm going to make up little cards for Sister Newport to include in her thank you notes, which will give guests the website name and password to view the photos.

I was so worried people would be either shy or not into the idea, but it was a huge hit, I'd say at least 70% of the guests participate, if not, more.

See for yourself how much guests loved it:

Have you been to a wedding related event with a photobooth? What were your favorite props?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan

Breakfast is Served: The Details

2009-10-06T19:35:00.002-04:00

Planning the details of the shower was so much fun! I absolutely love themes. Once I have a theme, I just run with it. I wanted to go for something classic, so I did hold myself back on going too crazy with elements from the film.

To incorporate the film, all table numbers were photos of Audrey Hepburn from the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was subtle, but fun.
The flowers turned out gorgeous. If I weren't having a semi-destination wedding, I would so have Newport mom do the flowers for my wedding! They came out amazing. We were originally going with just roses, but she wanted more fullness and decided at the last minute to get hydrangeas, too.
Sister Newport loved the details. After a lot of hugs and hellos, she took some time to soak it all in.

Audrey, a.k.a. Holley Gollightly appeared again on the escort cards. Our two nods to the film.

Favors were little blue boxes from Papyrus filled with M&M's inspired by Tiffany's signature little blue box, but with more of a Martha Stewartesque twist with a more pastel shade.

Shower game prizes were enclosed in Tiffany & Co. bags.

And last but not least, my favorite detail of the day, was the venue itself. The Langham is so incredibly gorgeous with it's drapes, gold chairs and linens and sparkly chandeliers. The room itself needed very little decor. It was so stunning itself.

Did you have a themed shower, or have you thrown a themed shower?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan

Breakfast is Served: Michael Sparks Keegan Photography

2009-10-05T07:12:00.001-04:00

The best decision made related to the shower was hiring Michael Sparks Keegan. He and his wife Laura are an amazing team.

Sister Newport is actually the one who hired them. I hadn't told her anything about the shower, not the place, not the theme, not the details, nothing. I did however tell her that the event coordintaor, Gina, at the Langham had made a comment about hiring a photographer. I said it in passing not realizing Sister Newport would go out and hire her wedding day photographers for a shower. I mean seriously, who does that?

Well she did. And I'm really happy she made that decision. She is, too.

The "photobooth" was a hit largely due to Michael and Laura. Everyone had a blast and everyone was raving about them. They took so many beautiful shots and really connected with everyone. Which is awesome, because most of the women at the wedding are already comfortable with the photographers!

Even the little flower girl (my gorgeous god-daughter), was loving the camera.

It wasn't meant to be a test run for the wedding, but Sister Newport after the fact said she felt even more excited that she hired the Keegan's after seeing how amazing they were to work with, not just with them as the couple, but with everyone at the shower.

It's pretty neat, because Michael and Laura met a lot of key people in Sister Newport's life and they'll now be able to recognize these key people come the wedding day.

photo by me

Have you hired a professional photographer for an event other than the wedding? Was it worth it?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan, unless noted otherwise

Breakfast is Served: The Langham Vendor Review

2009-09-30T07:04:00.001-04:00

Having the shower at the Langham was ideal. The room was so gorgeous, there wasn't a need for a lot of decor. During our meetings with the hotel's event coordinator, Gina, she gave us so many ideas and upgrades that really added to the overall vision.

When we first met Gina, she showed us our two room options. We chose the Chase Room for the beautiful chandeliers. As we shared our ideas and thoughts for the shower, we explained we wanted a Breakfast at Tiffany's theme. Gina got our vision right away. She gave us options for linenes and recommended the upgraded (at no extra cost) gold linens and gold chairs. She said she doesn't typically do white glove service for an event like this, but thought it would go perfect with our theme, which it did. She also recommended playing classical music in the background. Which ended up being played outside the room as guests walked in, which was a nice entrance. She also upgraded our pastry holders, they are typically baskets, but she thought it would like nicer with the tiered silver trays, and they looked perfect!

Our last surprise was the tiffany blue high chair when we walked into the room. We had asked for a high chair for the 10 month old flower girl, and even that matched our theme perfectly!
Gina and the entire staff at the Langham were great to work with. It was fun to work with Gina, who was just as excited about our theme as I was. I was also surprised to hear at our last meeting that she reads my blog. She had been following along since my first post that we were hosting the shower at the Langham. She had even read my latest blog post right before our meeting.

Gina was out on vacation during our event, so I promised to post a lot of photos, so she can she how it turned out. The day of, we worked with Tom, the Catering manager, he and the whole staff were great and so accomodating. The whole day went smoothly and they even transferred all the gifts to the car.

Our overall experience with the Langham was incredible. They really went above and beyond. We didn't have one complaint. The service was perfect.

Have you worked with any vendors who were incredible to work with?

All photos by:Michael Sparks Keegan

Breakfast is Served: The Gifts

2009-09-28T19:42:00.002-04:00

Presents always tend to be the focus of bridal showers, but not for Sister Newport's shower. She was dreading being the center of attention. The photo booth was the perfect solution to ease her stress of being the focal point. Of course as the bride, she was still the center of attention, but guests had the option to take their photo at he "photobooth" with Michael and Laura of Michael Sparks Keegan photography.

As the maid of honor, I have to be honest, I was a little unprepared. I completely forgot the plates for the ribbon bouquets, luckily the Langham helped us out and gave us an alternative that worked perfectly.

I also had trouble keeping up with Sister Newport's speedy present opening skills. I honestly think she could have broken records with her speediness at gift opening. I ended up missing one or two gifts, luckily she remembered them and by process of elimintaion figured out who the gifts were from.

During the gift opening, Sister Newport wore the Bride-to-be crown that each of her 5 closest friends wore to their bridal showers. She is the last in the group to get married. It was a nice tradition.
As I said before, Sister Newport was super speedy, we had a production line for opening gifts. A couple of the bridesmaids worked on tearing the paper a bit, I opened cards, FBILN opened gifts and so did Sister Newport, they showed them to each other, I recorded the gifts and a couple of the other girls were in charge of wrapping paper clean up.

Sister Newport received so many gifts, mostly off her registry. One thing I learned was to choose a registry with a lot of locations. She chose a big name department store, but there is only one within our area, which wasn't convenient for most guests. So barely anything on that registry was touched. The other tw registries she chose with multiple locations were almost completely filled after her shower. I was originally planning on using the registry of the place with the one location, but after seeing her experience, I'm going to pick something more convenient.
As for the bridesmaids gift, we decided to go with sentimental and practical. To go along with the Breakfast at Tiffany's theme, we gave Sister Newport a Tiffany's pearl bracelet, so she can hopefully remember her shower each time she wears it. To be more practical, we also gave a gift certificate to Home Depot to help out with the costs of the kitchen remodelling they are hoping to do after the wedding. FBILN loes to cook and has been hoping to remodel the kitchen for as long as I've known him.

What were some of the favorite gifts you recieved at your shower? Do you have any registry tips to share?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan

Breakfast is Served: Fun & Games

2009-09-24T19:23:00.001-04:00

Every bridal shower needs games and Sister Newport's bridesmaids delivered.

I worked with the groom, on what I consider to be a Bridal Shower Classic, since it is my favorite game at showers and one of the only shower games I knew prior to being a bridesmaid- Bridal Trivia. I asked FBILN for answers to questions regarding their relationship and he gave me some of his own questions. It was fun, but guests said that we should have had more Bride questions. Although I think they were just being competitive! We had people trying to cheat!

Bridesmaids A & E and my adorable niece, the flower girl, read off the trivia answers.

Note: make sure to proof-read your answers before having someone else read them! I cut and paste a couple things and pasted the same answer twice and left the correct answer out. It was fine, but a little confusing.
The prize for the Bridal Trivia winners were the table centerpieces. Who ever had the msot correct answers at each table won the centerpiece, other than the bridal table, where sister newport got to keep the centerpiece.
Bridesmaid CC and CM came up with two fun options I had never heard of.

One being the Timer Game. We set a timer while Sister Newport opened presents, when the timer went off, whichever guest's gift was being opened, won a prize. It was low key, but added some fun. I had no idea Sister Newport would be breaking records for fastest time for opening gifts, so the first time we set the timer for 15 minutes, after that we moved it down to 4 minutes.

We had little gifts for each person who "won" including DIY tiffany blue notecards, lipgloss, picture frames and the breakfast at Tiffany's dvd.

Game number three, was Bridesmaid CC's idea. She went to a shower that had "Name that Cake" and saved a copy. It is such a cute game! She printed the game out on pale blue paper and left them at each table for guests to play.

Name that cake!
WHAT IS THE CAKE THAT IS AN ANNUAL EVENT?
WHAT CAKE DOES A MONKEY LIKE?
WHAT CAKE IS A HEAVENLY BODY?
WHAT CAKE IS THE BIGGEST FLOP?
WHAT KIND OF CAKE DO MICE LIKE BEST?
WHAT CAKE IS A TYPICAL AMERICAN BREAKFAST?
WHAT CAKE GOES WELL ON A SAUCER?
WHAT CAKE IS FOUND ON THE OCEAN FLOOR?
WHAT CAKE IS ALWAYS ON THE CALENDAR?
WHAT CAKE WEIGHS THE MOST?
WHAT CAKE IS THE OPPOSITE OF A HEAVENLY BODY?
WHAT CAKE SHOULD BE EATEN IN BED?
WHAT CAKE IS A SMALL CHILD’S GAME?
WHAT CAKE IS AS LOVELY AS TRANSPARENT MATERIAL?
WHAT KIND OF CAKE DO YOU FEED YOUR RABBIT?WHAT KIND OF CAKE DO YOU ORDER AT A SEAFOOD RESTAURANT?

Can you name all of the cakes?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan

Brekfast is Served: The Cake

2009-09-23T07:05:00.002-04:00

The cake was the one request from Sister Newport. She had no idea what the shower theme would be or any of the details or even if we would include her request, but she knew for sure she wanted this cake and she wanted it from Laura Anes of Sweet Results. This cake design was how the whole theme came about.

I'm happy Sister Newport requested this because it truly was what set the theme for the entire shower and it turned out so cute! With a little inspiration from Sister Newport and Martha Stewart, things easily fell into place.

When it came to choosing the cake baker, the choice was easy since Sister Newport had requested we work with Laura Anes. She had found Laura and worked with her for my god-daughter's baby shower. Everyone was so impressed by not only the look of the cake, but also the taste. Newport mom was so excited for another excuse to work with Laura.

Just as before, she blew us away with the cake. Her work is beautiful. At the baby shower, the cake was so adorable, guests actually told us not to cut into it. It was to cute to eat. Luckily, the Langham whisked the cake away into the kitchen and cut it before we had any protests. Again, it was absolutely delicious.

I loved that it was another special detail to add to the day. It was sort of a centerpiece for the escort card table.

The only problem was the weight of the diamond. Laura had warned us of this, but we loved the design so much, we said we'd figure it out. It did get a little droopy, but Newport mom and friend J fixed it. We loved the cake, but Newport mom said she'd rather not stress, so no heavy designs for my shower. Next time we will definitely listen to Laura.

Were you given any say in your shower theme or details?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan

Breakfast is Served: The Breakfast

2009-09-21T19:37:00.001-04:00

photo by me

I have never come home from a shower raving about food, but the food at the Langham was delicious! One of the bridesmaids told me she doesn't even like Bacon, but she loved the bacon we were served.

Our breakfast started off with pastries and muffins. My favorite was the croissants!

photo by me

Next, there was Strawberries with fresh sour cream and carmelized brown sugar.

To drink, guests were offered tea, coffee and juices. Then came the main course, thickly sliced brioche french toast with warm maple syrup and bluberries with thick cut Vermont maple bacon. Yum!

photo by me

Then to top it off, guests were served Mimosas. Gina at the Langham even had cute little menu cards made up to let guests know what would be served! What type of food was at your shower?

All photos by Michael Sparks Keegan, unless noted otherwise

Breakfast is Served: Let the re-caps begin!

2009-09-17T19:05:00.011-04:00

Fabulous. Truly the way I feel about Sister Newport's shower. It was an amazing day and I really think everyone had a great time. People left really happy. It was honestly so fun. I think having Michael Sparks Keegan and the photo booth added a little something extra,

After a bit of a wait, the photos are in. Sister Newport and I awaited these photos every day for two weeks, it was a long two weeks (and yes, I know it's been more than two weeks from the shower). Since we both worked to set up the contract with the photographer, we weren't quite sure who the photos would be sent to.

So for about a week. Everday around 5:35ish, we would call each other...."did you get them?"..."no, you?"...."no"..... It was torture. I think we've been spoiled by the digital age. I remember being in highschool and having my kodak camera and waiting for weeks, sometimes months before I could get my photos developed. Now with digital, everything is so instantaneous, so 2 weeks seems like forever.

Well now that they are here, and life will start to calm down, aka after this weekend my biggest moh duties such as planning the shower and bachelorette will be over, I'll somewhat have a life. I say somewhat since I still have two more weddings in the next month and a few other wedding related activies. But thats besides the point. The point is, I'm ready to relieve Sister Newport's shower and take you along for the ride.

So starting next week, you'll see more photos like these.....

Friends and family having fun,

enjoying the theme,
getting inspired by Audrey Hepburn,
and taking some photos.

All photos by:Michael Sparks Keegan

How impatient were you when waiting for pro photos?

Martha and Pearls

2009-09-04T20:22:00.000-04:00

We were inspired by this bouquet from Martha Stewart and the Today show throw a Wedding's Breakfast at Tiffany's themed wedding. After seeing this, we knew we had to add the pearl embellishments. So after throwing around some ideas, we came up with roses for being classic, hydrangeas just because we love them, pearl embellishments, and white ribbon like the ones they use to wrap the little blue boxes at Tiffany's.

I fell in love with the pearl detailing right away. It just adds a little extra and tied in the theme perfectly. I set out to make bead accents for the centerpieces and had no idea how long it would take!

We needed about 8-10 per arrangement. I had planned to have enough for all 7 arrangements, but ended up only using them for 4, since they didn't look as good with the hydrangea centerpieces. So that meant a lot of extra pearl embellishments, but I'm sure I'll find another use for them!

To make the pearl embellishments, you will need the following supplies:

Pearl beads , Wire, Scissors, Floral Sticks

I started by stringing the pearls onto the wire. Once enough beads were on, I cut the wire to the length I wanted. Then bend the wire with the pearls already on, into the shape you want. I went for an oval shape. Then twist the end of thhe wire around the stick to hold the loop in place. I was pretty terrbile with photos on this one. But if you have any quesitons, ask away!

Has Martha inspired any of your diy projects?

A Planning Disaster

2009-09-03T20:19:00.000-04:00

Sister Newport and I both thought it would be a good, no great, idea for her to get a Wedding Planner due to her hectic work schedule. We also view Wedding Planners as extremely valuable in their knowledge and connections. We used to love watching Whose Wedding is it Anyway? Knowing our own personalities, I knew I wouldn't want a planner for my own wedding because I am a bit of a control freak, but I thought it would be so beneficial to my sister. She agreed. It would be nice to have someone with connections and knowledge of the area. Sister Newport wanted a unique venue in Boston, something a little non-traditional. So she needed someone who could think outside of the box and really pull it all together.

We went to a Wedding showcase in Boston soon after Sister Newport's engagement. We met a planner who had a beautiful set up and seemed really friendly and outgoing. My mom loved her and thought she would be great to work with, Boston Bride did as well. Sister Newport set up an appointment to meet with the planner.

We met up about a week later at a local Starbucks. The planner arrived 20 minutes late. That was fine, it's a high traffic area. We sat down and started going over what she offers. Sister Newport explained she wanted a wedding reception with over 200 people in Boston during the fall of 2009. The wedding would be on a tight budget, well under the average for a Boston Wedding. The planner told her not to worry, she doesn't know the meaning of the word "no". She explained that she would save Sister Newport more than the cost of her services through her connections. She sounded great. She was really positive and confident. She seemed to understand sister Newport's vision and wants and needs. It seemed like a great match. To be honest, the only thing I was wary of, was when I had asked to see a portfolio. She said she couldn't show any photos from past weddings because she mainly works with high profile clients, so the photos are confidential. I went home confused, I wasn't asking to see photos of the people in the weddings. I wanted to see her ideas and work put into action. At this point it was too late. Sister Newport and mom were so impressed they had put down a hefty deposit at the initial meeting. So I didn't say much about my confusion with the portfolio.

As weeks went on, planning began. Appointments were made with venues. The planner chose about 6 venues, which all happened to be outside of Boston. When Sister Newport questioned this, the planner told her that Boston was out of her budget. So Sister Newport went to venues, all outside of Boston. They were typical places in our area, many of which BB had already been to before for friends weddings. She ended up going with a place chosen from the search.
Then came the other appointments. They were all pretty much a mess. The planner showed up late to 90% off the appointments. Most of the vendors she referred were either out of SN's price range or not the quality she was looking for. SN ended up contacting vendors on her own and started finding some amazing people. This included her florist, photographer (she actually already had this), invitations (which she got way less for the same design than what the planner quoted her), videographer, linens and chair rentals. For catering, Newport mom contacted someone she had asked the planner to contact in the beginning. She asked for a proposal and they let her know one was already made and given to the planner for SN, which SN had never received. It was within SN's budget, but she never knew about it. She met with the caterers and loved the food and they were willing to do everything she wanted-and more, in her price range.

Another disaster was the room blocks. SN only needed to book under 10 rooms. She asked the planner to take care of it. The planner came back telling her she had to give a definite number, if the guests didn't fill the rooms, she would be charged. This confused SN, she had never heard of that. She knew some hotels do this, but her group was small. So she asked the planner to make sure, the planner said this was definite. So she signed the contract.

A few months later, guests started calling SN and FBILN to let them know there was no room block. SN called the hotel and they said they never received the contract. She then went on to ask about the room block policy. She was told that she did not need to book a minimum and fill what she requests for a group of rooms under 10. The only reason they do that is the Wedding Planner gets a commission if the bride commits to the fill or pay.

At this point, FBILN had just been laid off. Money was getting tight and the wedding planning was getting stressful. The planner was causing more problems than she was fixing. The Bride thought the planner was really nice, so instead of getting into the real issue, she just let her know due to the groom's lay off, they could no longer afford her services. They had already paid 75% of the planner's bill, with not much work to show for it. She wasn't fulfilling her part of the contract. The planner came back saying, regardless of whether they continue to use her services, she still needed to be paid in full and that she had actually given SN a discount, so she should be paying more. (Which no discount was ever mentioned. When booked- they asked the price and paid, no questions asked).

SN became really stressed, then she had to tell the planner the real reasons they let her go. She wasn't doing her job, plain and simple. Newport mom was hoping to get more of the money spent back from her, but it's really not worth it. Working with this particular planner was a nightmare and everyone involved is just happy it's over. A lot more went into this decision and if I continued this post, it could turn into a novel.

The point of this post is to be careful who you choose. Do your research.
Here are the top things we learned in the process.....

1. Find out whether the planner works for commissions through other vendors- this can affect which vendors he/she recommends to you. The planner may be sending you to vendors that give him/her a kick back as opposed to the vendor in your best interest.
2. Make sure you see a portfolio. We had no idea what her work looked like, other than her set up at the Bridal Expo.
3. Call references. See if other bride's were happy with his/her work.
4. Ask the right questions. Search the web to see what other bride's asked and found helpful.
5. Go home and take some time to think about your vendor choices before putting down a deposit.
6. Listen to your gut, if something doesn't sound right (ie. no portfolio), it probably isn't.

And this is how my role has expanded, I went from sister, to Maid of Honor, to partial planner. SN does most of her own planning, but I'm like a planning assistant. Things have turned out great. It would be nice to have a supportive proffessional planner, but we are enjoying the time we are bonding together. Luckily the head of catering also deals with event planning and has offered to take over the responsibility of D.O.C.

Have you lived through a wedding nightmare? How did you handle it? Did it turn out fine in the end?

*Note, if we did this all again and SN hadn't already spent so much money on this individual planner, I would still completely think a proffessional planner would be a great choice for her. I really value the work of planners, unfortunately we didn't do our research and ended up with a nightmare. Take this as a lesson and make sure you find the right planner for your day!

Scoutin Locations

2009-08-27T19:29:00.000-04:00

My sister and I are both photofanatics (can you tell from all my other photo posts?). Which is pretty funny, considering my past. My father took a million pictures of us growing up- to the point where I stopped smiling in the photos. I used to make angry faces or block my face. It drive my family crazy. They wouldn't even know I ruined the picture until the photos were developed months later.

Sister Newport however, was in pageants and plays. she was a little more used to the limelight. Either way, we both ended up with a love for photos. She always appreciated that our father captured all those moments growing up. He always had his camera.

I on the other hand hated it, it wasn't until high school that we pulled out the old photos and I realized I ruined most of the pictures from my childhood. Luckily my dad took so many that there were some really good ones in there. So after years of dad's photos we both now take after him and carry our cameras EVERYWHERE.

When it comes to our wedding days, we both put photography at the top of our lists. Sister Newport is forgoing the tradition of waiting to see her groom as she walks down the aisle, and instead is having a multi-hour photo shoot all over Boston.

We started scouting locations for the photo extravaganza (thats what I like to call it).
She has come up with some great options. I think she is going to have some amazing photos of her day.

My top two fave photo locations are:
The Boston Public Gardens: and, the Boston Public Library:

The Photo Extravaganza includes a trolley, an awesome bridal party, some fun music and of course snacks. Sister Newport realized if she wants to keep the party going all day (we start at 7:30 a.m. and end at O' about midnight), snacks are a must to keep the party refreshed and energized, after all- after the photos there is still a ceremony and rehersal to attend!

It may be a long day, but the photos will be worth it!

Have you ever been in a wedding with multiple photo locations? How did you hold up?